INDIANAPOLIS — ON Saturday, March 29th, the community will be gathering at 37th Place at 2605 E. 25th St. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. to paint murals on boards that will be placed in the windows of abandoned homes in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood. Organizers are calling it a “Community Artification Initiative” that they hope will draw attention to the problem of abandoned homes. The project will also bring a welcome touch of color and character to the neighborhoods and schools, specifically where children reside and play.
The paintings will be done on oriented strand board, then left to dry for a few days. Then, a protective coating will be applied before they are installed on the homes. Homes involved in the project are abandoned properties owned by the city.
There are many partners involved with this project, including IUPUI, Bright House Networks, Sherwin Williams, students at IPS #51 and #56, Art With A Heart Inc., and the Roller Derby girls. Most of the materials were donated, including boards from Home Depot and paint from Sherwin-Williams.
A similar project was completed on the west side of Indianapolis and was very successful in bringing beauty and creativity to distressed neighborhoods.