Local Artist’s Mural Embodies the Spirit of Fishers

Artist and Fishers native Nekoda Witsken will unveil the first public art mural on November 9 – which just happens to be her 21st birthday. The mural will be located on 116th Street in the pocket park.

Witsken, a pre-med student at Purdue University, hopes to create a conversation piece for Fishers residents. “I lived in Fishers all of my life and attended Hamilton Southeastern, so in my preliminary design for my proposal, I wanted to capture the work ethic and historical importance of the Mudsocks region,” said Witsken.

Witsken embodies the strong work ethic she hopes to display in her mural. She is managing a short window of five to six weeks from predesign to completion by coming home to Fishers on the weekends. “I love to paint. It makes me happy!” Witsken said. Sherwin Williams is donating materials for the project.

Witsken’s mural is the first part of the Town of Fishers Community Art Plan. The document is a joint collaboration among the Town of Fishers, the Fishers Arts Council and the Fishers Cultural Tourism Group. The Fishers Arts Committee, which meets to select the winning concept, pulls members from these core groups.

“The four sections of the plan highlight what community art is and why it’s important. It also details the history of community art and the vision for how best to use art within our community,” said Jocelyn Vare, president of the Fishers Arts Committee. Evaluation criteria is also included in the document.

“Public art brings the community together,” said Vare. “We’ve had great success with the community chalkboards in the pocket park, not to mention the community impact of the amphitheater.”

With 17 sketches submitted for the Request for Proposals for the first mural, the Fishers Arts Committee used a detailed rubric based on a scale of one to three points that includes the artist’s application, qualifications, creativity, spirit and impact. Points were also awarded based on how the artist would use the medium, safety, maintenance and feasibility. Two bonus points were given to artists from Fishers.

“We want the community to see that public art has a place in Fishers. It’s cool!” added Vare.

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