Mural artist selected for Greencastle Bicentennial Wall

The Putnam County Mural Project has announced that Damien Mitchell, an Australian/Brooklyn, N.Y.-based artist with more than 20 years of experience, has been selected to create a Bicentennial-themed mural in Greencastle this fall.

Mitchell has produced large-scale works across six continents for such clients as Major League Baseball, MTV, Doctors Without Borders, the Mi Sangre Foundation, DKNY, Google, Nike and Michelle Obama.

The mural will be painted on the wall of Dick’s Barber Shop in downtown Greencastle, and will celebrate Greencastle’s past, present and future.

“We are excited to bring another internationally-known artist to Putnam County,” said Alexandra Chamberlain, who serves as artist liaison for the Putnam County Mural Project. “Damien’s murals have a unique style that capture the essence of a community and tell multiple stories.”

As with previous mural installations, the community will have a chance to provide feedback and interact with the artist during the project. Already, a panel of local community leaders helped select Mitchell among a field of more than 40 other candidates and another panel provided historical information to help him create a visual representation of the community’s 200 years.

“Through my work I aim to engage with the community both throughout the design and installation processes,” Mitchell said. “Whether it be through street interviews, community meetings or tailored workshops, I always feel this engagement is crucial to creating this sense of place and ownership over whatever work is produced.”

The Bicentennial Mural is a partnership between Putnam County Mural Project and the City of Greencastle. The installation will take place in late August/early September.

The Putnam County Mural Project seeks to enrich lives by engaging the community in participatory mural projects that activate space, build artistic capacity and celebrate who we are.

To date, the group has installed seven murals across the county and engaged more than 600 students through multiple school partnerships over its tenure.

Learn more at www.putnamcountymuralproject.org or by following @putnamcountymuralproject on Facebook and Instagram.