2024 Putnam County Mural Fest
Our second mural festival took place September 7-21, 2024. Eight new murals were painted in five different communities across Putnam County, IN. After a record-setting applicant pool of 284 artists, our community review panel worked alongside our team to identify seven muralists to be a part of this year's festival.
Cloverdale Water Facility Building (Cloverdale, IN)
Artist: Brooke Smart
(Salt Lake City, UT)
About the wall:
It all started with Cloverdale Elementary students reaching out to the Putnam County Mural Project team requesting a mural gets painted on the Cloverdale water building just across from the Cloverdale Elementary School. Located on E. Robert Weist Ave in Cloverdale, IN, this wall engaged elementary school students throughout the mural installation process!
About the artist:
Brooke is a Utah-based artist who is known for her children’s book publications and mural installations. Brooke’s artwork explores family relationships and encourages empathy and understanding among diverse groups of people. Her artistic style blends mid century design, folk art, and storytelling. Brooke has had her artwork published and featured in the New York Times, PBS, Penguin, Random House, and much more!
2024 Wall Sponsor: First National Bank
Furniture AwareHouse Wall (Greencastle, IN)
Artist: Noe Barnett
(Albuquerque, NM )
About the wall:
Located on the North-facing wall of Furniture AwareHouse (804 N. Jackson St., Greencastle, IN), this was one of the larger walls during the 2024 festival.
About the artist:
Noé Barnett is a muralist and painter who infuses the streets with life through his vibrant creations. A native of Albuquerque, NM, Barnett’s roots have shaped his approach to art. With a reputation as a key player in the mural scene, Barnett has transformed public spaces into canvases in multiple states, bringing art directly to the people. His murals are more than mere decoration; they are dialogues in color and form, engaging communities and using light to invigorate public spaces with new narratives.
2024 Wall Sponsor: Putnam County Visitors Bureau
Reelsville Community Center (Reelsville, IN)
Artist: Naomi Haverland
(Orlando, FL)
About the wall:
Located on the West-facing wall of the Reelsville Community Center (7840 S. CR 625 W., Reelsville, IN), this mural overlooks a playground and softball fields that are used throughout the season.
About the artist:
Florida-based artist Naomi Haverland specializes in humorous and hyper-realistic portraits that surprise and delight viewers. Her anamorphic “3D” illusions are executed with the most impressive quality of any artist in the industry. She has won many recognitions and awards for her art, and has traveled internationally for her murals. Naomi’s work has been utilized by companies such as Harley Davidson, Blick Art Supply, Amazon, Microsoft and Skittles.
2024 Wall Sponsor: Efroymson Family Fund, a Central Indiana Community Fund
Cancilla & Maple Berry Park Murals (Greencastle, IN)
Artist: Emily Eldridge
(Barcelona, Spain)
About the wall:
Formerly the Tony Criss Construction building, this wall overlooks Cancilla Park in Greencastle, IN. In addition to the wall, artist Emily Eldridge painted a basketball court just one block West in Maple Berry Park.
About the artists:
Emily Eldridge’s work uses bold color palettes and graphic forms to create playful imagery with a hint of humor and wit, exploring how color and shape can transform a space. Themes like femininity, the human experience, community, diversity, and mental health are just some of the topics portrayed in her art. Emily’s art has been featured by such clients as The New York Times, Target, Spotify, and Visa.
2024 Wall Sponsor: Friends of the Park Putnam County
Bainbridge Bicentennial Mural (Bainbridge, IN)
Artist: Anthony Brooks
(Berlin, Germany)
About the wall:
Located in the heart of Bainbridge (101 W. Main St., Bainbridge, IN), this mural was installed during the community's bicentennial year on one of the town's oldest buildings.
About the artist:
Originally from Chicago, IL and currently based between the Midwest and Berlin, Germany, Brooks’ art explores stories of culture and history within a community. His murals consider every building’s uniqueness and the surrounding landscape, while integrating the environment within his work. Fans of storytelling through art will enjoy this mural.
2024 Wall Sponsors: Putnam County Community Foundation, Capstone Reality Group/Jason Hartman, & Bainbridge Improvement Society
Russellville Community Center (Russellville, IN)
Artist: Angie Jerez
(Atlanta, GA)
About the wall:
Located in 300 N. Harrison St., Russellville, IN, this building was once home to Russellville Community High School until it shut down in 1969. Since then it has become a community center, home to many events and activities that engage the local residents.
About the artist:
Born in Indianapolis, raised in Greencastle, and now based in Bloomington—Harriet is no stranger to Putnam County. After graduating from Greencastle High School, Harriet went on to study art at Ohio Wesleyan and Herron School of Art & Design before finishing up a degree in Psychology from Indiana University. As an artist she enjoys painting and drawing, but is also building her mural portfolio. In 2020, Harriet was one of 18 artists selected to paint the Black Lives Matter street mural in Indianapolis, and was also interviewed/exhibited at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. She is a active member of the Eighteen Art Collective in Indy and runs her own business selling her art and clothing brand.
The Warehouse Wall (Greencastle, IN)
Artists: Matt Rees & Holly Sims
(Greencastle, IN/Anderson, IN)
About the wall:
Located directly North of Roachdale Elementary, our Roachdale Park Wall is situated in the heart of a community park South of Roachdale's downtown.
About the artist:
Born in Indianapolis, raised in Greencastle, and now based in Bloomington—Harriet is no stranger to Putnam County. After graduating from Greencastle High School, Harriet went on to study art at Ohio Wesleyan and Herron School of Art & Design before finishing up a degree in Psychology from Indiana University. As an artist she enjoys painting and drawing, but is also building her mural portfolio. In 2020, Harriet was one of 18 artists selected to paint the Black Lives Matter street mural in Indianapolis, and was also interviewed/exhibited at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. She is a active member of the Eighteen Art Collective in Indy and runs her own business selling her art and clothing brand.
Last May, Putnam County Mural Project team members, along with our artist Holly Sims, engaged the students at Fillmore Elementary in an all-school assembly to learn about public art, murals, and, specifically, the mural that would soon be installed across the street.
As part of this engagement, children were asked to provide input on the future mural's style and content. This input from the kids at Fillmore Elementary is what Holly Sims used as inspiration for her final mural design.
Our partnership with Fillmore Elementary continued on Monday, September 12 (just two days into our festival) when Holly invited the children to her wall to do a live demonstration of spray paint techniques and teach the kids more about the installation process.
The students were overjoyed when they learned that they would be helping to paint the base coat of the mural!
We believe the arts should be accessible to anyone and everyone in our community. Thanks to you and your gift, we are sparking curiosity and celebrating creativity within our local youth.
