Artist Audrey Barcio

Unique Art Project Covers Bus Shelters with 200,000 Rose Petals. Eleven IndyGo bus shelters will receive artistic transformations beginning October 1, 2007, courtesy of a Public Art Indianapolis project featuring the work of local artist Audrey Barcio. The project includes thousands of rose petals attached to the glass interior walls of the shelters using water-soluble glue. At sunrise – the beginning of many riders’ morning commutes – the sweet smell of the roses will fill the shelters. The petals will last for approximately two days, and new petals will be attached afterward. The project is scheduled to conclude on October 7th, 2007, following the conclusion of Circle City Classic weekend. The project is an outgrowth of last year’s successful public art collaboration between Public Art Indianapolis, managed by the Arts Council of Indianapolis and IndyGo which featured written poetry on the buses as well as live performances featuring spoken word artists and poets. “Whether it’s inside the bus, on a shelter, or a building, we believe art enhances these publicly shared environments,” said Greg Charleston, president of the Arts Council of Indianapolis. “The city of Indianapolis is fortunate that IndyGo shares that vision and embraces art by providing local artists with unique canvases and settings.” “Our bus shelters are the perfect backdrop for this exciting project,” said Gilbert Holmes, IndyGo president and CEO. “Anyone waiting in the shelter or passing by will witness the merging of art and public transportation on city streets, a remarkable sight for all of us.” Barcio graduated from Herron School of Art and Design in 2007 before attending Pont Aven School Of Contemporary Art in Brittany, France. “My mission as an installation artist is to offer an aesthetic experience in public spaces that are overlooked on a day-to-day basis,” said Barcio. Public Art Indianapolis is managed by the Arts Council of Indianapolis and funded in part by the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission. The project’s budget is approximately $3,700, and will be funded through the support of the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission. The commission’s funding is made possible solely through a grant from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. The rose petals are freeze dried, provided by Flyboy Naturals in Myrtle Creek, Oregon.