A Public Art Project In Indiana Provides Community Awareness With A Unique Canvas

In a rural Indiana college town 45 miles west of Indianapolis, four former grain silos shadow the intersection of Veterans Highway and Route 231 at 700 Broadway Street. Each one is painted with a colorful design illustrating a part of the community: an eagle among red flowers, cows and horses grazing in rows of corn, a violin and trumpet exploding with florals, and a 12-point buck standing proudly in a field. While a midwest city in Ohio takes the crown for the most spectacular street art in America, the Putnam County Mural Project's inaugural 2019 silo murals boast the title of Indiana's largest mural.

An initiative born in the 10,000-resident town of Greencastle, the volunteers on the PCMP team solicited community input at local primary and secondary schools, farmers markets, and libraries. They asked residents to make suggestions about what they want to see and called on artists to submit proposals. After several community votes on color, theme, and design, a Belarusian mural artist known as Key Detail (real name Andrei Krautsou) was selected to lead the mural painting after one of his designs was selected by Greencastle's residents.

"While murals don't solve our most critical problems, we believe they help instill pride in parts of who we are as a community that are beautiful and good," the Putnam County Mural Project stated. "We hope they inspire us to continue to dream big and in full-color, while motivating each of us to do something that enriches the community."

Public art, which is available for the enjoyment of everyone, goes a long way to endear people to their community. The free open-air art museum in Pennsylvania, known as one of America's most colorful landmarks, is just one example of how citizen art can transform a derelict space into a destination. In Putnam County, this has proven to also be true. While the colors and design of the murals inspire community pride and caretaking, the theme of PCMP's first mural project was meant to embody the local community in a concrete way as well. Its place on disused grain silos was inspired by the PCMP's mandate for community revitalization with the mural project; they also aim to educate community members and bring more appreciation of the natural environment to residents. And in fact, each silo drawing brings a deeper resonance for community members who pass it often, symbolizing a treasured part of the community's life.

The eagle silo represents the county's veterans, and the flowers surrounding it, peonies, are Indiana's state flower. The agricultural heritage of the community — remember, they exist on grain silos — is represented in the next image, while a summer music festival is represented by a third silo. On the fourth mural, a buck in the field represents the rural landscape and protected parklands that feature all across the county.

The project was initiated in 2019, and shortly thereafter took a COVID hiatus, but since 2022 has continued to build on the work and spread the mural love from Greencastle to other towns in the county. In 2022, the PCMP sponsored a five-mural festival, selecting artists to transform walls in Greencastle, Fillmore, and Roachdale. The 2023 mural, at 1 E. Franklin Street, transformed a wall outside Dick's Barber Shop into a collage honoring the city's bicentennial. For 2024, eight walls were painted across the Putnam County towns of Cloverdale, Greencastle, Reelsville, Bainbridge, and Russellville.

Local muralist Holly Sims, who was born and raised in Greencastle, participated in both mural festivals. For her first wall, she was asked to transform the cinderblock walls of a cookie shop into a fiery red and orange cardinal mural designed to fulfill the requests of school-aged children from the elementary school next door. While working, Sims invited the elementary students to visit so they could so their ideas come to life first-hand. She hoped her work would inspire them, the way she was inspired to paint and draw in elementary school.

The Putnam County Mural Project hopes to continue sponsoring murals and bringing unexpected beauty and contemplation to corners of the county where residents and visitors might not expect it. Beyond Putnam County, you can also check out these pretty cities in America that are a dream come true for art lovers.