Meet the Maker: 2025 Welcome Race Fans artists
Meet the five Indiana artists who are revving up their creative talents to welcome race fans to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this May.
The inspo: The annual Welcome Race Fans collaboration between the Indy Arts Council and Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been connecting visual artists to the Indy 500 since 2016.
This year's artists were selected from a pool of 58 applicants and tasked with creating original pieces to be displayed throughout the city starting next month.
Each year, selected artists are asked to bring to life what "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing" means to Indy.
The 2025 artists: Sarah Anderson is a full-time ceramic artist who creates illustrative characters on the surface of clay through the use of sgraffito.
Xavier Gray is a multidisciplinary artist who blends street art, graphic design and personal storytelling.
Caroline Hays is an artist and educator who focuses on the layers of history that shape a place through her use of mixed media and layering.
Cassie Mitchell, a junior at Marian University and former 500 Festival Princess, is a graphic design major who wants to inspire the next generation by promoting the impact art has on communities.
Frances Ruiz, inspired by her upbringing in Puerto Rico and experiences in Indiana, uses vibrant colors and dynamic lines to make collage paintings that evoke movement and convey a sense of emotion.
What they're saying:"The Welcome Race Fans art is one of the first things thousands of visitors see when they come to the city of Indianapolis and IMS for the Month of May," said IMS president Doug Boles. "This Hoosier hospitality is just one of the many reasons the Month of May is so special to so many."
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