The mural at the intersection of South Jackson and West Monroe streets is fully adhered to the pavement and complete Monday. Elissa Maudlin | Daily Journal
The mural, painted on the generator next to Franklin City Hall, is near completion last week and will hopefully be completed before school starts Aug. 6. Elissa Maudlin | Daily Journal
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Two murals in downtown Franklin are beautifying the city this summer.
City officials and residents have been working towards completing art projects across the city this summer. A mural was completed Friday at the intersection of South Jackson and West Monroe streets near the amphitheater, while a generator is currently being painted next to city hall.
The intersection mural is a unique project designed by Indianapolis artist Nick Abstract and installed by the company Globe Asphalt Paving. It both adds beauty and a traffic calming feature to the entrance of Youngs Creek Park, said Dana Monson, Franklin’s community development specialist.
Nearby, two high schoolers from the Franklin Mayor's Youth Leadership Council have been painting the generator next to city hall. The project is headed by the youth council’s treasurer, Taylor McHenry, with help from member Keegan Turner McQuinn.
The goal is to have the generator fully painted by the start of the school year on Wednesday, McHenry said.
Intersection mural
The mural at South Jackson Street and West Monroe Street is designed to withstand traffic and the elements. The art is hoped to calm traffic traveling through the intersection. Studies have found that street art causes drivers to slow down, likely because they see something ahead of them, Monson said.
Although city officials haven’t had a lot of traffic issues at that intersection, a traffic control mechanism like the mural could help protect the increasing number of people attending events at the amphitheater, she said.
“So it was a way to have a really cool mural in a unique place that you wouldn’t expect it, that’s serving this dual purpose of being a traffic calming method to kind of help drivers be more alert to the fact that, ‘Oh, there’s something special going on here,’” Monson said. “And it’s also this really pretty, beautiful interest into our amphitheater, which is an amazing amenity that we have that we’re really proud of.”
The colors of the mural match the colors used by the parks department, Monson said.
The almost $90,000 mural was paid for with grants from READI, the Indiana Arts Commission and the Franklin Economic Development Commission. There was also a small resident donation for the project, Monson said.
The Franklin Public Art Advisory Commission has been looking at ways to bring beautiful art to residents that supports city initiatives, keeps the city pretty and clean, and is unique, Monson said.
Monson reached out to Abstract about submitting a design after seeing artwork he created in Columbus. He is the artist behind the murals painted on 6th Street and the Columbus Propeller, a makerspace and innovation center at the airport.
Abstract wanted to create art in Franklin that was “bold, energetic and definitely grabs your eye,” he said.
“I’m actually colorblind, and so a lot of the artwork that I try to do, I try to pick really, really interesting color pairings that not only regularly-sighted people but also people who have color or vision deficiencies, they could still potentially walk to a piece of art like this and it really resonate with them,” he said.
Abstract also wanted to create art that is unique for the city and something residents can be proud of. He believes creating art on the ground “is a very unique opportunity for public art,” he said.
Generator painting
The opportunity to paint the city hall generator came after Franklin Mayor Steve Barnett overheard McHenry talking about wanting to paint a mural. As an artist, it was a dream of hers, she said.
McHenry plans to paint iconic Franklin imagery on the generator. She initially asked the youth council what they believed represented Franklin, and some of the ideas represented key Franklin celebrations like Strawberries on the Square or small businesses.
“We brainstormed different things that we all believe represent our home,” McHenry said, “and then I just kind of threw together little patches. My idea was similar to a quilt or a patchwork pattern that is made up of different squares, of different designs just based on different things that people in the group had shared.”
The design also features a postage stamp featuring a grizzly cub wearing a top hat. The words “Franklin Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council” with also be painted on the generator, and the year 2025 will be formatted to look like the stamp has a 25-cent price tag, McHenry said.
McHenry joined forces with McQuinn, who designed banners for the eclipse festival downtown, and gathered help from others, including family and a local muralist.
The $300 painting project was paid for through the youth council’s fund. Throughout the summer, McHenry and McQuinn both said they liked interacting with community members, who complimented them on the work.
McHenry’s enjoyed having such a big workspace and was grateful for the chance to paint the generator.
“I feel incredibly honored to have been given this opportunity, and for not only such a big canvas, but something that will stay there for hopefully a while,” she said.
When McQuinn first moved to Franklin from Avon about seven years ago, she thought the electric box paintings done by previous youth council classes were cool. Now she gets to be part of this one.
“Leaving that mark and possibly having other kids see that and have the same feelings that I did back then really means a lot to me,” she said, “and I know it means a lot to the community and my legacy within the town that I love.”
McQuinn also enjoyed developing a deeper friendship with McHenry throughout the process, and getting time away from her cell phone this summer in the process, she said.
Both girls said they want to encourage young people to volunteer for opportunities.
“Most muralists are adults,” McHenry said, “and it’s super, super cool that a bunch of high schoolers are able to do this thing that is not commonly known for kids to do. If you have opportunities available, grab them, and you’re never too young to do something that you’ve always dreamed of doing.”
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