Eight artists from across Indiana were selected in the spring to artistically renovate a collection of eight pianos no longer in classical concert circulation. The project was hosted by the American Pianists Association of Indianapolis with an end goal to raise awareness for the esteemed Classical Fellowship Awards and to celebrate the unity of musical and visual arts on a “grande scale.” In collaboration with Meridian Piano Movers, the completed pianos were delivered in the fall and then collected from the artists’ studios in April to create an outdoor exhibition along the downtown walkways of Monument Circle at the center of Indianapolis. Thousands interacted with the exhibit over a three-week period of time creating a buzz of conversation, social media and fine arts awareness. The piano transformations delighted viewers with an array of talent and techniques from traditional painted surfaces to complete disassembly reconstructed as new sculptural form. The renovated grand piano titled “Staccato,” by Warsaw artist Christi Ziebarth, is a myriad of color designed as a 2,000-plus piece acrylic mosaic. The grand piano has now arrived back in Warsaw for the Christmas holidays, hosted at Nest Furniture after eight months of extended exhibition with Grace College Mount Memorial Gallery, Honeywell Center of Wabash, Borders and Beyond Gallery, Manchester University Gallery G and Grand Rapids ArtPrize City Gallery. Nest Furniture & Design, a new furniture and accessories store located past The Tractor Supply at 3594 E. U.S. 30, Warsaw, will host the art work as a holiday feature through January open for public viewing. Stop in from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays to see the piece. Nest also donates a portion of their warehouse to Hither & Yon, a not-for-profit repurposed home decor store. All proceeds for Hither & Yon go to help educate children in Zambia, Africa. Starting Jan. 1, they will be open every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can like both stores on Facebook for more information. Beginning in January, “Staccato” will have a new permanent home located at the Masterworks Music Festival office in Winona Lake. “I can’t think of a better place for the piano to inspire the unity of fine arts in our community than Masterworks.” said Ziebarth. To find out more about this project, see the photo blog of the mosaic piano creation while in public studio at the Ronald and Barbara Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center of Grace College at www.abolitionart.com/APApiano
