In 2024, Mirror Indy worked with at least 30 different visual artists across a range of media – painters, illustrators, collage artists, a puppeteer and more.

See some of our favorite commissioned works, categorized by artist.

Shaunt’e Lewis

These pieces were commissioned for our reporting on Greenlawn Cemetery and the developments that threaten to disturb the historic burial site.

An illustration by Shaunt’e Lewis depicts Cheney Lively. The image is based off of artist T.J. Reynold’s imagined portrait of Lively, which he created for for NUVO in 2019.

Jeneca Zody

When the total solar eclipse happened in Indianapolis, Jeneca Zody illustrated a comic with tips from experts and icons.

Jeneca also helped us visualize the art of apologizing, a resource guide on getting help with medical debt, and two of our big investigations: Trapped and Out of Options.

Credit: Jeneca Zody for Mirror Indy
Credit: Jeneca Zody for Mirror Indy
Credit: Illustrations by Jeneca Zody for Mirror Indy
Credit: Jeneca Zody for Mirror Indy
Credit: Jeneca Zody for Mirror Indy
Credit: Jeneca Zody for Mirror Indy
Illustrations depict scenes based on interviews with former staff and patients of Options Behavioral Health Hospital.
Illustration shows the lobby of a hospital emergency room. In the front, a person is holding their arm, apparently in pain, while someone else sits next to them looking at a paper with a worried expression on their face.
Credit: Illustrations by JZ for Mirror Indy

Jannell Summers

If you follow our weekly arts and culture newsletter, Play List, you’ve seen the handiwork of Jannell Summers. She is also our go-to for fun animated GIFs on articles like How to Fail.

Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
Credit: Jannell Summers / Mirror Indy
Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
  • An animated gif illustration shows a cluster of "error" windows popping up that each says, "Fail."
    Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
  • An animated gif illustration shows a baker dropping a three-tiered cake while the word "GUH!" appears.
    Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
  • An animated gif illustration shows a houseplant wilting, and dropping leaves.
    Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
  • An animated gif illustration shows a guitarist with long black hair strumming an electric guitar when suddenly squiggly lines and the word "GUHH!!" appears.
    Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
  • An animated gif illustration shows a pair of hands suspended over a pottery wheel, on which a clump of clay wobbles and falls apart into a shapeless heap.
    Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy
"April Indyclipse," 2024
“April Indyclipse,” 2024 Credit: Jannell Summers for Mirror Indy

Beatriz Vasquez

Beatriz Vasquez specializes in papel picado, which inspired her artwork for a resource on becoming a U.S. citizen and Indiana’s controversial birth control bill.

An art piece with layered pieces of paper in green and red, with words like "permanent resident card" and "resident since."
A papel picado-inspired piece by Beatriz Vasquez, who said: “The wording is cryptic because for many ESL communities, the English instructions are incredibly confusing.” Credit: Beatriz Vasquez for Mirror Indy
"IUDs & Arm Implants" by Beatriz Vasquez, 2024.
“IUDs & Arm Implants” by Beatriz Vasquez, 2024. Credit: Beatriz Vasquez for Mirror Indy
A papel picado-inspired piece depicts the Indiana Statehouse and a uterus. Credit: Beatriz Vasquez for Mirror Indy

Matt Holdzkom

Matt Holdzkom is the puppeteer behind Joe Pluto Enterprises. In March, he brought his friends Loogie and Dr. Fletcher Shelby to remind neighbors to register to vote in the primary election. In April, they joined data reporter Emily Hopkins in highlighting the primary election’s importance.

Loogie says, “don’t forget to register by April 8 to vote in the primary!” Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy

Machaila Gray

Machaila Gray created portraits of important figures in Indianapolis history, like LuLu Jackson in our article on country music. She also illustrated baseball cards for legendary Black baseball players like Oscar Charleston.

Illustration shows a portrait of Lulu Jackson, who is a Black woman, holding a guitar and wearing a wearing a flowing dress and head scarf. She is shown inside a frame with a vivid orange and yellow background, surrounded by purple roses and greenery. The frame is "hanging" on a vivid purple wall.
A illustrated portrait of LuLu Jackson, inspired by album art. Credit: Machaila Gray for Mirror Indy
Credit: Machaila Gray for Mirror Indy

Brent Aldrich

You may know him best for his Thanksgiving day comic, but Brent Aldrich has also helped us visualize guides on topics like FAFSA, voting and universal basic income.

“Thanksgiving Food Mishaps” by Brent Aldrich. Credit: Brent Aldrich/Mirror Indy
Credit: Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy
Illustrations by Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy
Illustrations by Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy
Illustrations by Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy
Illustrations by Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy
Illustrations by Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy
  • Credit: Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy
  • Credit: Brent Aldrich
  • Credit: Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy
  • Credit: Brent Aldrich / Mirror Indy
  • Credit: Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy
An illustration depicts a gunshot detection sensor. Credit: Brent Aldrich for Mirror Indy

Culture Journals

Christina Hollering, Erica Parker and Rafael Caro contributed art to accompany our Mirror Indy Culture Journals.

  • “Christian Cabrera’s Culture Journal,” collage, 2024. Credit: Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy
  • Collage that shows a red door, a Chihuahua dog, a cityscape, a cat, a cup of coffee and a bonfire.
    “Masha Kuznetsova’s Culture Journal,” 2024. Credit: Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy
  • “Amanda Kingsbury’s Culture Journal” by Erica Parker, 2024. Credit: Erica Parker for Mirror Indy
  • “Coye Lloyd’s Culture Journal,” 2024. Credit: Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy
  • “Waffles, Bikes and Frida,”
  • “Taylor’s Culture Journal,” 2024. Credit: Beth Guipe Hall for Mirror Indy
  • “Eunice Trotter’s Culture Journal,” 2024. Credit: Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy
  • “Laura Holzman Culture Journal,” 2024. Credit: Erica Parker and Rafael Caro for Mirror Indy
  • "NBA Indy Fever's Culture Journal" by Christina Hollering, 2024.
    “NBA Indy Fever’s Culture Journal” by Christina Hollering, 2024. Credit: Christina Hollering
  • “Strawberry Festival,” 2024. Credit: Christina Hollering
  • “Ari Kasle’s Culture Journal.” Credit: Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy
  • “Nicole Sipe’s Culture Journal,” 2024. Credit: Erica Parker/Mirror Indy
  • “Reds” by Sophie Young, 2024. Credit: Erica Parker and Rafael Caro for Mirror Indy
  • “Oreo Jones’ Culture Journal” by Erica Parker, 2024. Credit: Sophie Young / Mirror Indy
  • “CJ Woods III Culture Journal,” 2024 Credit: Erica Parker for Mirror Indy
  • “Terri Carney’s Culture Journal,” 2024. Credit: Christina Hollering for Mirror Indy
  • Float by Lauren Ditchley, 2022
    “Float” by Lauren Ditchley, 2022. Credit: Erica Parker and Rafael Caro for Mirror Indy
  • Artwork abstraction of an eye, a rose, and a hand following a butterfly.
    “Bryan Ball’s Culture Journal,” 2024. Credit: Courtesy of Christina Hollering and Jenny DelFuego
  • “Nudes, Bee and TV” by Jennifer Delgadillo, 2024. Credit: Erica Parker and Rafael Caro for Mirror Indy
  • “Eclipse,” 2024. Credit: Jennifer Delgadillo / Mirror Indy
  • “Haha” by Jennifer Delgadillo, 2024. Credit: Ania Spyra for Mirror Indy
  • "Boxx The Artist Culture Journal" by Erica Parker.
    “Boxx The Artist Culture Journal” by Erica Parker. Credit: Jennifer Delgadillo / Mirror Indy
  • “Landon Caldwell’s Journal,” by Christina Hollering, 2024. Credit: Chromatic Collective / Mirror Indy
  • “One Week at a Time” (Breanna Cooper/Mirror Indy) Credit: Christina Hollering / Mirror Indy
  • “Jess Little Town’s Culture Journal” by Erica Parker, 2024.
  • “Kristine Esser Slentz,” 2024. Credit: Erica Parker / Chromatic Collective
  • “Beginner’s Mind (after Poor Things)” by Ania Spyra, 2024. Credit: Erica Parker
  • Credit: Ania Spyra

Nathaniel Russell

If you ran into us at the polls in this year’s General Election, you may recognize Nathaniel Russel’s work on our Mirror Indy Votes election zine and the iconic “heck yes I voted” sticker.

Mirror Indy’s 2024 election zine, designed by Nathaniel Russell, pictured Oct. 16, 2024, in the Mirror Indy newsroom. Credit: Jenna Watson/Mirror Indy

Kate Oberreich

What better medium than watercolor to commemorate when the U.S. Olympic swim trials came to Indianapolis?

“50 metres,” watercolor and ink, 2024. Credit: Kate Oberreich for Mirror Indy

Alejandra Carrillo

Alejandra had our mouths watering with her illustrations for our articles on Indianapolis’ fascinating history with tamales and chili.

Becky Entrican

“Summer camp” Credit: Becky Entrican

Jeff Beaver

“F l o w e r’s (At’s Perfik!)” by Jeff Beaver, 2023 Credit: Jeff Beaver / Mirror Indy

Nash Ward

Some Indianapolis private colleges are adding more associate degree and certificate programs, creating more options for students. Credit: Nash Ward for Mirror Indy

Charlie Guarino

IPS has expanded its program to combat “summer melt.” Credit: Charlie Guarino for Mirror Indy

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