Monet & Friends Alive! is opening at The Lume at Newfields. Here’s what you need to know.

Following the success of The Lume’s inaugural exhibit featuring works from Vincent van Gogh in 2021, the museum is now set to feature works from Oscar-Claude Monet, the 19th-century impressionist artist, and his contemporaries.

What is the Monet & Friends Alive! exhibit?

The Lume is a nearly 30,000-square-foot, multi-sensory exhibit space that occupies the fourth floor of Newfields, located at 4000 Michigan Road. The space includes three galleries and a café.

Monet & Friends Alive! is a fully immersive experience highlighting the work of impressionist artist Oscar-Claude Monet as well as 11 other impressionist painters within his inner circle — those with whom he often worked alongside and shared influences.

"This is a way we introduce people to art in a way that's really more consumable," said Jonathan Berger, vice president of marketing and external affairs. "At the end of the day, if we get one person or a dozen people to do a deeper dive into the life of Monet or impressionism or anyone in that collection, I feel like we've made good on our promise: Indiana's number one cultural institution."

When does Monet & Friends Alive! open?

Monet & Friends Alive! opens to the public on July 3. Members can preview the exhibit on July 2. The Lume will show the exhibition from its opening till May 2023. Tickets are on sale now at discovernewfields.org.

Do I have to wear a mask inside The Lume?

Those who are unvaccinated are strongly encouraged to wear a mask while inside The Lume and at Newfields.

How much is admission?

Admission for the general public is $29 for adults, $20 for youth ages 6-17 and $25 for senior citizens. Admission for museum members is $25 for adults and $17 for youth ages 6-17 years old. Admission is free for children 5 years and younger.

General admission tickets to Newfields do not include The Lume, however, tickets to The Lume include general admission to the museum.

What art from Monet will I see at The Lume?

Immersive animations of Monet’s work such as “Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies,” “Impression, Sunrise” and more will be projected over the walls and ceilings of two galleries and a connecting hallway with 150 high-definition projectors.

"We're painting with light now," Berger said. "We're evolving as a society."

Works from impressionist artists such as Camille Pissarro, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Mary Cassatt, Edgar Degas, Paul Cezanne, Berthe Morisot and more will also be included in the animations within the gallery spaces, and demonstrate art across three main movements: en plein air, a day in the life and metropolitan.

The immersive gallery show lasts about an hour, featuring several breaks incorporating the ‘sound of color’ before ending with three featurettes from local up-and-coming digital artists.

What about food and drinks at the café?

Redesigned to look like a 19th-Century French café complete with French-style posters and large barn doors, the Café Lumiere features a multitude of treats and goodies to enjoy during the exhibit. Set up with tables and chairs, a snack bar and wet bar, the café includes goodies such as a blueberry lemon scone ($5), Macron Trio ($9), Traveler’s Cheese and Charcuterie Box (8), Monet Blend Popcorn ($7) and more.

Their signature cocktail is the Lumen Tonic ($7), which is a vodka tonic with citrus and elderflower and includes edible flowers in the ice cubes that bloom as they melt. Non-alcoholic drinks include a Sunrise Roast Tinker coffee ($4), Lumen-ade ($4), soda and water ($4).

Where is the best place to take photos?

Due to the lighting and nature of projections, taking photos inside the exhibit may be difficult. However, after finishing the galleries, the immersive experience allows guests to step inside a life-sized, Monet-inspired tableau, complete with a re-design of a Japanese footbridge over a pond with water lilies. The scene is made look as though guests have become a part of Monet’s “Bridge over a Pond of Water Lilies.” The bridge is wheelchair accessible.

How do I make the most of it?

The exhibition is a multi-sensory immersive experience. A light floral scent and carefully curated soundtrack featuring works from Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Ravel and Offenbach accompany the 360-degree floor-to-ceiling art display. Many interactive features are scattered throughout the exhibit in addition to a gift shop and a short film of Monet painting toward the end of the galleries.

In one gallery, The Lume will feature several physical, original paintings of impressionist art — including a piece from Monet — from the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s permanent collection.

Beyond the galleries, the exhibition also extends outside as the museum has incorporated its gardens to include seasonal displays inspired by the imagery found in impressionist artists' paintings such as Monet's infamous water lilies.

"We wanted to truly be everything that Monet and impressionism is here on the campus as well," Berger said. "So you can see these great paintings and then go out in our garden and experience the same thing."

Is The Lume a good place to bring children?

The Lume not only features art projections all over the walls and floors but also includes a “Monet & Play” interactive space. Inside the interactive space, children and adults alike can pick up a washable Crayola marker and color in the collaborative mural resembling one of Monet’s paintings.

The interactive space also includes a “Monet Yourself” selfie station where guests can apply one of five Monet-inspired filters to their image. Additionally, an interactive "Movement through Time" program allows guests to learn about the impressionist era, key moments and technological advancements in Paris that influenced the way artists lived in that time.

Is the Monet & Friends Alive! exhibit disability accessible?

Monet & Friends Alive! features bright and contrasting lights, faint floral aromas, music changes and large, moving projections on both walls and floors, which may be an issue for guests who have sensory sensitivities.

However, the exhibit features a few areas with no music or projections for guests to take a break, including the café, gift shop and life-sized interactive bridge display.

Contact IndyStar reporter Chloe McGowan at CWilkersonMcGowan@gannett.com. Follow her Twitter: @chloe_mcgowanxx.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Newfields' Lume Indianapolis: What to know about 'Monet and Friends'