June 15, 2004 - Tonight's Broad Ripple Village Association meeting had a large turnout. Over 60 attended to meet the three finalists selected for the Broad Ripple Village cultural district gateways. One gateway will be installed in the median south of the College Avenue bridge over the White River. The other will at Broad Ripple High School near the Broad Ripple Avenue/Compton Street intersection.

Gary Abner, Tim Ryan, and Stephen Wooldridge were selected from the original group of 12 artists. Each was given a small grant to prepare models of their designs.

Stephen Wooldridge presented 'Friendship Arch' and 'Balancing Act'. "I first visited Broad Ripple in 1947. The memory I have is of the huge steam locomotives pulling into the Broad Ripple train station," said Stephen. "Balancing Act is my interpretation of that memory. The offset vertical cylinders in graduated shades of gray represent the billowing smoke from the engines."

Gary Abner showed his expressive steel sculptures. "Standing in the Light is for 67th and College (Avenue)," said Gary. "When I finished cutting out the forms I let it tell me what color it should be. Red."

Tim Ryan's design, 'Here Comes Everybody', involves the community. Over 500 tiles, created by the public, will cover the monuments. "These three monuments are designed to draw people in to explore," explained Tim.

The council will select two gateway designs, with the help of the public feedback given tonight, on July 1, 2004. The gateways will be unveiled in the Spring of 2005.