Artist Nancy Keating Creates Mosaic Installation for Civic Square Parking Garage
Writer / Renee Larr
Photographer / Sarah Browning
The City of Carmel seeks to enhance the area’s structures through exquisite artwork. Two mosaic works by local contemporary mosaic artist Nancy Keating are displayed atop the new parking garage at Civic Square in Carmel. The garage, regarded as Indiana’s most cutting-edge parking structure, is a marvel in and of itself.
Keating discovered her love of mosaic artwork in the mid-1990s, and honed her skills studying at the Institute of Mosaic Art in California. She traveled to California for several weeks at a time to study under well-known mosaic artists Laurel True and Isaiah Zagar. She is a juried Indiana artisan, Carmel Arts & Design artisan and Indiana Glass Trail artisan.
During the past seven years, she has collaborated with the city on several works of art. She believes she was selected to create the murals because she is a local artist with a history of collaborations with the city. She says she went in blind, not knowing precisely what the city was looking for in terms of design.
The first piece, measuring 6’x40’, was installed in March. The second is 8’x20’ in size and was installed in April. Last fall, Keating began the design process by sketching out potential ideas. She then collaborated with a graphic designer to incorporate the design into the architect’s plan.
“This is a labor of love for me,” Keating says. “These are by far the largest two murals I’ve ever created. The space was a challenge because most of the time, mosaic murals are horizontal, and the space I was working with is vertical. It’s also viewable from very far away. I had to keep those in mind when designing. The design appears as if it’s flowing up to the heavens and is never-ending.”
She titled the final product “Cosmic Flow” to represent the universe’s energy flow. The south arch features bright, cool colors like blue, green and turquoise. She utilized warm colors to create energy in the east arch. She says she procures her various mirror pieces, glass tiles and opaque sheet glass from Kokomo Opalescent Glass.
Keating feels like a mother hen of the two pieces, and couldn’t wait to see the finished installation. She said it’s amazingly gratifying to see something she has worked on for so long, with painstaking precision, come to fruition.
“It’s a real thrill to be able to drive by these every day as a Carmel resident and see them,” Keating says.
The garage is located on Veterans Way and is visible to motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. It boasts 303 parking spots, public electric vehicle charging stations, a solar canopy, and LED lighting to illuminate spots for drivers.
Keating says she shares mosaic joy by teaching online and in-person workshops and classes. She also sells her artwork through exhibits, her Carmel studio, and her website. She took a short break from educating while designing the two murals, but says she plans to return soon.
For more information, visit mosaicsgarden.com.
