INDIANAPOLIS — Back in June downtown Indianapolis was boarded up as protests moved through the city, but soon artwork and murals began to bloom from the boards.
When artist, equity practitioner and design researcher Danicia Monét and others saw the blank boards they saw it as an opportunity to use that blank canvas and tell a story, said Nichelle M. Hayes, founding leader for the Center for Black Literature and Culture at Indianapolis Public Library
“Each artist has a different way of envisioning what they were trying to communicate.”
Now, 28 replicas of those murals for racial justice will be displayed at Central Library through Jan. 20, and available for checkout.
The library will also be archiving the murals as part of Indy’s history.
“We wanted people to be able to see these pieces 100 years from now, so they could know what was going on in 2020,” said Hayes. “Oftentimes you don’t hear from black and brown communities in that way, and so this another way for them to have their proper place in history.”
Hayes said it’s also important to see how everyday people were making history.
“People that were marching, those were ordinary citizens that were just coming together, who were trying to make a change.”
Now, a piece of that history will be available to display in homes, businesses, churches, and events. The murals were replicated on vinyl banners, and high-resolution images can be found in the online collection, Digital Indy: Murals for Justice, which includes information about the artists.
The murals will also be available in the IndyPL online catalog indefinitely.
“I like that everyday people will be able to have pieces of this art and explore its community on a broader level.”
