Winterlights!

Newfields!

When we moved to the Indianapolis area, I hoped to take advantage of the cultural opportunities around us. One of my favorite places is the Indianapolis Museum of Art (AKA Newfields). Nigel purchased a family membership the first summer we lived here. Before you think he’s all about the art, let me set you straight! A traveling exhibit of concept cars was at Newfields. He and our oldest son spent a few hours there. When he came home and said he’d bought a membership, I was just a bit surprised…actually, I was completely shocked! I love art museums; Nigel does not. He will go, but he doesn’t enjoy it.

Newfields is the campus that houses the IMA, the Dorothy B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park, the Lilly House, the Gardens at Newfields, and the Madeline F. Elder Greenhouse and Beer Garden . People here use all three names (IMA, Newfields, and Indianapolis Museum of Art) interchangeably. The museum has traveling exhibits. Some of them have been amazing. Some have left me thinking, “WTH!” But, such is the nature of art, right? There are many other permanent installations. Right now, I am trying to be patient as I wait for the Clowes Gallery to reopen. The traveling exhibit, The Lume, is on display currently. We haven’t made it there yet. I hope to go sometime after the holidays. All of this opportunity is less than half an hour from me! Nigel and I usually visit two to three times a month, especially in the summer.

Why Newfields?

The Lilly House is also known as Oldfields. The home, designed by Lewis Ketcham Davis, was built for the family of Hugh McKennan Landon. Begun in 1909, the house was finished in 1913. The Landon family employed the Olmsted Brothers Firm to further landscape the country home. Landon and his family lived there until 1932 when Josiah K. Lilly, Jr. purchased it. You can read much more about this amazing place here. After the Lilly family (you’ve heard of the Lilly pharmaceutical company, right?) moved in, they expanded and renovated both the house and the grounds. There is another home on the grounds which was once home to one of the Lilly children. One of the docents told us a couple of years ago the house was called Newfields. I think that’s why the entire campus is now referred to as Newfields. It doesn’t really matter, but I think it’s fun to see how things evolve!

A New Tradition

A few years ago, Newfields introduced Winterlights. Nigel and I went and enjoyed every minute. Workers string over 1,000,000 lights! The pictures I’m sharing are from this year’s visit. I tried to capture spaces when people weren’t present. There are, however, a few with some random people walking through. Since everyone is snapping pictures, no one was surprised to see me and Nigel taking pictures. You’ll notice there aren’t a lot of different pictures. That’s because, as much as I love my blog, I love being in the moment more! With the exception of last year when Nigel broke his ankle, our kids, grandkids, Nigel, and I have gone to Winterlights to begin the holiday season!

The Nutcracker

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The Grand Alee is home to this amazing musical and artistic installation. The lights change and are in sync with Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. You can watch as the colors change to the many instrumental pieces of the ballet. Of course, my favorite is Sugarplum Fairy. I could watch this for hours. Unfortunately, the rest of the family wanted to move on!

Oldfields

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We didn’t have to wear masks while outside, but inside Oldfields, masks were required. Luckily, our oldest had a box in his car as we’d all been so excited we’d left ours behind! Most, if not all, of the decorations in the Lilly house were handmade. When you enter the house, you are in the parlor. This room contained several trees which were flat canvas which had been painted and decorated with a variety of birds. Lots of snowballs covered the floor! The next room is a game room. That’s where the house of cards was. There was a hidden spiral staircase with Slinkys coming down. Unfortunately, the only picture I took was blurry. Peacocks ruled in the Music Room, but I didn’t take photos of that. Nope…the only one I have is of this really cool felt garland. It was simply a length of felt cut in varying widths with a basting stitch to pull it up at random places. There were lots of felted “crafts” in this room. Peacocks and small Christmas trees abounded, but those pictures were blurry, too! The loggia’s ceiling disappeared in a mix of paper lanterns which reminded me of Dale Chihuly!

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Next was the dining room. The first time we went to Winterlights, this room was festooned with paper chains. They were looped here and there and puddled onto the floor and furniture. The Christmas tree in my bedroom is decorated in that manner. This year, the stars were recycled and upcycled plastic straws! I wonder who got the lucky task of chopping those up! But, would it be worse to have to thread them and create the chandelier? They must have had a lot of straws because this motif continued into the butler’s pantry, the kitchen, and the lower level! You have to admit that’s a brilliant use of recycled straws (who had to clean them, though)!

The Library and Lower Level

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Several trees were located in the library. Josiah K. Lilly, Jr. was an avid book collector. There are thousands in this library, and many were donated to Indiana University. I only managed to get a couple pictures as the house was a little more crowded. I didn’t want to be in anyone’s way. But, again, most, if not all, of the decorations are handmade. The other pictures include more recycled straw chandeliers.

The Grounds

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For some reason, my phone (and Nigel’s) produced blurry photos of most of the outside decorations. Trust me when I say it was amazing! We were lucky to have wonderful weather. The day started out rainy and overcast. It finished being clear and cool. Snow would have made a true winter wonderland, but it would have been slippery, too! If you live near Indianapolis, Newfields and Winterlights are fabulous holiday activities. Beverages, warm chocolate chip cookies, popcorn, and s’mores (sold by Girl Scouts) are available as is a Wintermarket.

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The Lewk

Fashion took a back stage to being warm. My North Face puffer coat (similar) is three or four years old. I love that it zips from both ends to allow for longer strides and sitting comfortably. I crocheted the hat and scarf (which you can barely see). I wore Merrell shoes (similar) which kept my feet warm and cozy. This is the second pair of Merrell shoes I’ve had. I actually wore the first pair out! I put insoles inside them as I need that additional arch support. But, these shoes, while not at all fashionable, are comfortable and allow me to walk without worrying about slipping on wet leaves or icy puddles.

Wrap it up, Marsha!

During the majority of the lockdown, one of the things I missed most of all was visiting Newfields. Nigel and I visited as soon as we could…masked up and outside. Masks are still required inside any buildings at Newfields. I’m OK with that. I need art in my life, and I’m so very glad Newfields is close at hand. If you’re nearby, consider going! Is there a holiday light installation near you? Do you have traditions to kick off the holiday season? Please leave a comment, and we can have a conversation! And, if you like the blog, please consider subscribing!

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