101st Running

This piece, like the letterpress and monotype processes it took to make it, layer imagery and history together. Among the layers are references of people and places that belong to my personal narrative as well as icons and imagery that live in the history of the Indy 500. Here, I honor my roots while embracing my adoptive city. This culmination finds an intersection in the year 1954. 1954 is a year of significance for the people depicted as well as the year of the official pace car seen in the print. The image of the pace car came from a lucky letterpress find that sparked my imagination and enhanced this project. I am honored to be able to welcome visitors to our city with my artwork.

Katherine was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska where she was immersed in stories from and about her family and their friends. These captivating stories were illustrated by mementos/heirlooms, photos, and imagination. Intrigued, Katherine wanted to know as much as she could about their lives. Eventually her interest would lead her to consider how she and her peers interact with history, memory, and the objects left behind.

As an artist, Katherine is interested in capturing and preserving the world around her: people, their stories, rituals, possessions, and history. Her work constructs spaces that act as an externalization of internal experiences or memories. These constructions include traditional oil paintings, assemblage boxes, and layered prints.

Katherine is currently an Assistant Professor at the University of Indianapolis where she teaches Foundations and Printmaking.  In addition to her BFA and MA, Katherine completed her MFA from Miami University. Katherine has exhibited in a variety of juried, invitational, and group exhibitions.

Inspiration for Driven by the Checkered Flag came from my many years spent as a parts delivery driver for Honda. The title alludes to the way the parts evolve around the hope of winning a race. My intention for this piece was not to replicate an Indycar engine in its entirety, but rather to create an abstract composition of parts. I wanted to highlight the beauty and design of the individual pieces that make up Indycars both past and present. After gathering reference photos from Indycars on display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, I sketched the parts multiple times and rearranged them to create a composition with flow and balance. The parts represented were chosen for their aesthetic qualities; their lines, curves, reflections, and patterns. Every engine part, checkered flag, and letter was hand cut from paper and layered to add dimensionality.

Christina Hollering is a multidisciplinary artist living and working in Indianapolis. She graduated with a degree in painting from Herron School of Art and Design in 2012 and currently works in both paper cutting and printmaking. Her work has been exhibited throughout the Midwest and most recently in New Mexico. Inspiration for her work comes from the science fiction genre, psychology, entomology, hiking trips, and exploring the backyard with her children. Her current series of paper cuttings explore the topic of metamorphosis and how it is exhibited in human psychology, philosophy, and the natural world.

This artwork features a current view of the Circle City Industrial Complex, which houses several commercial office space, artist studios and nonprofit centers. Originally built in the 1920s, the complex was home to the Schwitzer Corporation, a major auto industry force during the post-World War I era. The founder, Louis Schwitzer, was the winner of the first race ever held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway five-mile, two-lap event on August 19, 1909. 

This building sits on Brookside Avenue, which runs diagonal through the near east side of Indianapolis and connects several trails and parks. While physical redevelopment is changing the face of this area, the energy and movement remains, which is what I sought to capture in my depiction of this building.

Genna Pianki, a contemporary painter in Indianapolis, focuses on urban landscapes and organic forms. Her love of color and strong lines draw her to these landscape settings with vibrancy and mood. She pulls her inspiration from the underlining authority the environment has over us as well as our constant struggle to control it. 

Genna graduated from Herron School of Art and Design in Indianapolis. Her artwork has been exhibited locally and nationally and is in various public and private collections. Her studio is located in the Circle City Industrial Complex.

I have a very particular geometric style, and wanted that to come through in my Welcome Race Fans piece.  The geometric background represents the beauty and complexity of racing.  The ends are shaded to evoke a checkered flag at the finish. The center wings are a tribute to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s emblem.

Jessica Springman has been drawing for as long as she can remember. She graduated with honors from Westminster College of Salt Lake City, Utah with dual Bachelor’s Degrees in Communications and Art. She moved to Noblesville, Indiana in 1997 to further her career in analytics and data science. Her professional art career began with one artwork in a group show in 2013. Since then, Springman’s work has been featured in 14 central Indiana galleries, 20 group shows, three solo shows as well as in several art publications. Her artwork has been featured large-scale on building facades and on public sidewalks. She is represented by the CCA Gallery in Carmel, IN, and a member of the Society of Illustrators, the Graphic Artists Guild, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).

This artwork was inspired by smaller cut-and-paste collages I’ve done in the past. I enjoy the energy and spontaneity that comes with using only whatever materials you have on hand at the time, and completing the composition in one short sitting, inspired by a moment. I used the same approach with this composition. As far as the meaning behind it, I like to let the viewer come to whatever conclusion comes to them. There are undertones that I hope could act as entry points to larger conversations, but beyond that I make a point to not pin specific meanings onto the piece.

Just love each other, because life goes fast. Especially, love someone who looks different from you.

I am an all-around maker of things, born and raised in Indiana. I enjoy creating in a wide variety of different media and challenging myself to continually learn new skills. I gather inspiration from things around me in the world that are dusty, worn, forgotten, and unappreciated. The authenticity that comes from years of faithful use and dependable weathering is a trait I seek out in everything that I explore.