Three new murals were unveiled last week in Fountain County. Located in Attica, Covington and Veedersburg, the paintings were commissioned by the Tippecanoe Arts Federation who held a community event July 23 in Covington.
The murals were funded by a Regional Cultivation Fund from the Wabash Heartland Innovation Network. WHIN is sponsoring a $150,000 fund to help commission one piece of art in each of the 10 counties it serves, including Pulaski, White, Cass, Benton, Carroll, Tippecanoe, Warren, Fountain, Montgomery and Clinton.
The WHIN fund was matched by the community through the Western Indiana Community Foundation who gave $15,000 to the three communities. This grant was what allowed Fountain County to be able to commission three murals instead of just one.
The idea for the murals started in 2018 at a Regional Advisory Council, a group made up of 14 representatives from counties served by the Tippecanoe Arts Federation. The council wanted to find a way to bring the Fountain County community together through the arts and according to Tetia Lee, Tippecanoe Arts Federation CEO, the murals did just that.
“The council determined that public art would be very impactful and also really elevate the quality of life and the perception of the unification of our region specifically in the state of Indiana,” Lee said.
Being one of the first community events since the pandemic the dedication saw a turn out of more than 150 members of the community. Lee even said some members of the community called it one of the most collaborative efforts the county has ever seen.
The Tippecanoe Arts Federation distributed applications across the country to find artists to paint these murals. Through the applications they found artist CERA from Chicago, Nicole Salgar of Miami, Nico, also from Miami, who painted the murals in Attica, Covington and Veedersburg respectively.
Lee said Crawfordsville will get a piece of public art later this fall also commissioned by WHIN. While it is not known where the mural will be painted, it is predicted to be unveiled in September or October.
