By Barbara Schafer—
MUNCIE, IN—The 8twelve Coalition and MuncieArts are proud to announce a public arts project in south Muncie—a mural to be painted on the Future Choices building located at 905 S. Walnut St. The project is the result of the collaboration between the Coalition, Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MuncieArts), South Central Neighborhood Association, and Future Choices. Through resident engagement in the South Central Neighborhood, the mural “MORE LOVE” was created by Chris Silva.
Chris Silva’s creative pursuits are firmly rooted in Chicago’s urban culture. Chris was an innovative figure in Chicago’s early graffiti and skateboarding scenes. Today, Chris splits his time between working on large-scale commissions, producing gallery-oriented work, and leading community-based public art projects.
When describing the “MORE LOVE” design, Chris writes, “while searching for more imagery I kept coming back to the logo of the South Central Neighborhood. I enjoyed the playful simplicity and graphic representations of nature displayed in the dandelions, grass, and trees.” He further states, “I love the description of dandelions as a tenacious and determined flower, much like the residents in our area. The last thing I added to the composition was the giant ladybug, which besides being a beautiful insect, is commonly regarded as a symbol of good luck, fertility, rebirth, protection, and adaptability.” You can learn more about the artist at chrissilva.com.
The ‘More Love’ mural artwork by Chris Silva.
A ribbon cutting for the mural and open house will be held later this June at Future Choices.
Funding support for the mural was provided by the City of Muncie American Rescue Plan Funds, Muncie Altrusa Foundation, Rotary Club of Muncie, as well as by the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
MuncieArts is the official arts partner for the City of Muncie.
