BROAD RIPPLE, Ind. — The Indy-area arts community gathered together Saturday for the reopening of the ArtsPark, a nearly 10-acre space on the Indy Arts Center campus. 

The renovations were originally scheduled to finish in August, but were delayed nearly two months because of historic floods. 

Shannon Bennett, Vice President of Exhibitions and Events for the Arts Center, says watching their capital improvement project suffer such a large set-back was incredibly difficult. 

“It was pretty gut-wrenching. I’ve been here full-time for 16 years and I’ve never seen water up that high. To see all the statues down there underwater, it was pretty hard,” Bennett said.

The renovations come with new statues and walking trails for visitors. Center officials tell us they think limestone walls that were installed next to the nearby White River shortly before the floods helped to keep the water from causing even more damage. 

“There was a lot of debris, a lot of power washing, a lot of re-seeding the grounds, a lot of plants that got swept away; lots of landscaping, but it looks really good now,” Bennett said.

Part of the celebrations included Fall Fest, which featured more than 50 artists, alongside food and vendors. 

Local artist and longtime vendor, Valerie Bielski, says she’s proud of the way the arts community came together to volunteer for cleanup after the floods. 

“It’s so devastating. They do so much for the community here, and to see that they suffered such a loss…just heartbreaking,” Bielski said. “I did see a lot of artists and community members coming together to help with cleanup efforts, donations, with them collecting things from other locals in the area. Really great to see everyone come together.” 

The new ArtsPark also features seven new statues available for viewing around the park.