Check out four visual-arts exhibits worth your while

 By Mary Lee Pappas / Star correspondent

Posted: March 26, 2010

Indianapolis has always maintained a vibrant visual-arts scene.

From exhibits at local museums to shows inside some of the city's obscure and popular galleries, there's always fun, whimsical and thought-provoking art to peruse.

But trying to decipher which shows to devote your time to can be a little tricky. So we've done the work for you this week.

Here's a look at four shows to add to your weekend schedule.

Blankie

Nnenna Okore's "Blankie" is woven from found paper. It's on loan at the Indianapolis Art Center. - Photo provided by the Indianapolis Art Center

When: Through April 18. Hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Where: Indianapolis Art Center, 820 E. 67th St.

Cost: Free admission. Call (317) 255-2464 or visit www.indplsartcenter.org.

Artist Nnenna Okore's sculptural installation "Blankie" recalls her childhood in Nsukka, Nigeria, and the industriousness of people to recycle discarded materials.

Woven from found paper, the piece hangs on a corridor wall with a softness and elegance defying its origins. In the piece, which truly resembles a blanket, she has methodically and intensely reworked the papers to create a convincing portrayal.

Okore -- a former student of renowned African artist El Anatsui -- is assistant professor and chair of the art department at North Park University in Chicago. "Blankie" is on loan by William L. Fortune Jr. and Joseph D. Blakley.

Jean-Jacques Porret: New Sculptures and Drawings

Jean-Jacques Porret's rhythmic bronze sculptures are on display through May 3 at ARTBOX. - Photo provided by ARTBOX Gallery

When: Through May 3. Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays.

Where: ARTBOX, 217 W. 10th St., Suite 140.

Cost: Free admission. Call (317) 955-2450 or visit www.artboxindy.com.

Abstract human forms comprise Chicago-based Jean-Jacques Porret's repertoire of rhythmic bronze sculptures.

Depicting movement and expression, the minimalist pieces have a playful exuberance. This Swiss-born engineer-turned-self-taught-artist's sleek and rounded works are created with the lost wax process, which is itself intriguing.

The perfectionist eye you would expect and attention to every detail are there as well. Porret even purchased a marble and granite company to create bases that met his high standards.

Mike Graves

When: Through April 18. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Where: Indy Hostel, 4903 Winthrop Ave.

Cost: Free admission. Call (317) 727-1696 or visit www.indyhostel.us.

Graves creates large-scale abstracts in subdued, warm and heavy tones with knowing brushstrokes. His compositions are harmonious and balanced, even though they grapple with tough concepts of spirit and the human condition.

Probably best known as a local musicproducer, his paintings range in topic from portraits of Mab Lab bandmate Kate Lamont to depictions of the chakras. A few pieces are collaborative works with fellow DJ and painter Justin Cooper.

Incorporating and layering sheet music, text and found imagery into his paintings, Graves' work takes on a graphic quality even though it remains introspective and personal.

Known more as a concert venue, Indy Hostel is proving itself as a place that's well worth the visit for visual-art exhibitions -- which it hosts once a month.

Mike Graves and Justin Cooper collaborated on "Spoon Version Mixed Media." - Photo provided by Indy Hostel

Christopher West Presents Fear of Flying: Josh Azzarella, Stacey M. Holloway and Euan Macdonald

This image from Euan Macdonald's "Two Planes" video is part of the Fear of Flying exhibit at the Dean Johnson Gallery. - Photo provided by Christopher West Presents

When: Through April 10. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Where: Dean Johnson Gallery, 646 Massachusetts Ave.

Cost: Free admission. Call (317) 634-8020 or visit www.deanjohnson.com.

Works dealing with anxieties and what-ifs based on the theme of airplanes is at the crux of this three-artist exhibition at the Dean Johnson Gallery.

Participating artists are New York-based Josh Azzarella, Indianapolis-based Stacey M. Holloway and Los Angeles-based Euan Macdonald, whose pieces unite in this thought-provoking show.

Macdonald's video "Two Planes" -- in which he has superimposed an image of a plane flying over its original footage -- is graceful. Azzarella revisits the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and the possibilities if the planes had not hit the World Trade Center. Holloways's installation, which is just as emotionally edgy, explores her own fear of flying.

Indianapolis Art Center, Nnenna Okore, Sculture, Jean-Jacques Porret, ARTBOX, Mike Graves, IndyHostel, Christopher West Presents, Josh Azzarella, Stacey M. Holloway, Evan McDonald, Dean Johnson Gallery, Indianapolis, Photography