Terre Haute Daily Photo

Kymaerica

2008-05-04T17:26:00.001-07:00

In an alley downtown, you can find this sign.
It's...art, alternate reality...oh, you decide:

Kymaerica.com

Cabinet Magazine on Kymaerica

7th & Wabash/building on SE corner

2008-05-03T19:50:00.001-07:00

Railroad Repairs

2008-05-02T21:01:00.001-07:00

Just about every railroad crossing in the city is being worked on right now. Between this and other construction and street work, trying to navigate through the city is like negotiating a maze.

ARTREACH-hand project

2008-05-01T20:59:00.001-07:00

The project for kids and adventuresome adults this week at ArtReach involved immersing hands in alginate to make a mold, keeping them absolutely still for 2 minutes. Plaster was poured into the mold and the results revealed as above. A tad creepy, but major fun!

Construction City

2008-04-30T20:20:00.000-07:00

It seems like this whole town is under construction and renovation right now. This is the current project going on at the Union Hospital complex.

RiverWools - the LYS (local yarn shop)

2008-04-29T12:46:00.001-07:00

my home away from home....

Tribune-Star Building

2008-04-28T06:03:00.001-07:00

Skylight - Landsbaum

2008-04-27T13:42:00.000-07:00

This skylight is in the Landsbaum Center - an excellent conference facility focusing on health education, affiliated with Union Hospital.

Fairbanks Park - World Tai Chi Day

2008-04-26T18:24:00.001-07:00

At 10 a.m. in each time zone around the world, starting in Australia, people gathered and...did Tai Chi!
Here's what it looked like in Fairbanks Park.

No....Do Not....Not Liable

2008-04-25T07:40:00.000-07:00

Bossy parking garage.
The above three signs are in such close proximity, I was able to capture them all in this photo with reflections:

Washington Park Community Center Mural (2)

2008-04-24T17:42:00.000-07:00

The central part of the mural was completed when I took these pictures. People were working
on the side sections that day.

Walk-through

2008-04-23T18:58:00.001-07:00

...takes one from Wabash to Ohio St.

Mmmmmmm

2008-04-23T05:13:00.000-07:00

The menu the other day at:

Spring cleaning

2008-04-22T09:39:00.000-07:00

Washing the windows of the First Financial building downtown.

Old Glass

2008-04-20T20:22:00.001-07:00

Lately, I've seen this sort of old, wavy glass several places.
These windows are on a downtown building.

5.2 Earthquake

2008-04-19T12:52:00.001-07:00

Yesterday morning, we were awakened at 5:30 a.m. EST by the whole house shaking and we realized that we had just felt an earthquake. Luckily, this was the only "damage" I discovered in our house: tiny Curious George atop the piano had been knocked over.

If you feel your house shaking or just want to see where the earth is moving today, here's a great site to check out. Click on the "did you feel it?" link if you're looking for information on a local event you've experienced.Within 20 minutes, our quake was posted with relatively accurate statistics regarding magnitude and epicenter. As more information came in, those were adjusted.

Public Sculpture

2008-04-18T08:08:00.001-07:00

In front of the Swope Art Museum.

Washington Park Community Center Mural (1)

2008-04-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

I was very excited to drive by the Washington Park Community Center a couple of weeks ago and see this huge mural in progress. This was a project funded with a city grant and executed by students in the art department at Indiana State University. The mural is the work of Hammond, Indiana artist Tom Torluemke.
More details in the Tribune-Star article here.

Another alley, tags

2008-04-16T20:05:00.001-07:00

Just something compelling to me about the places behind places...

ubiquitous/obligatory spring tulip photo

2008-04-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

The plantings in front of the Ohio Building.
It's a lovely meeting/banquet center with a rooftop garden space.

Beading Paradise

2008-04-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

This little bead shop is part of the creative atmosphere of the 7th Street Arts Corridor.

ISU-School of Technology

2008-04-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

Indiana State University-Cherry Street side.
(OOps, missed a day, sorry!)

Obama in Terre Haute

2008-04-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

Okay. So this is just a shot of my television screen about an hour ago as I watched Senator Obama's speech live from Terre Haute North High School.

I might have been there myself, if I had had the fortitude to stay in this line at a local mall where tickets to attend the speech were being distributed yesterday. The shot above was taken at about the midpoint of the line and my place was...well, at the very end. The line went the entire length of the Meadows Mall, pictured here, from the far leg of the mall where my place was.

Tracks

2008-04-10T20:01:00.001-07:00

RR tracks....criss-crossing Terre Haute, some in horrible, car-damaging disrepair....this is just a bit of the track that runs by a doctor's office.

Java Haute

2008-04-09T07:43:00.000-07:00

Where to get coffee, sit and chat on the east side of Terre Haute.

First Congregational Church

2008-04-08T08:16:00.001-07:00

On Ohio Street. Lovely sanctuary with stained glass windows.

Swope Art Museum - Ohio Street side

2008-04-07T10:26:00.001-07:00

Old Coca-Cola Ad

2008-04-06T08:53:00.001-07:00

This sign was painted on the side of a building that used to be a pharmacy.

Dusk

2008-04-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

Taken on 5th Street at Wabash, downtown. The tall building is the back of the Sycamore Building on 6th.

Historical Sign

2008-04-04T05:30:00.000-07:00

This is a marker on a stand placed at one edge of the sidewalk by a parking lot across from the Federal Building. The wording is strange to me - at first glance, it seems to commemorate a Sousa Band Concert taking place in 2005. I think these markers are supposed to be placed in locations where Sousa and his band performed, and should show the date of that concert. Here's a link to the Sousa Foundation historial marker page.

So it's a marker that generates questions to me: when did Sousa and his band come to Terre Haute? And where did they play? Was there a venue on the site (7th and Cherry) that no longer exists. If not, why did they place the marker there?

City Bus Station

2008-04-03T06:25:00.000-07:00

Yup. This wee building is it - the main city bus station in downtown Terre Haute. Not much room for the glamour, intrigue and tawdriness of a big-city bus station.

In fact, it doesn't even get to be called a "bus station," it's:

Coffee Grounds

2008-04-02T04:37:00.001-07:00

In downtown Terre Haute. Almost venerable. I remember doing poetry readings here shortly after I arrived in the early 90s. Wish they'd do some readings again. Especially now that it's non-smoking. Back in the early days, I had to be among the first readers and could never stay for everyone's performance because of the smoke.

Another sign

2008-04-01T05:45:00.001-07:00

I seem to be fixated on signs around downtown. Here's another.
This poster is part of an initiative of the Human Relations Commission and is seen at many downtown businesses.

Something I never noticed before....

2008-03-31T13:41:00.001-07:00

...these glass bricks with colored lights behind them.
I pass this doorway many times a week and I've even posted a picture of this awning from another angle with the signs showing what's upstairs here. But I never noticed these lights and the lovely magical effect they have even in the daytime.

Obama HQ - Terre Haute

2008-03-30T11:17:00.000-07:00

On Wabash in the 400 block.
Yesterday morning. It was cold. Grand opening for all Indiana Obama hq.
Saxophone player, Papapatty (my husband), played on the sidewalk for about an hour.
You can't see from this picture, but inside, the room is packed with people, wall-to-wall.
Excitement, hope. Young people, old people, many ethnicities.

Coming Attractions

2008-03-29T04:42:00.001-07:00

At the Verve nightclub.

Work in Progress

2008-03-28T06:04:00.001-07:00

Crossroads Sign

2008-03-27T18:00:00.000-07:00

Hilton Garden Inn...

2008-03-26T20:06:00.000-07:00

...from inside the Corner Grind.
Not so long ago this view used to be of the Terre Haute House- a once-grand hotel abandoned for decades, and the subject of endless debate, speculation, and eye-rolling disgust. As banal as a chain hotel may be, I'm just glad that there is finally something that has some life and energy on this corner, which is the epicenter of downtown.

My friend tifani

2008-03-25T12:18:00.000-07:00

This is the back of my friend Tifani's head.
Oh, yeah, and that is Hillary Clinton reaching to shake her hand on her recent visit here.
This took place at an unscheduled stop as Clinton's motorcade traveled from the Terre Haute International (don't laugh, now!) Airport, down Poplar Street to her scheduled stop at the Saratoga downtown.
Tifani is a nurse at a nursing home and residents were lined up waiting to see the motorcade hoping for a wave. I saw this line-up as I was going headed up Poplar on my way to Rose-Hulman for the previously posted Wellness Fair.
To everyone's surprise, Senator Clinton stopped and shook hands and even sang Happy Birthday to one centagenarian.

Rose Hulman-Stairwell

2008-03-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

Another from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology - this is looking up the stairs from the first floor of the Union from here:

Rose Hulman - Wellness Fair

2008-03-23T08:12:00.001-07:00

I was out at Rose to help Martha of RiverWools do a table at the Wellness Fair. Here she is knitting away, wearing a wrap I made.
Our sign says "Knit & Crochet For Health (And Cool Stuff!)"
Anecdotal accounts of the health benefits of knitting have been circulating for some time. Now studies are being done that bolster those accounts, particularly in the area of stress reduction. It was great to be able to participate in this fair and talk about the side effects of knitting and other needle arts.

Rose Hulman - Art in the Hall

2008-03-22T10:34:00.000-07:00

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology has a great art collection, athough I didn't have time to see much of it as I was busy with a table at the recent Wellness Fair. Here is a hall in the Union -- just lined with paintings.

Union - Newspaper Guild

2008-03-21T16:23:00.001-07:00

Terre Haute is a big union town.
Home of Eugene V. Debs....yeah, that's something I LIKE about this little city.

knitting

2008-03-20T15:23:00.001-07:00

Just a little thing I hung in a tree at a public building as part of a relatively tame guerilla art endeavor.
This is the only thing still in place after two years.
I visited it the other day, to take its picture.
It used to be BRIGHT orange.

alley-a door

2008-03-19T06:14:00.001-07:00

alley-shadows

2008-03-18T09:06:00.001-07:00

ArtReach

2008-03-17T05:36:00.001-07:00

The downtown revitalization goes on at street level and above. This location (over the Crossroads Cafe) has long had artists' studios upstairs. Right now we have a gallery, a couple of boutiques and ArtReach.
ArtReach is different things on different nights. On Tuesdays (age 14 - adults) and Wednesdays (adults w/kids under 14) from 6-8 p.m., people can go and just make art. There are big tables, supplies and experienced artists to learn from.

Ohio Street & 7th- looking west at sunset

2008-03-16T10:22:00.001-07:00

a tad creepy - and a bit embarrassing.
This 3-lane one-way street is a main thoroughfare through downtown Terre Haute. I'm standing near its intersection with 7th Street, another main street.
And it's so empty at 7:30 p.m.
One expects the sidewalk-roller-uppers any minute. (There's the Vigo County courthouse way in the background.)

alley-winter vines

2008-03-15T11:35:00.001-07:00

an alley off 7th near Ohio.
i love vine-covered buildings.
i'll take a picture of this again when there's green...

...and a little more mystery

2008-03-14T05:44:00.001-07:00

....and behind the Mysterious Blue Structure, a lone glove is impaled on the barbed wire.

Mysterious Blue Structure

2008-03-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

This is in a kind of industrial area I pass by nearly every day....railroad tracks, huge scrap metal pile, abandoned buildings with peeling paint. Because there are Terre Haute leaf pick-up vehicles parked nearby, I am guessing that this yurt-like structure behind chain-link and barbed wire has something to do with composting.

In any case, it's an interesting-looking structure which I have probably passed 100s of times without any curiosity. I'm really enjoying how doing this blog has changed the way I observe my surroundings, how much more mindfully I move around the city.

St. Benedict Catholic Church

2008-03-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Terre Haute has some lovely churches. St. Ben's is one of them. Last year there was a big restoration/maintenance project going on for this church, lots of scaffolding involved.
The thing I've always appreciated about this building is that when the sun is low in the west, all the crosses sort of shimmer and radiate light. I wish I was a good enough photographer to catch that. I tried in this picture:

Warning Siren?

2008-03-11T05:49:00.001-07:00

I have always believed this downtown tower to be the source of the every-other-Friday-at-11-a.m. siren test I can faintly hear from my home. This, if it is the siren, is the only such siren in this whole county. So, if it sounds to warn of a tornado...a very limited number of folks are going to hear it. Spring in the Midwest....I don't know that I will ever get used to the tornado watches and warnings and be able to take them in my stride as most of those here seem to do.

Old Parking Garage - Ohio Street view

2008-03-10T03:52:00.000-07:00

My kids used to love riding up/down in this glass-sided elevator at the southwest side of the downtown parking garage. Made having to park up on the fifth level (a rare occasion) FUN!

Tracks

2008-03-09T10:24:00.001-07:00

I'm not good with tracks. I'm thinking "cat." I love how this set of prints gives me the picture of the critter at the moment of hoisting itself up on my porch, two front paws and the back...

Vigo County Courthouse

2008-03-08T16:13:00.001-08:00

This always seems a perfect setting for a gothic novel, an immense foreboding atmosphere seems to come with this building. At Christmas, they string arcs of lights from the top to the ground, and never looks festive to me, more like a a giant spider with legs of blinking dots.....

Corner Grind

2008-03-07T08:20:00.000-08:00

Our newest wireless coffee shop, connected to Boo's. This corner, 7th and Wabash, is called the Crossroads of America. Wabash is US 40 and 7th Street here used to be part of US 41 (which now is 4 blocks west.) When I first moved here and lived just off of US 41, it was intriguing to think that , theoretically, I could drive from my house in Indiana to my sister's house in Florida....taking only one road the entire way.

Boo's Crossroads Cafe

2008-03-06T18:52:00.000-08:00

I eat here a lot when I go downtown. This always seems like the kind of place reporters like to visit when they are looking to take the pulse of a small town. I took the picture at nearly 2 p.m. Earlier, I would have had to ask for a lot of releases to post this!

Crows

2008-03-05T07:59:00.001-08:00

We have a Crow Problem in Terre Haute. Probably because this city generates a warmth that is singular for many miles around, and because there's food for them here (I think we also have a Garbage/Trash Problem....)
I happen to love Crows - there is a powerful, mystical energy associated with them. However, I do not live in one of the neighborhoods that has become a roost to hundreds at a time. I would likely feel a bit differently.
In any case, the Crows were not cooperative in my trying to get a picture of them the other day. This is a tiny, enlarged section of a picture I took from a distance.

7th & Cherry looking South

2008-03-04T03:15:00.001-08:00

And here's a view of a block of the Arts Corridor, looking towards the main downtown intersection of 7th and Wabash (the Crossroads of America.)That's the east side of the old Federal Building in the right foreground, and the new Hilton Garden Inn to the left.

7th Street - The Arts Corridor

2008-03-03T06:13:00.000-08:00

7th Street from Indiana State University through Downtown Terre Haute has been designated and re-imagined as the Arts Corridor. Here's one of the lightpole banners that line that stretch of road. Lots of good things are awakening in that area.....

Railroaded

2008-03-02T05:30:00.001-08:00

A familiar Terre Haute experience.
Being in a long line of cars waiting for a train to pass, no cars going by the other way, because they're all stuck in a line on the other side of the train.
"I was railroaded." - the #1 excuse for being late in Terre Haute.

Headstone Friends / Mural

2008-03-01T03:40:00.001-08:00

Headstone Friends - time warp. It's the 60s inside, incense, black lights, Indian print bedspreads. Lots of music. Groovy and outasight.

Old Federal Building-Inside #2

2008-02-28T23:08:00.000-08:00

This is just inside one of the Cherry Street entrances.

Old Federal Building - inside

2008-02-27T23:53:00.001-08:00

Fairly recent work was done to clean up and restore the interior.
This is one of several interior views I'll post.

Old Federal Building - 7th & Cherry

2008-02-27T06:06:00.001-08:00

Turning right around after taking the picture posted yesterday, I took a picture of the old Federal Building which is catty-corner to the new parking garage. It is "old" because of its age and because it is not going to be the Federal Building any longer. It will be part of Indiana State University (Business School, I think) and a new Federal Building is to be built a few blocks away. At this time, there is still a branch of the USPS operating inside.

New Parking Garage

2008-02-26T01:24:00.001-08:00

This is the new parking garage at 7th and Cherry, still under construction. This used to be an Indiana State University parking lot. Now we'll have two parking garages within 2 blocks in downtown Terre Haute. And we'll still hear complaints from people that there is no parking downtown. Because no one wants to walk a block or two....

Looking East-400 Block of Wabash

2008-02-25T05:51:00.001-08:00

I'm just getting started here and am using some older pictures.
This was taken in February 2006, looking east along the 400 block of Wabash.
I was actually taking a picture of the bit of knitting affixed to the tree.
(That's another story, another blog...but here's a close-up.)

Dawn - rosy fingers, etc.

2008-02-24T13:21:00.000-08:00

Taken 02/21/2008 - View from my back porch on the near east side of Terre Haute.

Winter storm warnings for later in the day (and the ensuing nasty snow/sleet/ice event) make this picture supporting evidence for the truth in the old adage:
"Red sky at night, sailors' delight / Red sky in morning, sailors' warning."