Fort Wayne will be installing more murals throughout the city.

FORT WAYNE — A new gateway mural is being installed within Downtown Fort Wayne.

Art This Way and Downtown Improvement District (DID) are pleased to partner with University of Saint Francis Creative Arts and Professor Tim Parsley on a mural project located at 1217 Broadway, Fort Wayne, IN 46802. This will be Art This Way’s second gateway mural project; these gateway murals aim to welcome visitors as they drive into our Downtown.

“As we continue to build Downtown Fort Wayne as the vibrant urban core of Northeast Indiana, quality of place continues to be a key driver,” said Michael Galbraith, President of the Downtown Improvement District. “We’re thrilled to partner with Downtown stakeholder University of Saint Francis, the businesses of the Broadway corridor, and local artists to further connect Downtown Fort Wayne with our great neighborhoods like South Calhoun and West Central.”

This gateway mural will be the second time Professor Parsley brings his students Downtown to contribute to our city’s growing art collection. In the spring of 2018, Parsley and his USF students painted ‘Arouse, for you must justify me!’ in Downtown Fort Wayne. This work recognized the famous American poet Walt Whitman.

Students involved in this mural will garner valuable experience and develop unique insight into the process of mural installation. Another exciting element of this site is that the gateway mural will be visible to University of Saint Francis students as they drive into Downtown to visit USF’s Downtown campus.

“We are thrilled that our students can be a part of this project and become fully immersed in their community,’ says Colleen Huddleson, the University of Saint Francis Executive Director, Division of Creative Arts. “Using the city as their gallery is a brilliant way to engage with their surroundings and contribute to Fort Wayne’s spirit and identity.”

“It is important to us that Art This Way offers opportunities to both experienced artists and emerging artists,” says Alexandra Hall, Manager of Art This Way and public art consultant. “We know that this partnership will give these aspiring young artists valuable experience; it will foster a sense of belonging, give the students a sense of ownership, and it will empower them to contribute to future public art projects.”

Funding for this project is made possible in part by the Fort Wayne Downtown Improvement District and sponsors of Art This Way. The project is further made possible thanks to Dane Leitch, owner of Aaron’s Fine Rug Gallery.