Christian Park

Client: Indy Parks & 91 Place
Service: Murals
Type: Community Indoor
Coverage: Full
Detail: Signature
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Square footage: 169 sq ft

Collaborating with Indy Parks and 91 Place, this mural transformed a dark wall into the showstopping centerpiece of an indoor gym used for event rentals

Setting the Mood

In partnership with Indianapolis Parks & Rec and 91 Place, I donated a mural inspired by conversations with 91 Place participants.

91 Place provides transitional housing, workforce development, and mental health supports to youth ages 16-24 facing homelessness in Indianapolis.

My goal with the design and color choices was to create something that would go along with the celebratory events that take place in the gym, such as birthday parties, family get-togethers, etc. The mural will serve as a colorful backdrop for pictures and help the space feel festive and inviting.

the heart of the project:

Build community by donating a mural to enhance an event rental space’s appeal

Design Concepts

Following the meeting with 91 Place youth and mentors, there were a lot of compelling concepts to explore for the mural. I focused on three and developed mural designs for each one to share with Indy Parks & Rec.

CASCADE: Water drops alone seem inconsequential. However, water as a geologic force of nature carves massive canyons over time. Each drop of water adds up and has a job to do. This design is a colorful cascade of abstract water drops that pays homage to small but mighty actions that cumulatively make a big impact.

BURROWS: Beetles that carve paths into the bark of trees make beautiful, linear designs as they meander in search of the basic need of food. The linear shapes of this design are inspired by burrows carved into trees as a testament to challenging journeys and looking back on how far we’ve come. Each person’s journey is unique, and we can all learn from looking beneath the surface and getting to know one another.

CROSSBEDDING: Individual grains of sand make up gargantuan sand dunes. The direction of the wind affects how the sand sediment forms striations. Over time, different angles of sand show up in the sedimentary rock, which is a term called crossbedding. This design is an abstract interpretation of that natural phenomenon. Our lives consist of many different phases and we are a complex palimpsest of lived experiences.

Public Input

The Indy Parks & Recs folks picked Cascade as the design, and the next step was to finalize colors.

We wanted to let the public vote on the color palette, so we set up a poster and ballot box in the lobby of Christian Park.

It was important to everyone involved in the project that the people who actually use the facility were the ones casting votes, rather than people on the internet.

After four weeks, I counted the 68 votes, and D turned out to be the clear winner!

Installation

The first step for paint prep is always cleaning the wall. For this old, haggard, patchy surface, there was also a need for patching some of the big holes and gaps. The final surface was not perfect, but it helped the painting process go more smoothly (pun intended).

To transfer the design to the wall, I took a picture of the wall and used Photoshop to add the mural design as a semi-transparent layer. In this instance, having lines and texture on the wall acted as a “grid” of sorts.

I also did some quick math to determine that the width of each “water drop” would be 8 inches. For easier design transfer, I made a cardboard template of the rounded part of the water drop. A simple strategy makes the installation process more fun and enjoyable.

“I can't say enough wonderful things about working with Siena! She transformed our historical gym at Christian Park into an absolute masterpiece with the 91 Place-inspired mural. From the moment we engaged with Siena, she demonstrated unparalleled professionalism and patience. Siena truly went above and beyond to ensure every detail was perfect.”

Karynn Adamowicz
Chief Advancement Officer of 91 Place