INDIANAPOLIS, IN.- The Indianapolis Museum of Art will debut the newest addition to the Museum’s celebrated outdoor sculpture program—Roy Lichtenstein’s monumental Five Brushstrokes— at a Block Party at the IMA on Aug. 29 from 2 to 7 p.m. A sculpture dedication ceremony at 3 p.m. will feature remarks from museum leaders, Lichtenstein Foundation representatives and community dignitaries.
Five Brushstrokes consists of five separate elements, the largest reaching 40 feet high, and has never been assembled. The sculpture, which took several days to install, is a prominent new addition to the campus, displayed in front of the main museum building in the Dudley and Mary Louise Sutphin Mall.
The day of celebration will feature music by local DJs, food trucks and special programming for all ages. Visitors can play lawn games with an artistic twist, join a session of the IMA Drawing Club and add their own brushstroke to the Museum's giant community painting. Visitors will also enjoy an exclusive sneak peek at upcoming programming, ticket giveaways and other surprises. The evening will conclude with a viewing of The Godfather, the final film in this season’s The National Bank of Indianapolis Summer Nights Film Series.
“The Block Party is indicative of our goal of cultivating exciting and engaging experiences for our visitors,” said Dr. Charles L. Venable, the Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO of the IMA. “I’m thrilled that the introduction of this landmark sculpture can be accompanied by captivating hands- on activities, such as painting a massive community artwork.”
Block Party at the IMA is free and open to the public. Tickets for The Godfather are sold separately and cost $10 for the general public and $6 for IMA members. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling 317-955-2339.Those who show an ATM, debit or credit card from The National Bank of Indianapolis will receive $1 off admission. This discount is valid for on-site purchases only, though cardholders may call the ticket line in advance to reserve tickets.
Five Brushstrokes is considered to be Lichtenstein’s most ambitious work in his Brushstroke series. Consisting of five separate elements, the tallest of which soars 40 feet into the air, the sculpture features a striking collection of forms and colors and is one of Lichtenstein’s premier ‘scatter pieces’.
Five Brushstrokes was originally commissioned by the Stuart Collection at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) in the early 1980s. Throughout much of 1983 and 1984 Lichtenstein worked on the commission, sketching his thoughts, creating color cut outs of each element, and then making a wooden maquette of the work. However, when the final full-scale specifications were produced, the sculpture’s huge scale prevented its fabrication. Following Lichtenstein’s death in 1997, the Roy Lichtenstein Foundation was established with the purpose of increasing the world’s exposure to the work of Roy Lichtenstein. The Foundation funded the fabrication of two examples of the Five Brushstrokes in 2012: the artist proof being acquired by the Indianapolis Museum of Art and an edition of one that is still owned by the Foundation. The IMA acquired Five Brushstrokes through the generosity of the Lichtenstein Foundation and the late Robert and Marjorie Mann of Indianapolis, who established an acquisitions fund for contemporary sculpture through a bequest in 2011. The installation is generously being underwritten by Ersal and Izabela Ozdemir.
