Residents, Visitors Encouraged to Travel Make It Your Own Mural Trail
Photo Contest Enters Final Week
FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Just a month after the start of Make It Your Own Mural Fest, the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne announce the launch of the Make It Your Own Mural Trail. The trail encourages residents and visitors alike to travel across Northeast Indiana to visit Make It Your Own Mural Fest murals and also stop to eat, shop and enjoy time in each regional community.
Individuals can access Make it Your Own Mural Trail materials by visiting the website and downloading a Mural Trail guide.
“Make It Your Own Mural Fest created momentum in Northeast Indiana around public art and quality of place, and we believe this initiative will have a long-term impact on our region. Now with the Make It Your Own Mural Trail, we have a unique, positive story to keep the momentum going, generate national media attention and attract and retain talent to support existing and new businesses,” said Susan Mendenhall, president of Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne.
Kate Virag, vice president of marketing and strategic communications for the Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership said, “With over 120 articles written about Mural Fest and 28 million media impressions, Mural Fest achieved its goal of garnering significant media attention in addition to catalyzing further investment in the region. Even weeks after the end of the festival, we’ve learned several communities already have plans to invest in additional public art.”
While traveling the Make It Your Own Mural Trail, individuals are also encouraged to participate in the photo contest with over $2,500 in prizes to regional businesses and restaurants. More information about the five regional prize packages is available on the website.
People can participate by taking a photo with any of the 11 Make It Your Own Murals located throughout Northeast Indiana and sharing the photo on Facebook or Instagram with three hashtags by Sunday, Oct. 18. To win one of five prize packages, contest entrants must like the Regional Partnership’s Facebook and Instagram, tag a friend and publicly post the photo on Facebook or Instagram with the following hashtags #MakeItYourOwnNEI #NEIpride #yes. For inspiration and a look at all 11 murals, watch the Mural Fest video here.
To access images or graphics about Mural Fest for publication, please visit this Dropbox folder.
To learn more, visit the website at www.neimuralfestival.com.
About Make It Your Own Mural Fest
The Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership and Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne created Make It Your Own Mural Fest to amplify Northeast Indiana’s quality of place, supporting the region’s talent attraction and retention goals. Mural Fest was made possible through the collaboration of hundreds of individuals and organizations, including the regional convention and visitors bureaus, local economic development organizations and Alexandra Hall with AH Public Spaces Consulting. Mural Fest was funded through sponsorships or grants from 3Rivers Federal Credit Union, Ruoff Mortgage, Ambassador Enterprises, Flagstar Bank, NIPSCO and the NiSource Foundation, Farmers & Merchants State Bank, Cole Foundation, Fort Wayne Public Art Commission through the City of Fort Wayne, Canterbury School, Avangrid Foundation, MacAllister Rentals, Hagerman Construction, Fort Wayne’s Downtown Improvement District, media sponsor WPTA, Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne, Inc. and the Indiana Arts Commission. For more information, visit the website at www.neimuralfestival.com.
###
MEDIA CONTACT:
Kate Virag
Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Communications
Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership
260.414.2431
kate@NEIndiana.com
