White River State Park's Art Sculptures experiences (started in 1999) to showcase Indiana (and presently regional) artists. This rolling two-year program makes Art accessible and free to Park visitors to experience. During each biennial outdoor exhibition, the sculptures are for sale by the artists. The following are former Art Sculptures as well as other Art programming that have renewed White River State Park's commitment to the Arts and our community. This highlights significant outdoor cultural progress made within the Park.
Jet Stream *Former Sculpture
by Nicole Beck—Chicago, Illinois
Inspired by the rhythm and beauty of the compelling systems found in nature and sciences, artist Nicole Beck said Jet Stream is based on the “physics and dynamics of the cantilever.” The sculpture can be seen as a musical construction with an element—the steel band—that crescendos gracefully upward, reaches a climax, diminishes and ends. The piece also suggests an aircraft taking off with its exhaust trailing, as well as simulates atmospheric jet streams (hence its name). Beck constructs her own steel sculptures, but her repertoire of media also includes bronze, wood and glass. She has also been very active with diverse groups of apprentice artists in creating collaborative murals and mosaics for public spaces. $20,000.
Selective Memory *Former Sculpture
by Chris Wubbena—Jackson, Missouri
The concepts and forms that make up artist Chris Wubbena’s artwork generate from an interest in melding physical and cultural history into compositions that exhume, analyze and challenge issues from yesterday and today. Selective Memory is an autobiographical mining of the past, present and future as memory fades and earth erodes. The artwork is a combination of various landmarks and artifacts. A landmark is a reminder of an emotion, experience or discovery … not just an object or place. An artifact is a clue into secrets that have resisted the effects of time. Wubbena uses an assortment of media to create pieces that compile and preserve information into layered, stacked and eroded forms. The finished product most often references the link between geology, history and everyday life. $15,000.
Ultimate Eternal Bow *Former Sculpture
by Aaron Lee Benson—Jackson, Tennessee
The Ultimate Eternal Bow expresses the artist’s belief that humans must face the extreme limits of knowledge and the understanding of truth, and live life in this humbling way. According to the artist, humans are extremely limited in the ability to “know truth,” much less “understand truth.” Viewers are to enter the sculpture from the west. They will be rewarded with a complete view of the piece and a new perception of the world. Artist Aaron Lee Benson is a professor of fine arts in sculpture at Union University in Jackson, Tennessee, and also serves as chairman of the University’s Art Department. He works mostly with clay, producing large-scale architectural forms and figurative, narrative monoliths. $33,000.
Uploader *Former Sculpture
by Brian McCutcheon—Indianapolis, Indiana
Artist Brian McCutcheon’s artwork stems from the concept of masculinity and how it is portrayed through work and heavy equipment. The Uploader specifically relates to Indianapolis, signifying the city’s ongoing construction projects and growth. The piece is a modern representation of labor, but also addresses traditional notions of rendering, like those of more conventional sculptures. McCutcheon currently lives in Indianapolis and teaches at the Art Institute of Chicago. He received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the Cranbrook Academy of Art and Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Colorado State University. His work has been exhibited across the nation and around the world. $65,000.