Indiana State University Newsroom

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana is known worldwide for motorsports events, specifically those held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Events such as the Indy 500 and the Brickyard 400 evoke images that are indelibly embedded in the American psyche.

"People enjoy looking at motorsports-inspired art," said Joyce Young, interim director of Indiana State University's motorsports studies program. "I witnessed that first-hand while participating in the Carmel Artomobilia last fall."

The success of the Carmel event served as inspiration for Young to bring art and motorsports together on the Indiana State campus.

Entries are now being accepted for the first-ever Artomobilia exhibition, a collaborative effort between the Motorsports Studies Program, College of Arts and Sciences and the ISU Department of Art, which will be on display in the Turman Art Gallery April 26-May 9.

"We're using motorsports to provide experiential learning opportunities for Indiana State art students," Young said, adding that the exhibition's brochure was designed by an Indiana State art student Neha Jain.

"The exhibition gave a student a chance to add something to their portfolio," she said.

Submitted artwork can come in the form of traditional and non-traditional genres and media, including but not limited to new media, painting, drawing, collage, printmaking, design, photography, sculpture and ceramics. Abstraction, realism, conceptual work and installation are all potentially viable for this exhibition.

The inspiration for the exhibition is the private racecar collection of Don Smith, CEO of Terre Haute First Financial Bank. Artists can view the collection firsthand at his 500 Museum of Wheels, located at 1025 Ohio Street in Terre Haute.

"The exhibition is another way to show appreciation to Don Smith for his support of our motorsports program and its drag racing team," Young said. "We may see artist renderings of his cars or we could see something totally different."

There is no entry fee and artists may submit up to three works of art. Submission is open to all local and regional artists aged 18 and over, including ISU students, faculty, staff, and family members. Artists can submit under two categories, professional and student. Students must be enrolled full-time or part-time in an academic institution and have a valid student ID card.

"You don't have to be an art major," Young added.

The exhibit will be juried by Evan Lurie, gallery director of the Evan Lurie Gallery in Carmel.

Lurie was born in New York and has lived and traveled extensively across Europe. Fluent in five languages, Lurie has the ability to connect diverse international artists with a network of art collectors across North America. Lurie, who represents more than 40 fine artists in corporate and private venues in the Indianapolis area and far beyond, specializes in finding new and bold artists who demonstrate excellence in skill and artistic sense.

He brings his passion and professional experience from film directing and production into the fine arts business. The result is a fresh look at the contemporary and the founding of a series of galleries. The Carmel gallery is one of three upscale fine art galleries owned by Lurie. The other two are located in Miami and Beverly Hills.

Five cash awards will be awarded in each category. In addition, the Motorsports Studies Program will select several works of art to be displayed during the annual Carmel Artomobilia Exhibition in Carmel this fall.

"It will be nice to showcase our local artists alongside Indiana State's motorsports studies program," Young added.

Deadline to submit works for the exhibition is March 31. Entry forms are available at http://www.indstate.edu/motorsports/artomobila . For more information, contact Teresa Stateler, Motorsports studies program, at 812-237-2000, or via e-mail at Teresa.stateler@indstate.edu .

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Contact: Joyce Young, Interim Director of ISU's Motorsports Initiative, 812-237-2000 or joyce.young@indstate.edu

Writer: Paula Meyer, ISU Communications & Marketing, 812-237-3783 or paula.meyer@indstate.edu