Newfields Heather Hart Exhibition

Newfields is a 152-acre campus that contains the Indianapolis Museum of Art, an encyclopedic art museum; Oldfields-Lilly House and Gardens, a 26-acre, historic home museum; and the Virginia B. Fairbanks Art and Nature Park situated on 100 acres that include gardens and grounds. MNA provided Newfields with project management, consulting, coordination, and design services associated with the design and permitting of the Heather Hart installation.

Heather Hart, the artist, has installed other sculptures of this series, called Oracle of Intimation, in other national locations but each sculpture is site specific with variations to each design. Hart starts with a concept drawing and works with an architect and engineer to develop final construction drawings. This sculpture looks like a house structure which would be considered a Class 1 structure according to the State’s permitting laws and would trigger code compliance. This building compliance regulation conflicted with the artist’s intent for a sculpture because the sculpture was never to be used as a livable, or habitable, structure.

MNA provided permitting and architectural planning services and conducted extensive coordination with City and State officials during the permitting process to secure final approval from these agencies. Newfields is planning additional, future sculpture installations in the Art and Nature Park, and this project served as a template for the permitting process to help future installations proceed smoothly.