The Bean Creek Outlook is a restorative outdoor gathering and learning space on the Contemporary Art Museum of Indianapolis (CAMi) campus alongside Bean Creek — the waterway that flows through our campus and connects us to neighbors in the Bean Creek neighborhood.
The project transformed an overlooked area near the creek into a welcoming public space for conversation, reflection, education, and connection to nature. Inspired in part by the Happiness Garden in the historic utopian community of Zoar, Ohio, the space features permeable landscaped paths, a circular gathering bench, native pollinator plantings, and a rain garden that supports local ecology and biodiversity.
Additional work included removing invasive plant species, cleaning debris from the creek area bordering campus, repairing the adjacent parking lot, and building a new privacy gate with educational display space that improves safety and organization on campus. TeenWorks Summer 2024 youth helped bring the project to life through hands-on support with planting, cleanup, and other site improvement efforts.
The Bean Creek Outlook was envisioned as both an environmental improvement project and a social gathering space. The area supports outdoor classes, informal conversation, and future public programming, including First Friday activities, artist-led events, performances, and collaborations with neighborhood and cultural partners.
This project was made possible through our Water World campaign with Patronicity & the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s CreatINg Places program and by the following donors:
Malina S. Bacon ; Polly Harrold ; Kimberley Pflueger ; Benjamin F. Rose ; Paul J. Hinton ; Beth Webber ; Holly J. Sommers ; Marisol M. Gouveia ; Hannah S. Campbell ; Norbert Krapf ; Heath Hurst ; Matthew L. Gonzales ; Shauta Marsh & Jim Walker ; Georgia Cravey ; Wendy Castillo ; Ursula David ; Raymond McMaster ; Molly Martin ; Matthew J. Rooney ; Jason Burk ; Jane A. Henegar ; Diana Mutz & Howard Schrott ; Bernie Price ; David & Caryn Anderson ; Joshua S. Compton ; Cari Guichelaar ; Frank & Katrina Basile ; Kerry Dinneen & Sam Sutphin ; Jungclaus-Campbell Co., Inc. Charitable Fund ; Ben & Connie Berg ; Linda & Cory Brundage ; Synscapes of Indiana, LLC ; Jenifer & Sean Brown ; Christopher & Ellie Clapp ; Katie & Bwana Clements ; Anne Laker & Joe Merrick ; Friends of Garfield Park ; Garfield Park Neighbors Association ; Cheryl Dillenback ; Katie Sanford & Stephen Evanoff ; Bean Creek Neighborhood Association via Villa Baptist Church ; Ed & Mary Jayne Mahern ; Patronicity & IHCDA ; the Big Car staff ; and the TeenWorks Summer 2024 crew.
This was also made possible through Central Indiana Community Foundation’s Summer Youth Program Fund, with Capital support from Lilly Endowment Inc. & Program support from Allen Whitehill Clowes Charitable Foundation for the 2024 TeenWorks Summer Program at CAMi.
Find more pictures on our Flickr.
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