New mural to honor city’s bicentennial

The west-facing wall of Dick’s Barber Shop in Greencastle is to be the canvas for a new mural celebrating the city’s bicentennial.

Courtesy photo

The City of Greencastle will partner with the Putnam County Mural Project to honor the city’s bicentennial this year by commissioning a mural on the west-facing wall of Dick’s Barber Shop at 1 E. Franklin St.

The committee is inviting the public to be part of the process of identifying stories and people that honor Greencastle’s past, and to help select the artist who will install the mural.

A subcommittee of local historians will help compile various suggestions and ideas for the artist to consider. A formal call for artists will begin on April 1 and a panel made up of community members will help select the artist. A community vote on the final design rendering will take place this summer, and the mural will be installed in September-to-October with a celebration to follow.

The funding to support the mural comes from the annual EDIT project funds of city councilors Cody Eckert, Mark Hammer and Veronica Pejril in support of highlighting 200 years of Greencastle history.

“We are thrilled about the opportunity to bring another mural to Greencastle, and one that celebrates our city’s storied history,” said Mayor Bill Dory. “While we know we can’t tell every important story in our past in one mural, this is one way we can creatively tell our history to visitors and residents alike. I would also like to thank our members of City Council for their support of the project.”

The Putnam County Mural Project will facilitate the process for artist selection and mural creation, like in previous projects such as the silos at U.S. 231 and Veterans Memorial Highway and last year’s inaugural Putnam County Mural Festival.