Richard P.
Yelp
I'll be the first person to admit I wasn't exactly thrilled when the Indianapolis Museum of Art became Newfields.
I'll also be the first to admit that I long for the days when admission was free and you could drift into those wondrous doors at your pleasure and immerse yourself in extraordinary worlds that were truly accessible to all.
The administrative concerns that we all know about? Well, enough said.
All this set aside, the truth is that Newfields is an extraordinary place for nature, the arts, and for the community of Indianapolis.
Most of my recent experiences with Newfields have come courtesy of film-related obligations. Whether attending a film series, Indy Film Fest, Heartland, or another film activity, I can hunker down inside The Toby or another cinematic space and just fall in love with life and the world around me.
Today, however, reminded me of the wonder of visual arts as I had the opportunity to check out the latest Newfields exhibit - The Lume, the largest exhibit in the 138-year history of Newfields with 30,000 square feet of immersive, digital galleries bringing to life four featurettes and the works of Vincent Van Gogh in ways so inspiring it's practically tear-inducing. There's 60 minutes of digital content - about 40 minutes with Van Gogh and the remaining with up-and-coming digital artists.
I adored all of it.
You can visit The Lume Cafe and, yes, there's a Van Gogh-themed gift shop that was hard to resist. There's a slightly interactive, somewhat disappointing "Gogh Play" area and a closing wall featuring three works by Cezanne, Gauguin and, of course, Van Gogh.
This really is an exciting exhibit bringing together the contemporary world of digital art and the world of one of art history's true greats. Van Gogh has always been an intriguing figure, tragic in many ways, and this exhibit connected the dots for me in pretty miraculous ways.
It was exciting to be surrounded by a nearly silent and incredibly diverse crowd soaking it all in.
The exhibit is accessible - from accessible parking close to the front entrance to automated doors to a specified 4th floor accessible entrance to the exhibit itself.
Of course, Newfields has more.
There are multiple exhibits always on display and several places within the grounds to explore including Lilly House, Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, The Garden, Miller House and Garden, Performance Spaces, a beer garden, outdoor and indoor theaters, The Cafe, and a pretty awesome gift shop.
While there may have been some administrative issues within leadership, rest assured that the staff and volunteers at Newfields are accessible, kind, lovers of art, and determined to provide visitors with an exceptional experience.
For the most part, they always succeed.
As some of the spaces are in older homes, there are some accessibility issues to be found here and there. However, the main gallery is awesome and the Art & Nature Park wonderful. The Garden gets a little challenging.
Related to the pandemic and the needs of the space, advance tickets are required still as they do try to manage the crowd. However, there's so much to do here that it's easy to make it a day.
Newfields also offers research, education, and tours.
I was telling one of my companions at The Lume that I'd forgotten how emotional art makes me. Indeed, I felt immersed in The Lume and I felt immersed in Newfields.
While some things may have changed, Newfields has a 138-year history of being Indiana's premier art institution and that simply hasn't changed.