Picture this. You are working at Maven Space, and you decide to take a brain break. You look at the surrounding paintings and murals and wonder …. what is the story behind this? Get ready to feel inspired by seven of the incredible artists featured in our shared space. Also use this as an excuse to start buying art from living artists, because we all know great art inspires the public, provokes thought and incites incredible creativity.
Taylor Bamgbose.com
Pieces at Maven Space.
Rest – (48×48, Acrylic on Canvas, 2020 – displayed at Maven Space from November 2022- May 2023)
No. 3. (48×48, Acrylic on Canvas, 2020 – displayed at Maven Space from November 2022-May 2023)
BIO
Taylor Bamgbose is a self-taught visual artist based in Indianapolis, IN. Also a certified life coach, she works at the intersection of art and mental health. Her vibrant figurative paintings take the audience on a journey of guided self-reflection, inviting the viewer to explore how their thoughts, emotions, beliefs and behaviors are working under the surface to shape their lived experience.
In the four years she’s been working as an artist, she has completed three major bodies of work; Verses, a poetry-inspired collection; State of Mind, which explores the nuances of everyday emotions; and Deal With It, which tackles how we cope with big emotions, for better or worse.
Taylor’s work has won several awards, including “Best of Show” at two juried competitions. In 2022, she was awarded the Robert D. Beckmann, Jr. Emerging Artist Fellowship through the Indianapolis Arts Council. She was also selected for the Hoosier Women Artists Program, an initiative of the Indiana Arts Commission. Her work has been displayed in the Indiana Statehouse and in vinyl murals throughout the city of Indianapolis, as well as featured in several art publications, including I Like Your Work’s Spring Exhibition Catalog, Create! Magazine, New Visionary Magazine, and Arts to Hearts Magazine.
Why do you need to create art?
The heart of my art practice is to create pieces that invite people to meet themselves in deeper places. I want people to walk away from a show or to see a painting on their wall every day that encourages and challenges them to understand themselves better and to make conscious decisions about how they want to interact with themselves and the world around them.
My work is first and foremost a vehicle for self-exploration and self-expression, but I share and sell my art because I don’t want to keep the benefit of that reflection to myself. I think we all deserve to have some space in our lives for mindfulness and personal examination.
What role does art play in society?
I think art can play a lot of roles in society—it can serve to challenge existing ideas or practices; it can bring aesthetic beauty and make places more engaging; it can present new frameworks for how to consider something; it can weave connections between cultures and ideas; it can inspire and encourage, and so many other functions.
Faith Blackwell
Pieces at Maven Space:
Queen of Rings on feature wall
Fun fact: most of the titles of her work are from songs.
BIO
Faith Blackwell has been a full-time photographer since 2011. While working in marketing for the International Masonry Institute, she picked up a camera and discovered her passion for photography. Photography chose her.
Faith is a published photographer and mixed-media artist specializing in business headshots, commercial, event and fashion photography. Faith is the 2023 featured artist for Dress for Success Indianapolis Stepping Out In Style, the premier fundraiser for the organization and has been part of art exhibits at Saks 5th Avenue for 2 years. She has a studio at the historic Stutz Building and shares an art space/gallery in Broad Ripple, Studio C Arts. Faith is on the board for Indy Maven, a digital connector for women in central Indiana through captivating and rich storytelling, crazy fun events and an audience of highly engaged badass women. Faith also sits on the boards for Dress for Success Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Zoo.
Recently, Faith has become a featured photographer at the multi-million dollar Bottleworks Hotel and The Garage projects. She was asked to capture portraits of the people who worked on the facility. Her mixed media artistry is in the pop art style. Her works are known to put smiles on faces and take people back to lighter times.
Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms. Faith is a child of the 80s and uses this in her work and thrives when she is able to be creative. People tend to think of her work as whimsical and smile whenever they view it. Much of her passion projects show this. Faith loves to create works of art that promote female empowerment.
Why do you need to create art?
I create first of all because I have something to say, whether it’s fun filled or totally serious. Art is also therapy for me. I create pieces that makes myself of others smile as well as pieces that makes them think.
What role does art play in society?
Art plays an important role in society because art is EVERYWHERE. There are very few places art is not. And when I think of art, I think of design so to me, you can’t go a day without art. It should be given more credit and consideration than it does.
Freemind Creations
Pieces at Maven Space:
Leaning on You; $3000.00
Standing My Ground; $3000.00
Leading the Way; $3000.00
Sending My Love; $3000.00
Changing the Game; $3000.00
BIO
Kierra Ready is a visual artist and art educator creating art to celebrate the resilience and strength of women. Her artistic style blends elements of expressionism and contemporary portraiture, allowing her to infuse paintings with energy and emotion, inviting viewers into a world where powerful narratives unfold on canvas. As a woman entrepreneur, her artistic journey is driven by a deep desire to empower and inspire fellow women and allow viewers to experience a moment of mindfulness. Through art, she strives to break societal barriers, challenge traditional norms, and create a space where women can embrace their authentic selves, cultivate mindfulness and find solace in the transformative power of art.
Why do you need to create art?
I create art for the dreamers. For those that see beauty in everyday things. Most importantly, I create large scale portraits to represent women who might otherwise be overlooked. It is a beautiful thing to see my artwork taking up space in the world (literally) and being a voice for myself and others.
What role does art play in society?
One of the roles that art plays in society is to be a reflection of life and a keeper of history. Art shares experiences that people go through, whether real or imagined and captures them for years to come. When we look at an artwork 10 years from now, it will give us an understanding of the conditions of the time it was created in. Additionally, I believe art plays a role in allowing viewers to experience a moment of mindfulness. It gives us an object to focus our attention on, a thought to ponder in our brains, or a piece of beauty to inspire us or uplift our day. Art beautifies spaces internally and externally.
Gerburg Garmann
Pieces at Maven Space
Hibiscus & Happy Hoops
Blue Pitcher
Shy
Fashionistas
Unlikely Sisters
Amazon
The Bun
Blackbirds in Paradise
A Most Simple Bouquet
BIO
Gerburg Garmann, a native of Germany, is a former professor of Global Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies at the University of Indianapolis, USA, and is now fully concentrating on the arts. Her scholarly publications appear in English, German, and French in international journals. She is the owner of European Art Studio in Indianapolis. Her artwork and poems have appeared in various magazines and anthologies around the world. “Painting is yet another foreign language for me and allows for aesthetic expression in form of color, shape, thought, and passion. It is a language, which can be shared by many, verbally and non-verbally. Because paintings (just as other forms of art) provide symbolic as well as real meeting grounds of the spiritual and our day-to-day experiences, they solicit our reaction no matter whether our engagement with the actual piece of art ends up in affection or dislike, in affirmation or disapproval. In the end, all artwork manifests a story.” She specializes in creating art for women.
Why do you need to create art?
This question makes me chuckle because it sounds a bit as if you were to ask a dancer why they need to dance or a professional athlete why they need to play football or basketball. Though it might seem strange at first that I mention these different examples, they all have something in common: They are above all driven by passion. When this passion then translates into a mission that far exceeds one’s personal drive, they are at their very best. My mission is to inspire joyful resilience in the viewer/collector of my artwork. Or, as I state on the homepage of my website: ‘MY Art in Service of YOUR Needs.’ So, art, the way I understand it, is not simply self-serving but responds to people’s needs and wants.
What role does art play in society?
This question relates beautifully to the first. First and foremost, art tells (important) stories. It pleases, startles, amuses or challenges the viewer. In fact, it surpasses itself by offering something more than an immediate gratification of the viewing experience. Art can become instrumental in one’s personal growth, in sustaining one’s well-being and in honoring, supporting or questioning past and current social and political convictions or goals. Directly or indirectly, an artwork asks us: Who are we as a society, and who am I as a member of the society I live in? In other words, when you take the time to intentionally explore an authentic piece of art, it simply does not allow you to remain indifferent or passive. Your reaction to what you see – whether you feel drawn to it or dislike it- art brings you in touch with your own emotions. And almost automatically you begin to ask the bigger questions… Why do I (dis)like this piece so much? What does it tell me about myself? What does it “say” about the world I live in?
Mary Mindiola Art
List of pieces at Maven Space
Great Grandmas Love – 36 x 48 paper magazine collage
Skagit Valley Tulips – 30 x 15 magazine paper collage
BIO
Mary is originally from the city of San Cristobal in the State of Táchira in Venezuela, and she studied Graphic Design and Illustration at Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, MI.
Looking to transform her work into something more meaningful, Mary started using magazine cut outs in her works. After a Caribbean vacation, Mary became aware of the immense plastic pollution problem the world is facing. She completely eliminated all paint from her works, now using only materials already available. This method uses only glue, scissors and magazines, with a finish protective coating. It is a reminder that we in this world, are just a small part of a much bigger picture. We are all connected and need to work together to help our planet survive.
Mary’s most recent exhibitions and awards include exhibiting at the First Venezuela Art Fest in New York City in 2021. In February 2022, Mary won the popular vote for the High Art Billboard project in Indianapolis, IN. In March of 2022 and 2023 Mary was selected for the Hoosier Women’s Artist Award. One of her pieces is currently exhibited at the Indianapolis State Capitol for the full year of 2023. Mary was one of five artist to make a piece for the Indianapolis 500 Motor Speedway on May 2022, “Back Home Again.” Mary is a co-Founder of ILA Indy Latina Artists. Most recently one of Mary’s pieces was made into a mural at the Indianapolis Airport in spring of 2023.
Why do you need to create art?
If I don’t continually create, I get very depressed and sad. I need to let all these ideas out. I express myself better with my work than with my mouth.
What role does art play in society?
Art is a way of making you think on someone else’s view without using words. Art brings awareness. Art can make you feel good or make you concerned about something. Art gives a community the opportunity to show their concerns or to beautify a place and come together. Art can heal and mediate between two different views with a result that can bring us all together.
Barbara Peterson
List of pieces at Maven Space:
“Oblique”
“Counterpoint”
“Blustery”
“Tempus Fugit (“Time Flies”)”
“Unresolved Issues”
“Equilibrium”
BIO:
Barbara Peterson is a fine art painter who takes her cues from life as she sees it. She began her artistic training and career in New York City, and her creative work has been shaped by many artistic styles and modes of thinking. Barbara observes and interprets elements in her environment to create a series of paintings, often using imagery as metaphor, describing her work as “realism, with a twist”. Barbara is a formally trained artist who earned her BFA with honor at New York’s Pratt Institute.
She is a member of the Indiana Artists Club, a group of award-winning artists in Indiana, and the Hoosier Salon. Her work has been included in exhibitions in museums throughout Indiana, including locally at the State Museum and the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields. Barbara lives in Fishers, IN with her husband John and works out of her studio in the iconic Stutz building in Indianapolis.
Why do you need to create art?
Art is an important part of my interaction/involvement with the world around me — observing, exploring, learning and in turn sharing & teaching. I believe artists innately see things differently, and as we create and share, we help others to be aware and to see things in a different way.
What role does art play in society?
Art is an integral part of any society and all cultures, touching every aspect of daily living. The places we live and work in, the clothes we wear, the things we touch and use, and everything you can think of that’s been made came from the mind of an artist, a maker of one sort or another. Art makes the quality of life better. (Imagine going through your day where everything in your environment is only colorless, bland and dull.) Art is integral to the environment/atmospheres we inhabit daily. Art and artifacts document culture. Through paintings, artworks and artifacts we can peer into the past and see how people looked and lived so many years ago. Art also reflects our current societies, how we see the world, what we find beautiful or interesting, or how we want express, identify & represent ourselves. Art challenges and promotes social change. Think of the many murals of George Floyd, or Shepard Fairey’s “Hope” poster of former Pres. Barack Obama. As you can see, art is vast in its influence & expression and touches every aspect of our lives, cultures, and civilizations.
Mirvia Sol Designs
List of pieces at Maven Space.
Clothed In Strength and Grace (36″ x 36″)
Spirit of the Drums. Bomba! (18″ x 24″)
BIO:
Mirvia Sol Eckert is a Puerto Rican artist living and working as a full-time painter in Indianapolis. She’s very proud of her Taíno, African, European roots and the rich heritage colors in her work even when the subject matter is not specifically related to her background.
Symbolism is worked into many of her pieces and is normally intertwined with the background or the subject itself. They are all connected by a visual style with roots in her earlier career as a graphic designer.
In recent years, her art has been featured around Indianapolis as large-scale public pieces, murals, billboards, the Indy 500, and at the Indianapolis airport. She felt honored to have been awarded the prestigious Creative Renewal Arts Fellowship Grant from the Arts Council of Indianapolis in 2020/21. Mirvia co-founded the Indy Latina Artists group, and she designed its logo. Mirvia’s art and prints are in homes across the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Europe. She’s proud to have honed a painting style that people recognize as hers.
Why do you need to create art?
I paint because it’s the absolute perfect way to express myself and my emotions without using words.
It’s the one thing I truly have the most control over. Being in my “art bubble” helps focus my energy and becomes my escape. My works are a physical representation of the way I see the things that are important to me.
What role does art play in society?
I believe artists are observers of the world. And with observing the world around us, we capture and express and communicate ideas and thoughts and put them on our canvases.
It doesn’t matter what art you practice, it is our duty to create what could be a change in our world or our lives or even if it’s just to make it more beautiful.
Abby Kom is the 2023 Indianapolis Press Club Fellowship winner, an arts major at Butler University, and loves to paint for fun every once and a while.
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