Local Indy

City Gallery always displays place-based artwork inspired by Indianapolis. For the month of March, City Gallery is exhibiting Jennifer Neel's newest body of work, Local Indy, which seeks to highlight the local businesses that make Indianapolis special.

Neel is inspired by the vibrancy of local businesses that make up her daily life, as well as offering new tastes and experiences to explore. While creating this body of oil paintings, Neel took a unique approach to the City Gallery's mission of using art to celebrate Indianapolis. She identified several small businesses across the city that she wanted to experience, chose items that were quintessential to that business, and set up a still life from which to paint. 

Some paintings include Indianapolis foodie favorites like croissants from Amelia's, donuts from Long's Bakery, and Cafe Babette's pastries. Other still-life paintings include products from ArtMix, art from Glass Arts Indiana, and even plants from Snakeroots.

Neel makes a conscious effort to support small businesses and hopes that viewers will be inspired to do the same. When Neel first started this body of work, she wanted to paint an item from The Best Chocolate in Town on Mass Ave only to learn that it had recently closed its storefront. This made Neel's mission for supporting small businesses even stronger. "This project made me realize how many small businesses there are," Says Neel. "And if we want to see small businesses thrive then we need to support them." 

Local Indy is an exciting body of work that shows just a glimpse of what Indy has to offer. The show can be viewed anytime in the City Gallery through the month of March: Monday – Friday from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. The works can also be viewed and purchased on our online gallery through April.