Within about five minutes of meeting me (or reading my blog), most people figure out that I’m both a Francophile and an art lover.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that The Lume at Newfields is one of my favorite indoor activities in the Circle City.
The current immersive exhibit, Monet & Friends Alive, is particularly exciting for me since Impressionism is among my all-time favorite art movements. I’ve been to The Lume before without my daughters but decided to take them with me for Monet, and I’m so glad I made that call.
They loved The Lume even more than I anticipated. Plus, it’s the perfect way to introduce kids to fine art in an environment that is the furthest thing from stuffy.
More even than the previous Van Gogh installation, Monet & Friends immerses you in not only the lives of Impressionist artists themselves but in their world.
From the urban landscapes of “Father of Impressionism” Camille Pissarro to taking in the nightlife of Montmartre with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec to finding the beauty in everyday moments with Pierre-Auguste Renoir, the exhibit is a stunning glimpse into the Impressionists’ culture.
In fact, the installation actually makes you feel as though you’re walking through the streets of 19th-century Paris.
If you stay for the entire projection show, you’ll spend about an hour in The Lume, though you may find yourself wanting to enjoy the experience for even longer.
Because of the layout — a maze, of sorts, featuring wall projections and floor projections — The Lume, by its very nature, invites visitors to take a stroll. If, however, you’d prefer to sit in one location, there is seating available in several areas or you can sit on the floor.
The Lume draws everyone from young families to art students to serious art lovers. In my experience, everyone in the exhibit is thrilled to see children learning to love art, so don’t fret if you don’t usually take your littles to museums! This is the perfect way to dip your toe in the water.
When you leave The Lume itself, you’ll walk down a hallway that leads to a gift shop, The “Monet & Play” activity space, and a special gallery featuring work from artists whose work is in the projection installation.
While Monet & Play is geared toward kids, it’s a fun spot for Newfields visitors of all ages to stop.
You can turn a selfie into a Monet-inspired painting or participate in coloring a section of a large mural inspired by Claude Monet’s popular landscapes.
The gallery itself was also a big hit with our entire group.
My oldest, who turned 6 last September, was an especially big fan of seeing some of the artwork she had just “walked through.”
In my opinion, Monet & Friends Alive is one of the best activities in Indianapolis right now, no matter how old you are or what your interests happen to be.
“This is a way we introduce people to art in a way that’s really more consumable,” Jonathan Berger, Newfields vice president of marketing and external affairs previously shared. “At the end of the day, if we get one person or a dozen people to do a deeper dive into the life of Monet or impressionism or anyone in that collection, I feel like we’ve made good on our promise: Indiana’s number one cultural institution.”
The Monet exhibit will be available to Newfields guests until May 2023. An exact closing date has not been confirmed.
Admission to Newfields for those who are not museum members is $29 for adults, $20 for youth ages 6-17, and $25 for senior citizens. Admission for museum members is $25 for adults and $17 for youth ages 6-17 years old. Admission is free for children under 5 years of age.
Your ticket also includes general admission to the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
Have you been to Monet & Friends Alive?
Newfields is located at 4000 N Michigan Rd, Indianapolis, IN 46208.
P.S. As always, I love to hear from you on Instagram @_rebekahbarton