Living History

Client: Historic Ransom Place
Service: Murals
Type: Community Outdoor
Coverage: Full
Detail: Deluxe
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Square footage: 300 sq ft

The Ransom Place Neighborhood Association commissioned a mural that celebrates the storied past and shows that current residents care

Setting the Mood

The goals for this project included:

Beautify a house of a longtime resident in a historic neighborhood
Share the remarkable history of Ransom Place through a vibrant mural

With these parameters in mind, I built a mood board full of architectural elements, jazz music, and dynamic, colorful shapes.

Next step: designing!

the heart of the project:

Celebrate Indy’s historic black neighborhood pride with a bold, awe-inspiring mural

Design Concepts

I sketched several initial ideas, but something clicked when I incorporated architectural details from houses in the Ransom Place neighborhood. There are many historic houses with fun “gingerbread” elements, ornate porch brackets, and gables.

The “Living History” idea emerged because Ransom Place is a historic neighborhood and history continues to unfold. Ransom Place is not stuck in the past, but rather a living, breathing place full of vivacious characters and passionate community members.

For the color design, I incorporated the historic colors of lavender and maroon and built the rest of the palette around them.

Installation

The first step in the installation was to prime the wall and patch a few gaps in the masonry. This increased the mural's longevity. Next, I drew out the design in pencil. Painting took a full week. The highly textured wall took a long time to fully paint. It was a labor of love, and I LOVE how it turned out.

Neighbors from nearby offered encouragement and a helping hand to bring the design to life. One coined the term “Feel-Good Madness” when describing my artwork, which I love.

Thank you, Ransom Place, for the opportunity to create a unique, vibrant design that celebrates the lovely people of the neighborhood, past and present.

Final Result

The Ransom Place neighborhood, rich in history, now has a showstopping mural to beautify the area and foster a sense of belonging and pride.

“From the initial consultation to the final installation, the entire process was smooth and collaborative. Siena was thoughtful and inventive in incorporating our local architecture into the design. The artists were skilled and professional, listened to feedback, and took the time to repair the wall before priming. Not only is the design spectacular, but