By: Michelle Hu <[email protected]>

The Indianapolis Museum of Art, a relatively new venue for up and coming exhibits, is one of the most productive ways to spend a day. The museum itself is free, except for a small fee of six dollars for limited time exhibits. Currently, the museum is showcasing local fashion designers in its exhibit “Breaking the Mode.”

The lobby displays a unique exhibit by a living artist. The lobby has a series of speakers and wires that, if visitors listen closely, project individual voices and sounds. It may seem strange at first, but at the top of the escalators, an information panel explains that the artist wanted to capture sounds of human emotions, such as love, fear, joy, lust, etc.

Free exhibits include American, European, Asian, African and perhaps most interestingly, Contemporary Art. Each regional display includes several large rooms full of pieces that date from ancient times to present day. The European collection boasts pieces by great artists, including Rembrandt van Rijn, El Greco, Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne and Vincent van Gogh. The American Art exhibit showcases the most extravagant painting of Georgia O’Keefe’s portfolio and works by Norman Rockwell.

In addition, the museum includes the Lilly House and gardens, which are also free of admission. The Lilly House was formerly inhabited by the family of Eli Lilly, and now functions as a museum much like George Washington’s estate. In the back, visitors can go jogging concurrent to the White River.