LIFE

Eiteljorg's $400,000 shade sails to bolster Downtown canal experience

Wei-Huan Chen
wei-huan.chen@indystar.com

The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art is building a $400,000 structure in hopes of bolstering its Downtown Canal experience and capturing new visitors with outdoor programming.

Set to debut June 20, four 60-by-30-foot translucent, triangle-shaped sails will hang from 10 beams and provide partial shade to passersby and participants of the museum's summer activities.

The structure will be located above the Christel DeHaan Family Terrace, which faces north toward the canal.

The project was designed a year ago by Jonathan Hess of Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf, who also designed the main building. It is funded by the Efroymson Family Fund, the Indianapolis Foundation and the Steve Cagle Family.

Eiteljorg President John Vanausdall believes the structure "is not about providing shade — it's about what you can do with it."

Events, such as gold panning for its "Gold!: Riches and Ruin" exhibit and the Juneteenth 150th Anniversary Celebration, will benefit from the structure's elegant style and protection from the sun, he said.

Additionally, the museum will open its doors to the public for free from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays beginning this summer. The Wednesday Jammin' in July event could entice more visitors at that time.

Plans call for the museum to be able to light the sails, made from synthetic fabrics, with various colors at night.

Vanausdall hopes the structure could be "transformational" and spur more activity on the canal.

Wei-Huan Chen can be reached at (317) 444-6249 or on Twitter at @weihuanchen.