By Debra Sigel
Over the past year Rhonda Long-Sharp has worked to nurture a hidden gem inside the Conrad hotel in the heart of downtown Indianpolis.
The Long-Sharp Gallery, an extension of ModernMasters Fine Art, opened inside the Conrad Indianapolis luxury hotel. For the past year, Long-Sharp, a former longtime Indianapolis-based death row attorney, has orchestrated the innovative and award-winning art program at the gallery.
Long-Sharp features works from Picasso to pop, with a primary focus on works by some of the most prestigious names in modern and contemporary art. Featured artists include Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Indiana, Roy Lichtenstein, Joan Miro and Robert Motherwell to name a few.
Long-Sharp makes a point to highlight the works of noted contemporary artists who have studios in Indiana as well.
Artists Dale Enoch, Constance Edwards Scopelitis, Lois Main Templeton and Walter Knabe of Carmel have had their work displayed at the Conrad.
“We remain very proud of the fine art experience at Conrad and all that it does to drive regional, national and international awareness to Conrad and our wonderful community,” Long-Sharp said.
Her gallery boasts only the work of world class artists.
Standing about 10 feet high, Gino Miles’ 600- to 800-pound bronze sculpture, “Skyward,” and seven other Miles sculptures are currently installed and for sale in the Conrad’s lobby and throughout the hotel.
Miles, a 60-year-old New Mexican artist who is inspired by the shapes he finds in the natural landscape, has large-scale works installed across the United States, including at the Evansville Museum of Arts.
Some of the lobby pieces are meant for touching and do encourage a hands-on experience.
Miles is very passionate about his work and he has described it in detail to the hotel’s art ambassadors, even training them on all the intricate details.
Thoroughly explaining each piece makes it emotional and memorable for anyone that comes in contact with it, he said.
The gallery is always open at the Conrad Hotel. For more information, call 866-370-1601.
