A new exhibition opened April 10 at the Indianapolis International Airport’s Civic Plaza, featuring 92 works by 90 Hoosier artists with developmental disabilities. The show was organized by the Indianapolis Airport Authority in partnership with the Indiana Association of Rehabilitation Facilities, Inc. (INARF) and Ability Indiana, with artists from 12 INARF member organizations contributing pieces in a variety of mediums. The airport’s arts and culture program, which rotates permanent and temporary collections, has hosted this annual showcase for several years, with some artists returning each year with new work.
This exhibition matters because it leverages the airport’s status as the largest-exposure art gallery in Indiana to amplify the visibility and creative contributions of artists with disabilities—a community often underrepresented in mainstream art spaces. By integrating these works into a high-traffic public venue seen by millions of travelers annually, the program challenges assumptions about who can be an artist and underscores the role of public institutions in fostering inclusive cultural representation. It also highlights a growing trend of airports serving as accessible platforms for community-based art programming.