December & January CCIC First Fridays

December & January FIRST FRIDAYS
with the Circle City Industrial Complex Artists

Friday, December 1st, 2023m and January 5^th, 2024
(INDIANAPOLIS) –The Circle City Industrial Complex (CCIC) will host an in-person First Fridays, December 1st, 2023m and January 5^th, 2024, 6-9pm each night. Admission is free. As the CCIC follows state and county regulations, masks are no longer required for vaccinated visitors but are highly encouraged, and individual artist studios may continue to require masks within their space. The CCIC is a 500,000 square foot building, making social distancing somewhat easier than other venues, but the smaller studios may also maintain limitations on visitor numbers at times.

Open Studios and Galleries

Several studios and gallery spaces will be open throughout the building. This list is not all-encompassing; some artists may decide to open that night based on current information and comfort levels. Some studios will be open for either December’s First Friday or January’s, or both if not otherwise noted, and may have different shows.

The Schwitzer Gallery
Located on the second floor of the North Studios, the Schwitzer Gallery will host “Oodles of Doodles” by The Idea Club, an interactive journey through the boundless world of artistic innovation. The Idea Club will present a vibrant and ever-changing artistic landscape, with an exhibition that pulls back the curtain on the creative process, making its audience privy to art in action as the exhibit evolves over the course of three weeks. It is a platform designed to spark curiosity, inspire collaboration, and revel in the sheer joy of creation, so prepare to cross the conventional boundaries.

For January, the Schwitzer Gallery hosts Dailyn Eades, with “A Story Like Mine,” a formal introduction to the artist as she uncovers who is “dai.” This exhibition is centered around dai’s complex relationship with mental health and self, as she grapples with grief and trauma, and transforms it into a bright and colorful nuanced body of work. “This show is deeply personal, as it was created in a difficult and trying time,” Eades said. “It’s vulnerable because it’s a reflection of how I view myself and the world around me.”

Arts & Images by Anthony Armstrong
Anthony Armstrong presents an array of abstract paintings and fine art framed photography. Armstrong’s abstract paintings highlight bold colors, deep textures and layers in his mixed media presentations. Armstrong is a self-taught abstract painter and photographer. His photography tries to capture the essence of life from his various European destinations. Anthony Armstrong is located in the South Studios.

Bruce Armstrong
Anthony Armstrong’s father Bruce joins the South Studios, presenting his own abstract, minimalist and collage art for the first time in the Circle City Industrial Complex. Bruce Armstrong is located in the South Studios.

Aurora PhotoCenter
Aurora PhotoCenter is a nonprofit that serves Central Indiana photographic artists with exhibitions, residencies, workshops, visiting artist talks, and access to creative tools. As the only nonprofit in Indiana devoted exclusively to photography, Aurora is an essential hub for the medium in our arts community. Aurora also serves as a bridge between local artists and the greater photographic community, with a regional, national, and international scope, and is passionate about photography’s emotional and social power as an art medium in its own right. Aurora PhotoCenter is located on the first floor in the corridor.

Roberta Avidor
Roberta Avidor is an illustrator who creates representational art, dealing primarily in oils and watercolor. Avidor trades in a wide variety of themes and subjects from local, salt-of-the-Earth scenes to intriguing glass bottle paintings, to bicycle-themed compositions. Be ready to live again, on her artistic adventure. Roberta Avidor is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Bebito Studio
The Bebito Studio understands the needs to have something soft and cuddly to hand at all times; after all, it’s a harsh world out there! Bebito features handmade plush toys from up-cycled and repurposed materials. They’re cute, quirky, and one of a kind. Bebito Studio is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Stan Blevins
Stan Blevins is a painter living and working in Indianapolis. His work ranges from abstract to still life. Using a range of materials, primarily oil and enamel, his work has been described as “whimsical” and “pop surrealist.” Stan Blevins is located in the South Studios.

Aimee Bruno

Aimee Bruno is a mixed-media artist who has a passion for vibrant colors and all that is abstract and this month presents “Fibers in Art for the Holidays,” showcasing needle felt paintings, macrame crafts, and crochet wearables. Her works are thought provoking and full of stories. She focuses not on the outcome but on the process, technique, and the overall journey of creation. Aimee is an alumnus from Indiana University and majored in Studio Art with a minor in Art History. During her years at IU, she interned at both the Indiana University Museum of Art and the Mather’s Museum. As a mixed-media artist, Bruno pours emotional energy into each piece which translates into stories, moments of clarity, and sometimes even healing. Aimee Bruno is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Daily Epiphany Studio: Michele Burns and Kurt Kriese
A duo for the ages. Michele Burns and Kurt Kriese hit with a double whammy of the experimental and the grounded; geometry and political commentary, the new and the old, and more besides, and present all of that this month with, “Welcome to Fall: New works for Autumn 2023.” Be it patterns and texture or figure painting and stained glass, this has something for everybody. Burns uses photoluminescent (glow-in-the-dark) minerals that create a second “nightlight composition,” mixing the pigments herself for maximum luminance- 30 times the brightness of ceiling stars (6000 millicandéla versus 320 mcd). The minerals, primarily industrial strength strontium aluminate, glow brightly for hours from any light exposure, and recharge for decades. Kriese deals in experimental mediums and is a gifted original landscape and figure painter. For December, they will present plenty of affordable works that are perfect for Christmas gift giving: Glowing dinosaurs for the children, stained glass tree ornaments, stocking fillers, and more. There is something for every taste and budget. ‘Tis the season, indeed! Daily Epiphany is located in the South Studios.

Darkroom Revelations
Darkroom Revelations is a gallery displaying the photography of its three owners—Tom Potter, Nancy Frass, and Gayle Moore, utilizing large-format film cameras as well as digital technology. In December, they will feature “The West: Remembrance and Honor,” a black-and-white exhibit that spans many years and travels throughout the western U.S. via each artist, from desert, to ancient Native American ruins, to the Rocky Mountains, and beyond. Special places, unique experiences, and spectacular beauty of the West will be on display.

In January, they will exhibit a variety of images from their collection over the years. The Darkroom Revelations photographers will present images their audiences have defined as their favorites. The images will serve as reminders, instigators of memory, or just a chance to revisit a special time and place. Darkroom Revelations is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

Full Circle Nine Gallery
For December, the Full Circle Nine Gallery (FC9) will feature Samantha Wright in “Headspace” a fantastical, dreamy, abstract exhibit that brings Wright closer to her soul while acting therapeutic and granting a sense of accomplishment. The artist confesses that she struggles with insecurity, and that work such as “Headspace breaks through the barrier of not feeling “good enough,” while bringing her back to who she truly is.

For January, FC9 will feature Megan Senate in “Brain Leak!” a wacky and nostalgic show. For the artist, it is very much a reaction to the bizarre modern world around us, and how our eyes, minds and souls take it all in. “Every piece displayed sprung out of the plumbing of my noggin like a sudden leak,” Senate said. “Like an actual leak, I had to put all other plans on hold to shove a bucket under the pipe and catch that idea before it got all over the carpet. I patched up the hole with some analogy FlexTape, and that resulting bucket of goop was syphoned directly to my hand, where it ended up painted into some new, bizarre image.” The Full Circle Nine Gallery is located on the first floor of the South Studios.

Glen Fuller: Fuller Design
Glen Fuller prides himself on his emphasis upon original lighting and furniture. As an Indianapolis artist, he relies on the elements that make this city so great. His latest work leans on the vacuum-infusion molding of Indy 500 and aerospace technology. He also works with innovative 3D printing and Japanese organic papers, reimagined with new-to-world applications and forms. Glen Fuller: Fuller Design is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Victoria Gillieron
Victoria Gillieron decided that one day she wanted to become an artist. She got a studio and soon found she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. Other artists quickly came to her rescue, took her under their wings, and mentored her, providing not only painting instruction, but also information on where to buy supplies, frames, how to enter juried shows, etc. After years of intense study fixing millions of mistakes, and painting well over a couple of thousand paintings, Gillieron has developed an impressionistic style that allows her to capture brief moments of beauty with oil paints and a few brushes. Victoria Gillieron is located on the first floor of the South Studios.

Glass Arts Indiana, Inc.
Glass Arts Indiana creates a collaborative glass community to support emerging and established artists; host fun, interesting and educational events; increase appreciation and understanding of the glass arts; and promote glass-related opportunities in Indiana and the U.S. Finished works are available and visitors will get to see glass-blowing in action. Glass Arts Indiana, Inc. is located on the first floor, in the corridor.

Larry Lad, LadArt
Larry Lad is a painter who covers the spectrum of abstract and representational work. He likes to add dimension to his paintings using additional canvas, cigar boxes, collage, and other materials to layer his work. His show “Replication” traces his journey as an artist as he searches for his own style by borrowing from the works of artists he admires. Lad also creates large sculptures and installations. Larry Lad, LadArt is located in the corridor on the first floor.

Wendell Lowe Fine Art
This will be the last opportunity to see and purchase Wendell Lowe’s artwork as he will be closing his studio at the end of the month due to the impact his Parkinson’s has had on his work. Lowe has been a professional artist for almost 50 years and now has a unique style of abstract expressionism finger painting. Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2009, Lowe’s style has evolved from detailed chalk pastel landscapes and photography to his current work. His work evolves from deep in his soul and documents his Parkinson’s journey. “My finger paintings deal with my Parkinson’s and my Parkinson’s Psychosis,” Lowe said of his work that sometimes combines his finger-painting techniques with prints of his own photography. Wendell Lowe Fine Art is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Grace Marshall, Grace M Design
Grace Marshall has always had a passion for using her hands to create beautiful and functional designs. “I’m inspired by our natural surroundings. I find that I don’t get enough time in nature but when I do, I’m recharged. My latest work captures some elements of the natural world that can we adorn our bodies with,” Marshall said. For November, she presents “Blue Winter, a collection featuring lapis lazuli, moonstone, quartz, and eye of shiva shells, all set in sterling silver and 18kt gold. As a certified jeweler and gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America, making unique jewelry with precious metals and gemstones has been both a challenging and rewarding career choice. Besides showing her own collection of fine jewelry, Indianapolis-based Marshall is now offering Permanent Jewelry, having a gold or silver chain welded around a wrist or ankle. Grace M Design is located on the first floor of the North Studios.

Leslie Staller
Leslie Staller explores and shares connection and intimacy to the world around us and the self through mixed-media abstract collages, photo montages, and macro photography in show titled, “Intimacy of Place: Finding Connection in the Everyday Moments.” Card-sized original artwork is simply awaiting personal messages to be added. A focus on color, texture, close up and the abstract allows a connection to been seen and more importantly, felt. Expressing a belief that all of life is sacred, the images and collages invite a playful and heartfelt curiosity and an intimacy to the world and others around us. Leslie Staller is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

Jake Walker
Jake Walker is a photographer and digital artist whose work is beautifully unique and thought provoking, and this month has discounted some of his work to prepare for the holidays. Walker’s photographic expressions range from traditional to technical and the images become artistic expression through editing. “When I capture an image, that is the draft,” Walker said. “There are some images that stand unedited, but making an image into an artistic expression often requires more than a camera. Imagine a pencil artist moving to include the eraser and crayon. It is freeing.” Some of his pieces are bold and vibrant while others give a sense of nostalgia. Recently he has begun incorporating AI into his artwork as well. Jake Walker is located on the second floor of the North Studios.

The CCIC is open during regular business hours, and the Schwitzer Gallery is accessible throughout the week. A number of the city’s most varied and exciting artists and galleries will remain open for their regular hours, with many of them available on weekends, posted on their own websites and social media. Some studios will be open by appointment.