A growing array of bright colors, bold lettering and intricate graphics is drawing attention throughout Madison County as buildings are transformed into canvasses bringing artists’ ideas to life.
More than 40 buildings in Anderson, Elwood, Alexandria and Pendleton have become part of the county’s new Mural Trail initiative, a project designed to “invite visitors and locals to explore the rich history and artistic spirit of the region through a series of stunning murals,” according to a press release from the Anderson Madison County Visitors Bureau.
Community officials throughout the county have been sold on the project’s potential for connecting their towns to a sense of greater identity with the surrounding area.
“If someone is new to Madison County, as they go to other communities, they see art in those communities and they think ‘Wow, this is not just an individual municipality that is interested in it,’ said Marissa Skaggs, president of the Pendleton Town Council. “This is an entire county initiative where there is public art in a lot of places throughout the county. I think it’s a neat, unifying feature within the county.”
Olivia Willard, an Anderson-based artist who has painted several murals in the city, has been creating art for as long as she can remember. She produced her first mural in the fall of 2020.
Willard said she began creating murals because she wanted to dive more into the “community impact aspect of creating art” by inviting the community to come out and help create her murals.
Making her murals easy to understand for those passing by in vehicles is important to Willard.
“I really love to do sort of like a coloring book aesthetic,” Willard said. “I love the bold lines. I really like it to be very digestible, so if cars are going by, they can see it and understand the piece pretty clearly.”
Willard said she loves when people approach her while she is working on a mural and ask questions about it.
“It is really exciting,” Willard said. “I love seeing that engagement. When I am out working on the pieces, it is an instant icebreaker where passersby are already invested in the space or have questions about how to do it.”
Willard said she thinks the murals in downtown Anderson help accentuate new developments and events in the neighborhood. She noted that the murals also make eye-catching backdrops for photos.
“I think it adds so much hope and brightness and engagement,” she said. “I think downtown Anderson especially is in such an interesting time in terms of revitalization and beautification. There are so many people working so hard to make (the downtown) such a hub for community.
“I think having a platform to add to that really matters. I think just adding to the vibrance is really important.”
PUTTING ‘FOCUS BACK ON THE ARTS’
In Elwood, Mayor Todd Jones said the Mural Trails project has “put the focus back on the arts” in the city and helped revitalize the uptown business district.
“It is definitely important…to see those buildings with more color and being more vibrant,” Jones said. “It is an exciting time to show that the uptown business district is not a district that is dying and the focus is continuing for small businesses.”
Project organizers wanted teenagers to participate as a way of expressing appreciation for the city they live in.
“One of the alley activation projects we did consisted of murals done by high school students,” Jones said. “It was very important to us to get the high school kids involved in the murals we did in the alley. We wanted them to take pride and ownership in the city they grew up in.”
‘INCREDIBLE’ REACTIONS
Amy McCurry, an Alexandria City Council member who owns a clothing and memorabilia store in the city’s downtown, said residents have been pleased with the addition of the murals.
“The reactions have been incredible,” McCurry said. “It was wonderful to see people travel downtown and watch the progress as the murals were taking place. As a downtown business owner, I often have people comment on how much they enjoy seeing the art and beauty that the murals bring to our downtown.”
McCurry is also the vice president of Alexandria Main Street, Inc., a nonprofit organization invested in revitalizing the downtown neighborhood. She said the group understood early in the project that bringing murals to the city would improve both the appearance and the atmosphere in the area.
“The murals have added beauty, color, and inspiration to our downtown,” McCurry said. “The outpouring of support has been incredible — whether it be kind words, visits, or donations both in kind and monetary. Our community has been ready to see change and transformation, and this is the first step in the right direction.”
GETTING RESIDENTS INVOLVED
Skaggs said the murals are also inspiring Pendleton residents to take part in the town’s nascent arts scene. For example, she said, residents helped paint decorative crosswalks near Pendleton Elementary School and Pendleton Elementary Intermediate School. Skaggs said the crosswalks have become a “traffic calming feature.”
Another mural, titled “Greetings from Pendleton,” is currently in its second phase of printing and installation. The material being used is a weather resistant 3M adhesive — similar to a giant piece of wallpaper — which will preserve the building’s surface.
“Citizens of Pendleton are very excited about public art,” Skaggs said. “We have seen great success with not only people enjoying the art, but also wanting to be participants in the art. People want to participate in those initiatives when they happen.”