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WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS DEDICATE PUBLIC ART ON 86TH STREET
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (August 10, 2011) – Wednesday, August 10th at 6:30, Washington Township Schools will celebrate back to school and 50 years of excellence with the dedication of a 14 foot tall aluminum plate sculpture, which stands on the property of the H. Dean Evans Community Education Center on 86th Street near Keystone.
The goal of this project was to create a work of public art, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Washington Township Schools (2007) and have broad appeal to all members of the community.
The sculpture was constructed over five years by the body shop and welding classes at the J. Everett Light Career Center (on the campus of North Central High School) giving these students a unique opportunity to use the skills they were acquiring in a new and creative way.
Indianapolis Artist John Ross, has a degree from the Herron School of Art and has shown work at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, the Ft. Wayne Museum of Art and the South Bend Museum of Art. He designed the sculpture to depict the logo of the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township and the slogan of “Superior Schools in a Supportive Community.” He generously donated his time and talent to create this work. John is a resident of Washington Township where his wife and children graduated from North Central High School.
The $25,000 project was funded from private donors and a grant from the Washington Township Schools Foundation. No tax dollars were used in this project. A commemorative marker is located at the base of the sculpture.
The Washington Township Schools Foundation is a fundraising arm for Washington Township Schools. Since 1985, $2.6 million private dollars in grants and designated gifts have been given back to classrooms for creative and innovative projects not otherwise possible in the public school budget.
The sculpture which is named “Walkin’ the Dog” is located at the H. Dean Evans Community & Education Center at 8550 Woodfield Crossing Boulevard and is symbolically donated to the city of Indianapolis as public art to be enjoyed by all members of the community. It is easily visible from 86th Street, one of the city’s busiest corridors.
