Mural Fest Application Deadline Extended
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Make It Your Own Mural Fest, organized by the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc., is extending the deadline for the Artist and Mentorship Programs. Artists are encouraged to apply by Sunday, June 14, and both applications are available at www.NEImuralfestival.com.
From September 8-18, regional and national artists will create 11 high-quality murals—one in each of the 11 counties of Northeast Indiana. The murals will all be unveiled on the same day, with celebrations and events taking place all over the region throughout the duration of the festival to recognize the artists and the communities.
Despite COVID-19 challenges, Kate Virag, vice president of marketing and strategic communications at the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, said Mural Fest is still planned for September 2020 and organizers are focused on developing a safe experience for muralists and festival guests.
“We are monitoring all federal, state and local guidance regarding fall events and travel. Our top concern is the health and safety of artists, mentorship program participants, volunteers and all event attendees, and we are considering several possible scenarios for Mural Fest events. We plan to host a responsible, safe and fun Mural Fest in September 2020, and we’ve pushed back the application deadlines to give artists more time to respond during this challenging time,” said Virag.
Alex Hall, founder of Art this Way and owner of AH Public Spaces Consulting, said COVID-19 has affected many artists and creatives, and Mural Fest is an outlet to express creativity and earn additional income.
“We know that artists and those working in creative fields are adapting to sustain their businesses as they face COVID-19 challenges. At its core the Make It Your Own Mural Fest is a celebration of the region's creatives, and the project is entirely dependent on the muralists and mentees who choose to participate. The Artists Program is a paid opportunity, and we hope that by offering this opportunity we are contributing to the health and growth of our region's creative sector,” said Hall.
Fort Wayne artist Bryan Ballinger said he applied for Mural Fest because his past experiences creating murals in Northeast Indiana were so positive.
“Having people in the community react to your artwork and being able to contribute to the regional arts scene is awesome. I would encourage any artist who is comfortable painting a large-scale mural to apply. The budgets for the murals are fair, the exposure for your artwork is great, and the experience of creating public art is very rewarding,” said Ballinger. “Public art directly affects a community. I have seen it happen in Fort Wayne personally. Public art becomes a destination for residents and visitors alike; it shows how creative the community is and it elevates the culture of the places we live and work. People want to be in places where the arts are alive and visible.”
Make It Your Own Mural Fest is also searching for volunteers for the Mentorship Program. Students, emerging artists and veteran artists are invited to apply for the Mentorship Program, a training component of Make It Your Own Mural Fest. The Mentorship Program will provide hands-on learning and valuable experience in installing a large-scale mural project. Up to five individuals per county will be selected as a volunteer and will work directly under the guidance of the selected muralist to install a mural in one of Northeast Indiana's 11 counties.
Make It Your Own Mural Fest is an innovative, creative activation of the Make It Your Own brand intended to enhance the region’s efforts to drive talent attraction, talent retention and tourism. The regional mural festival concept, the first of its kind in the state, will build on the quality of place efforts accelerated by the Regional Cities Initiative, growing regional pride and garnering significant attention and exposure nationally.
Make It Your Own Mural Fest is supported through sponsorships from Parkview Health, 3Rivers Federal Credit Union, Ambassador Enterprises, NIPSCO and the NISource Foundation and Avangrid Foundation. Any changes to the Mural Fest schedule or structure will be announced publicly via the event website and social media.
To learn more, visit the website at www.NEImuralfestival.com.
About the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership’s mission is to build, market and sell Northeast Indiana to increase business investment. Founded in 2006, the public-private partnership strives to build a globally competitive region. The Partnership’s Vision 2030 framework supports collaborative regional efforts to increase per capita income, population growth and educational attainment by focusing on business attraction, talent attraction and talent development. The Partnership represents 11 member counties: Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, Wabash, Wells and Whitley. For more information, visit www.neindiana.com.
About Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc.
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. is a non-profit united arts fund and local arts agency that serves the communities of northeast Indiana by fueling the momentum of more than 70 arts, culture and quality of life initiatives each year. Arts United’s strategic investments position arts and culture organizations to achieve higher levels of excellence and quality, to improve access to the arts for all community members and to support regional priorities for growth and development. For more information, visit www.artsunited.org.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kate Virag
Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Communications
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.414.2431
kate@NEIndiana.com
