| Totem | |
| Artist: | Rinaldo Paluzzi |
| Type: | Stainless Steel |
| Height Imperial: | 384 |
| Width Imperial: | 60 |
| Length Imperial: | 60 |
| Imperial Unit: | in |
| Metric Unit: | cm |
| City: | Indianapolis, Indiana, United States |
| Coordinates: | 39.7678°N -86.1714°W |
| Owner: | White River State Park |
Totem, is a public artwork by American-Spanish artist Rinaldo Paluzzi, located on the grounds of White River State Park, which is in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The sculpture is made of stainless steel and is a triangular shaped vertical "tube" with triangular and trapezoidal cut-outs in the steel. The piece sits centered atop a concrete circle, 40 feet in diameter, with a sundial face. The piece was constructed in 1982 and dedicated November 9, 1982. It is copyrighted 1983.[1] The sculpture was the first public art piece in Indianapolis fully funded by individuals, businesses and institutions.[2]
The sculpture also has a bronze plaque placed just south of it. The plaque reads: TOTEM/BY RINALDO PALUZZI (AMERICAN B. 1927)/FABRICATED BY MITCHUM-SHAEFER, INC./OF INDIANAPOLIS AND DONATED TO THE WHITE RIVER STATE PARK ON NOV. 9, 1982/INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS (33 names listed) INSTITUTIONAL CONTRIBUTORS (30 names listed).
White River State Park owns the piece, which was fabricated by Mitchum-Shaefer, Inc. based out of Indianapolis. Over 60 individuals and institutions contributed the $95,000 to install the piece making it the first art piece in Indianapolis in which funds were crowdsourced for a public artwork.[2] The piece cost $91,500 total to complete and install. Donors included Allstate, Allison Transmission, Eli Lilly and Company, and RCA. A series of limited edition lithographs of the sculpture were created by Paluzzi and sold for $250 each.[2] The sculpture was dedicated on November 9, 1982 and was copyrighted in 1983.[1] The Scecina High School marching band performed at the dedication ceremony.[3] Then mayor William H. Hudnut spoke at the ceremony and presented Paluzzi with the keys to the city.[4]