Julia Zollman Wickes

On November 3, 1948, the day the nation woke to the news of Harry Truman’s surprising Presidential win, Julia Zollman was born to Jack and Maxine Zollman, in Bedford, Indiana. Raised in a home filled with music and laughter, Julia was surrounded by a loving extended family, including her younger brother, John, and sister, Priscilla. She performed in her high school’s production of Everybody Loves Opal, rode horses at her grandfather’s farm, spent time at her father’s Cadillac dealership, and scooped ice cream at Jerry’s Restaurant.

Julia attended Indiana University, where she studied education and made lifelong friends in her Alpha Phi sorority. During college, close family friends invited her to accompany them on a 3-month summer trip to Europe. This adventure expanded Julia’s worldview, sparking a continued curiosity about the world and the people in it.

Prior to her first year of teaching elementary school in Indianapolis, Julia fell in love with a recently returned Vietnam veteran. Her love, kindness, and gentleness softened his edges and helped him heal from his war time experience. Two years later, clutching a bouquet of hand-picked wildflowers, Julia married this veteran, Jack Wickes. For 52 years, their love story flourished as they navigated life as a young married couple in Washington DC, as parents in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood of Indianapolis, and as empty-nesters living downtown in The Athletic Club.

Jack and Julia welcomed three daughters; Katie, Maggie, and Anna. They raised their children to be open-minded, creative, and independent, giving them “the wings to fly”. Alongside driving kids to swim practice at the Riviera Swim Club and serving as Girl Scout Cookie Mom, Julia launched a graphic design business, dedicated herself to community involvement, and nurtured friendships. She helped found a Literary Group made up of eight couples, a monthly tradition that has endured for over 43 years.

Though Julia had been drawn to the arts throughout her life, it wasn’t until her mid-40s that she truly embraced her talent and began fine art courses at Herron Art School. Her exposure to artistic mediums only left her wanting more, so she approached her class professor for advice. She was told: ‘If you think you have a painting inside of you that needs to get out, you should keep going.’

Encouraged by these words, Julia enrolled as a full-time student at Herron. She painted until the early hours of the morning and studied countless books about artists and theory. Julia spent a transformative month as an artist-in-residence in Pont Aven, France, a historic setting where luminaries such as Paul Gaugin gathered to paint in the late nineteenth century. She gained so much from her time in Pont-Aven that her family wished to support similar overseas opportunities for others, establishing the “Julia Z. Wickes Scholarship” at Herron Art School in celebration of Julia’s graduation in 2002 with a BFA in Fine Arts.

It turned out that Julia had hundreds of paintings inside her, always seeking to reflect the world as she saw it. Throughout her art career, Julia focused on storytelling, envisioning the inner lives of those around her, and moments observed on her extensive travels. Julia explored the world with Jack and along the way, she sketched the beautiful people of Thailand, swam in the Amazon River, and climbed a volcano in Aeolian Islands. She painted in the shadow of the Egyptian pyramids, sought inspiration at Victoria Falls in Africa, and drank tea on a train through Siberia and Mongolia. After each adventure with Jack, she returned home to her studio and her paints, leaving a piece of herself on each canvas.

Beyond her travels and artistic pursuits, Julia was a much-loved mother-in-law and beloved grandmother to her grandchildren, who affectionately called her Juji. Katie is married to Brandon Conovitz, lives in Manhattan, and has four children: Sawyer (16), Coco (14), Asher (13), and Jack (13). Maggie is married to Kevin Callahan, lives in Johnson City, Texas, and has two children: Vivi (13) and Chip (8). Anna is married to Andy Brodie, lives in Brooklyn, and has one child, Oscar (5), and a baby girl due in January of 2025.

Over the course of seven decades Julia left her mark on those she met, always “encouraging the creativity of others”. In addition to her roles as wife, mother, and accomplished artist, she was known as an excellent conversationalist, a warm and welcoming hostess, an ardent Democrat, a loyal friend, a kind neighbor, a fantastic gift wrapper, known to get lost in a good book and so much more. Her optimism abundant, her kindness contagious, Julia had a curiosity that knew no bounds. Julia saw the world in color and sought to capture and share its beauty and joy at every opportunity. Though the loss for those who loved Julia is profound, she is now at peace with the angels.

Julia was a member of The Fortnightly Literary Club and a member of the Indiana Artists Club.

In mid-July, Julia was diagnosed with the lung cancer that caused her death on September 15, 2024.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to the Indiana University Foundation, Julia Z. Wickes Scholarship so that other aspiring artists have the opportunity to study art abroad and discover the magic of the world we live in.

To send a donation via check, please mail to the below address:

Herron School of Art and Design Attn: Kim Hodges

735 W. New York Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46202

To view Julia’s artwork, please visit JuliaWickes.com.

A calling for Julia will be held Friday, September 20, 2024 from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Crown Hill Funeral Home, 700 West 38th Street, Indianapolis, IN 46208. A funeral service will be held Saturday, September 21, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Redeemer Presbyterian Church at the Harrison Center, 1505 North Delaware Street, Indianapolis, IN.