PRODUCTION PORTFOLIOGary Gee, Andrew Hastings, Tonie Smith and David Orr

The Sapphire provided all kinds of Production Services to dozens of organizations in Indiana and beyond.  Below is selective history of our production team’s projects and collaborations.

CLICK HERE to view the Playlist of PRODUCTION SERVICES Videos on YouTube

NEWFIELDS’ LUME Exhibit [2021]

The LUME Indianapolis is a totally immersive exhibit that combines great art and cutting-edge technology with floor to ceiling projections of some of the most famous paintings in the world. Created by Australian-based Grande Experiences, The LUME opened in 2021 featuring the work of Vincent van Gogh.

In addition to a hallway of angled mirrors, The Sapphire’s production team re-created an interactive 3-D set of Van Gogh’s bedroom as depicted in his three paintings The Bedroom, The Bedroom in Arles and The Bedroom in Arles II. The Van Gogh Bedroom served as a finale to the LUME experience and featured three of Van Gogh’s other paintings replicated on canvases by The Sapphire’s David Orr. (Portrait of Milliet Second Lieutenant Of the Zouaves, Rocks with Oak Tree, and Self Portrait XIV).

MURAL STAGES for the Arts Council of Indianapolis [2021 & 2022]

Our team built 5 interactive stages to exhibit the murals of 5 local artists around downtown Indianapolis. The sports-themed works of art were displayed during March Madness and the College Football Playoffs. <#">SWISH Indy murals celebrated basketball and were part of the SWISH arts and cultural festival during the 2021 NCAA March Madness and the Goal Post Murals were an artistic tribute to football and part of “The Art of Football” arts and cultural activities for attendees of the College Football Playoffs in 2022. We were thrilled to provide stages for people to walk onto to enjoy the art and “stage” spectacular selfies!

COVID-19 Barriers [2020]

The Sapphire uses theatre to meet the needs of the community, which held true when the pandemic swept the nation. We had partners who suddenly needed COVID barriers…so we made COVID barriers! For the Arts Council of Indianapolis, we made and installed barriers for the Indianapolis Arts Garden and their downtown offices. Barriers were also made and installed at the offices of Young & Laramore and for local actors who moonlight as Lyft and Uber drivers.

INDIANA STATEHOUSE Office of the Attorney General [2017-2018]

The Offices of the Attorney General in Indiana’s historical Statehouse was renovated by The Sapphire. We provided interior design, decorative painting and plaster restoration to all of the offices. The new look was a creative collaboration that compliments the building’s atrium, the supreme court and offices and the governor’s offices.

“What happened was a true transformation of a place that was neglected that has now been carefully, meticulously restored…. When you walk in there now, you feel a certain sense of grandeur, and also I feel a personal sense of pride that this is a piece of Indiana history.” Jeremy Brilliant, Director of Communications.

Check out this VIDEO about the project!

SLEEPING GODDESS at the INDIANA FLOWER & PATIO SHOW [2016]

The theme for the 2016 Indiana Flower + Patio Show was “Mother Earth” – so, Landscape Architect Cheryl Jacques  commissioned The Sapphire to build a giant sleeping goddess that would weave into a hillside with giant grasses for hair and adorned with spring flowers around her forehead and ankle, and that people could reach out and touch. The Sleeping Goddess won ‘Most Photographed Feature’ that year.

The LUXURIOUS UNDERPASS [2014]

As part of the Arts Council of Indianapolis’ “Vibrant Corridors” initiative, The Sapphire turned the cement pillars of New York Street’s underpass at I-65/I-70 into a luxurious pathway of marbled columns. This project was a partnership between the Arts Council, Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and Lilly who supplied volunteer painters during their Lilly Day of Service. David Orr was the project designer and coordinator, working with the organizations and volunteers to create a visually pleasing pathway for all who traveled this “Luxurious Underpass.”

Check out this VIDEO about the project!

FOWLER THEATER Renovation [2015]

The Fowler Theatre was originally built in 1940 in Fowler, Indiana. Over the years, the theater’s past grandeur was not maintained. By 2000, the business was in imminent danger of closure and further contributing to the overall decline of the town. The Prairie Preservation Guild, a not-for-profit group dedicated to rescuing the historical theater, took action in 2001 to keep low cost entertainment available in the community. The Sapphire became part of the renovation team, providing decorative painting, faux finishes and a feature mural. This project won a Cook Cup Award from Indiana Landmarks in 2016.

WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN: Tennis Museum [2013] & Rookwood Trophy Case [2015]

Cincinnati’s Western & Southern Open is the nation’s oldest professional tennis tournament played in its city of origin and has been a fixture in the Queen City for more than a century. The Sapphire’s production team had the honor of building custom cases for the prized Rookwood Trophy and the on-site Tennis Museum, displaying racquets, photos, memorabilia and tennis gear worn by past champions.

The CHILDREN’S MUSEUM OF INDIANAPOLIS: Chinese Lantern [2014] + Seti’s Tomb [2011]

SETI’S TOMB – David Orr was the lead artist in the Treasures of the Earth: Seti’s Tomb multi-disciplinary installation at The Children’s Museum. The exhibit is an interactive replica of parts of this 3,500 year old Egyptian Tomb – “a recreation of the longest, deepest, and most complete of any Egyptian tomb in the famed Valley of the Kings.” David guided the process from 3D hieroglyph fabrication; panel sculpting, painting and aging with an artistic and durable, child-safe finish.

The CHINESE LANTERN – This huge Chinese Lantern (17” tall x 12” wide) was designed and built for the opening of The Children’s Museum’s Take Me There: CHINA exhibit in 2014. Hovering high in the air, this gigantic lantern hung in the Sunburst Atrium, greeting all visitors. Made from lightweight sheet metal, plywood, foam, epoxy, silk fabric and tassle fringe, the who sculpture weighed 650 pounds.