John Zwara (1880- 1951)
Artist John Zwara had a difficult but notable life in Indianapolis. Remembered by many as that sweet strange man who traded paintings for food and art supplies downtown, he slept in the streets and under bridges and mumbled to himself about water, Omaha and other nonsensical things. Zwara was committed to Central State Hospital in 1938 and diagnosed as a schizophrenic. He wandered off just six months later while painting on the grounds of the hospital.