Look just ahead-right in the center of the park, you’ll spot a big, pink granite fountain with dancing bronze children circling around it, and at the top, there’s a woman playing cymbals, surrounded by splashing water.
Now, let’s step back in time and imagine you’ve arrived in downtown Indianapolis fresh off the trolley, dusting off your hat after a trip through the bustling city streets in 1919. As you approach this sparkling fountain, sunlight bounces off the bronze figures-kids twirl in a circle as if frozen in a magical game of ring-around-the-rosy, while fish leap around the base and a joyful woman stands above it all, playing her cymbals like she’s inviting you to join the celebration.
But this isn’t just any fountain. The Depew Memorial Fountain was a loving gift from Emma Ely Depew, who wanted everyone in Indianapolis to remember her husband, Dr. Richard Depew. Dr. Depew spent his life caring for the people of this city, and after Emma passed away, she left $50,000 (which could buy quite a few nickel sodas back then) to make sure his kindness would flow through the city forever-quite literally, in the form of this fountain.
The design came from three famous artists: Karl Bitter, who dreamed up the scene; Alexander Stirling Calder, who shaped the lively bronze dancers; and Henry Bacon, who gave the fountain its perfect setting. It almost didn’t happen-Karl Bitter passed away before the fountain was built, making this project something of a mysterious relay race, with each artist handing their creativity to the next.
The fountain didn’t just stand still, either-on its 10th birthday, young ballerinas dressed up and danced all around the statues, turning art into living movement. So, the next time you hear the splash of water or see the sun glinting off the cymbals, you’ll be sharing a moment with everyone who’s ever paused to enjoy this joyful, musical memory in the middle of Indianapolis. And hey-don’t blame me if you suddenly feel like skipping in a circle!
