Community invited to Putnam County Mural Festival celebration

The first Putnam County Mural Festival will take place Sept. 11-24, and the community is invited to a celebration on Friday, Sept. 23 to dedicate the new murals that will be installed throughout the county.

The event will take place in the plaza just west of the Putnam County Convention & Visitors Bureau office (12 W. Washington St., Greencastle), where one of the murals will be, from 6-9 p.m.

Local favorite War Radio will be on stage performing, and there will be activities for all ages and food available for purchase. The mural artists will be in attendance as well.

The community will also be encouraged to visit another mural while downtown — the largest of the five murals — at the Banner Graphic building.

On Saturday, Sept. 24, a brief dedication for the Roachdale mural walls will take place during the Roachdale Rib and Blues Festival.

The final wall in Fillmore will also be complete by Sept. 24.

“We hope community members visit all of the walls during the festival as the artists install their murals, and then come together to celebrate the finished products,” said Alexandra Chamberlain, a member of the volunteer group who has been working directly with the artists. “It’s also a chance for us to thank all of our supporters, including those that donated directly to the campaign, provided in-kind support, and volunteered. This was a true community effort.”

Major supporters of the campaign include the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s CreatINg Places program, Putnam County Community Foundation, Putnam County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 100 Men Who Care of Putnam County, Friends of the Park, Main Street Greencastle and local partners, The Efroymson Family Fund, Indiana Arts Commission, The Inn at DePauw and the Lilly Scholars Network. More than 200 individuals and corporations donated to the project.

The Putnam County Mural Project seeks to enrich lives by engaging the community in participatory mural projects that activate spaces, build artistic capacity and celebrate who we are. Learn more at www.putnamcountymuralproject.org or by following @putnamcountymuralproject on Facebook and Instagram.