About the Putnam County Mural Festival (PCMP): ​

The Putnam County Mural Project is a team of arts, education, tourism, business, and nonprofit professionals who see the value of arts and community. ​Established in 2019, the PCMP committee's first project became one of Indiana's largest murals located in Greencastle. This ambitious undertaking brought internationally recognized artist Key Detail to Greencastle to paint the silos of the S&W Feed Center at the intersection of Veterans Highway and U.S. 231. The Greencastle silos have become a key attraction in Putnam County and continue to receive recognition across the state and throughout the Midwest. In 2022, the PCMP put on their first ever mural festival ending in five new murals now seen across the county. A focus on creative placemaking and meaningful arts-engagement resulted in a project that received both state and national attention. Now in our third iteration of their mural festivals, they are ready to paint Putnam County again in 2026!

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About the 2026 Putnam County Mural Festival: ​

Following up on the success of the 2022 and 2024 Mural Festivals, PCMP plans to host its third Mural Festival in 2026 culminating in SIX new murals throughout Putnam County!

 

We believe murals have the ability to transform communities by celebrating heritage, creating civic pride, and enriching lives through participatory art-making. This is best accomplished when murals are used to activate spaces in areas that are otherwise overlooked.

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Our past work engaged the public by hosting workshops & presentations for community members interested in learning about murals and their positive effect on neighborhoods. We invited community members to vote on their preferred style and content of future murals all of which the PCMP team will be utilizing as input into the creative works that encompass and inform the artists of this mural festival. Through this process, we learned that our community prioritizes imagery that celebrates the nature of our county and the assets our county consistently promotes (music and historic architecture, to name a few.) 

 

Chosen artists will be asked to work in tandem with the PCMP team in order to produce work that is reflective of and responsive to the Putnam County community. Fall 2026 Mural Festival chosen artists will be required to sign a contract that outlines the needs and responsibilities of their work leading up to and throughout the festival itself. The timeline below outlines important due dates throughout the process for selected artists. Artist stipends will be tiered based on the sizes of murals created. These stipends are meant to cover all of the following for the artists: materials, paints, and food throughout the run of the festival. Artists will be required to provide proof of materials purchased by date listed below in order to ensure arrival on time for the festival. PCMP will provide any/all needed lifts/ladders for mural creation as well as housing for those artists needing it while on site. Artists will also be expected to help the PCMP generate awareness about this festival and their work through their own website/social channels. PCMP will reserve the right to use images of in-progress works and final work for their own promotional purposes. 

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*Chosen artists must have US work authorization.

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Timeline for the Mural Festival: ​

• February 15, 2026: Release CFA

• March 27, 2026, 11:59pm EST: Artist Application Deadline

• March 27 - April 24, 2026: Application Review Process

• May 8, 2026: Selected Artists Notified

• June 15, 2026, 11:59pm EST: Draft designs due to PCMP 

• June 15-20, 2026: Artists will receive feedback on draft designs from PCMP 

• June 30, 2026, 11:59pm EST: Final designs due to PCMP

• July 1-15, 2026: Feedback from PCMP on final designs

• July 15, 2026: Materials listing and needs submitted to PCMP, ALL materials for completion of mural MUST be ordered by this date by artists. 

• July-August, 2026: Designs shared with Putnam County Community Members

• August - September 4, 2024: Wall prep completed by PCMP on all participating walls. 

• September 5 - September 19, 2026: Mural Festival, all walls must be completed during this time.

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2026 Mural Fest Featured Walls:

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Moose Lodge Wall

212 W. Franklin St., Greencastle, IN

Approx. Sq. Footage: 2,655

Artist Stipend: $10,500

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Three G Bowling Alley Wall

1250 S. Jackson St., Greencastle, IN

Approx. Sq. Footage: 2,625

Artist Stipend: $10,250

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The Bodega Wall

16 S. Jackson St., Greencastle, IN

Approx. Sq. Footage: 2,062

Artist Stipend: $8,250

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Putnam County Comprehensive Services Wall

630 Tennessee St., Greencastle, IN

Approx. Sq. Footage: 960

Artist Stipend: $5,500

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Shady Dale Chic Boutique Wall

9 Market St., Cloverdale, IN

Approx. Sq. Footage: 466

Artist Stipend: $3,500

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Dillinger Building Wall

22 W. Washington St., Greencastle, IN

Approx. Sq. Footage: 2960

Artist Stipend: $11,500

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2026 Putnam County Mural Fest - Artist Application: 

The application form has three sections:

1. The first page is to collect personal information

2. The second page is to collect preferences in regards to potential walls and designs

3. The third page is comprised mainly of short, written responses on your experience with murals and community engagement, as well as your artist statement and examples from your portfolio

 

Should you have any questions in regards to your application or its materials, please reach out to a member of our team at putnamcountymuralproject@gmail.com. To skip directly to the application form, click the APPLY NOW link at the bottom of the page.

 

Section 1: Personal Contact Information

• Artist Name

• Mailing Address

• Phone Number

• Preferred Email Address

• Link to artist website

• Link to artist social media

• Attach a PDF of your current CV or Resume

• Attach a PDF of your current artist statement

 

Section 2: Wall Options and Preference 

• Please rank your preference of our wall options for this year’s mural festival. 

• Please provide a brief explanation for your ordering. 

 

Section 3: Mural and Community Engagement Experience

• Have you completed a mural before? 

  • If yes, please provide dimensions, location, design parameter details, and length of time it took to complete. (If you’ve completed multiple before, please include details for your most recent three murals, given preference to ones that may coincide with the sizing options we have for our Putnam County Mural Festival 2024.)

• Do you currently carry artist insurance? 

  • If you are not currently carrying insurance, are you willing to obtain insurance prior to this project? 

• Do you have lift operating experience and/or a license to operate such equipment? 

  • If you do not currently have an operating license, are you willing to obtain one should the size of your mural necessitate the use of a lift? 

• Please attach a portfolio of your previous mural work. (approximately 5-10 jpeg images, max 100 MB/image, in PDF form along with details from those creations (i.e. location, size, etc.)

• The Putnam County Mural Project is a grassroots, all volunteer, community based endeavor. We are deeply rooted to our community engagement throughout the murals we produce and want our artists to be invested in such ideas as well. Have you ever worked on a mural project that included community involvement? If so, explain your engagement with the community through that project. (approx. 500 words)

• How might you want to engage the Putnam County community throughout your mural creation process? (approx. 500 words)

• Why do you want to create a mural for Putnam County, Indiana? (approx. 500 words)​​​​​​​​​​​​

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If you're interested in applying, please complete the online application by clicking the link below. 

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