New Mural on the South Side!
Meet Muncie’s new mural located at Hoyt and Memorial by artist Nicole Ponsler. This mural was completed on September 23rd, 2023.
ABOUT THE DESIGN
I enjoyed reading through the stories and ideas generated in the community development meetings. This is a really interesting way to approach the project and the participant’s responses were very inspiring. I was struck by a few comments that served as the basis for this sketch. One community member told a story about his great-grandparents who helped those in need by starting the Shed Town dots. The participant explained that folks who ended up in jail without any resources would be given four dots on their hands before release. Upon their release, these folks were sent to his great-grandmother who recognized the dots as someone in need. As long as they had those dots, his great-grandmother would feed them, and this became known as the Shed Town dots.
There was much said in the community meetings about neighborhood members helping and looking out for one another. Reflecting on the giving nature of the Shed Town dots story speaks to the greater character of the community. For this reason, I started my sketch using symbols of the four dots, as reflected in the gold rings seen throughout the composition.
Additionally, participants in the community forum discussed the prevalence and importance of gardens. These gardens stand in contrast to the environmental destruction brought by industry. Neighbor’s gardens symbolize the rebirth of the area - a kind of reclamation of land that was laid waste by long gone industry. As an artist who works primarily with flora and fauna, I was very inspired by these accounts and sought to create a kind of spirited and joyful garden that would symbolize the energizing of these natural spaces. The central image is that if a marigold. Marigolds represent the power, strength and light that lives inside every person, so I wanted to incorporate this image as a metaphor for the community. Sunflowers can represent devotion and loyalty, as many of the participant’s comments reflected a sense of steadfastness regarding their neighborhood. The composition is balanced by a Baltimore Oriole and a Common Grackle, flanked by two native butterflies. Overall, my goal was to create a sketch that is joyful, colorful, optimistic and reflective of the unique character of your community.
ABOUT THE ARTIST: Nicole Ponsler
I am a muralist working with communities to create place-making projects that inspire joy. I have been a public artist for 20+ years. I specialize in working with cities, arts organizations, site owners, stakeholders and community members to develop engaging and interactive mural projects that celebrate place, act as economic drivers and instill a sense of community pride and ownership. I received my BFA from Indiana University and an MFA from Goddard College with a concentration in Community Development through the Arts. All of my work is about relationships; relationships with nature, with people, the public and the community. Using local flora and fauna as my guide, I seek to create imagery that highlight our connection to and reliance upon, our natural environment.