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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowDowntown Indianapolis public spaces Monument Circle and Georgia Street will see an NBA All-Star Weekend revamp complete with DJ booths, art installations, basketball hoops and plenty of photo opportunities.
All-Star Weekend stretches from Thursday to Sunday.
The southern portion and spoke of Monument Circle will be closed to vehicular traffic, allowing it to serve as what the NBA All-Star 2024 Host Committee has named “Indy’s Home Court.” The public-space activations are part of an effort to bring more attractions to local residents in addition to visitors.
“We really wanted to extend the NBA experience from the inside out,” Ebony Armstrong, director of events, activations and venues, told IBJ.
The weekend plan includes plenty of music: Four DJ booths will be set up, with one at Monument Circle, one at Bicentennial Unity Plaza and two on Georgia Street. DJ appearances will take place at various times starting at 11 a.m. and lasting into the night on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Public art installations will be on display at various downtown locations starting Thursday at 11 a.m., with light-based art and projection events running from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
A special NBA All-Star edition of Downtown Indy Inc.’s Shining a Light projection show on Monument Circle will be shown repeatedly beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Other light-based art pieces planned in downtown Indy include:
“Secret Worlds on South Meridian Street” by Wendy Yu
Wendy Yu, an Australian choreographer and creative coder, explores dance and immersive urban design with a dynamic video projection display of movement by local artists and athletes. It will be projected onto The District Tap.
“Rebounding Reflections” by Blockhouse Studios
Blockhouse Studios of Bloomington will be exhibiting its latest video projection mapping installation, which takes inspiration from the Art Deco architecture of its location. The video pays homage to the rich history of basketball in Indiana. It will be located near the intersection of South Meridian and Washington streets.
“Evanescent” by Atelier Sisu
Atelier Sisu, an Australian-based design studio, explores the intersection between art and architecture in the public realm with a large-scale inflatable bubble sculpture that is viewable 24 hours a day but transforms into a unique illuminated-sound experience in the evening. It will take place in Hudnut Commons.
The host committee will also deck out the three blocks of Georgia Street from Capitol Avenue to Pennsylvania Street. There will be lane restrictions, likely to accompany increased foot traffic and make room for activities.
The easternmost block of Georgia Street, closest to Gainbridge Fieldhouse, will be adorned with “lighting and some unique performance art,” said Susan Baughman, senior vice president at Indiana Sports Corp., who said she did not want to “give too much away.”
It will also include an IndyCar wrapped in Eastern Conference logos, with the Western Conference themed IndyCar at the western block of Georgia Street.
The host committee worked with the Arts Council of Indianapolis to commission work from local artists to decorate Georgia Street.
The art collection includes a “bigger than life trading card,” Baughman said, where visitors can take photos while looking like professional athletes.
The public art also includes 24 Hoosier Historia basketball installations. Each one has Spokenote code visitors can scan with their phones to hear the story the artist has depicted, Baughman told IBJ.
More details about downtown events for All-Star Weekend are available here.
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