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Featured Muralist: Harriet Watson
The following is the fifth of a five-part series on the artists who are painting the five murals throughout Putnam County as part of the Putnam County Mural Festival. Officially under way since Sept. 11, the festival will culminate with a celebration in Greencastle on Friday, Sept. 23.
Harriet Watson grew up in Greencastle and now lives in Indianapolis. She has a BA in psychology from Indiana University and is a member of The Eighteen Art Collective.
She is painting a mural on a building in Roachdale Community Park.
Q: Why did you want to create a mural in Putnam County?
A: I wanted to create a mural in Putnam County because I want to bring back to the community all that I have learned regarding art and how it can empower people.
Q: What excites you about the specific location of your mural?
A: I am excited to be working at a location where children will be able to view the art and play amongst it.
Q: How do you hope people will engage with your art?
A: I hope people will converse about the importance and intersectionality of murals, art, nature and mental health.
Q: How did you get into mural creation? How long have you been doing it?
A: My first mural was created in 2020 as a part of the #BlackLivesMatter street mural on Indiana Avenue in Indianapolis. There was a callout for local Black artists to volunteer to design a letter and paint it, and I got an email back saying that I could be a part of it. I designed the letter ‘A’ in “Matter”, and I have been creating murals ever since.
Q: What inspires your art?
A: I’m very inspired by all of art history but most particularly art from the ’70s created by black feminists like Faith Ringgold and Adrian Piper. Their art helped me be inspired by my own life and the struggles I’ve endured, especially those regarding race. I’m inspired by the belief that everyone should be able to express themselves artistically how they see fit without fear of stigmas or stereotypes.
Q: What’s your next project?
A: You can see more of my work in Newfields (Indianapolis Museum of Art) in the new exhibit “We. The Culture.” opening Sept. 21.