Fishers offering $46,000 for murals at Nickel Plate Trail
Fishers is calling on underground artists to leave their mark on the Nickel Plate Trail downtown.
Requests for applications went out Monday for painters or other visual artists to complete a mural in the tunnel of the trail underneath 116th Street.
The subterranean artworks would be done in three sections; on the east and west walls of the tunnel and on the wall next to plaza stairs leading out of the underpass.
The murals in the tunnel should be 194-square-feet and the mural by the stairs should be 397-square-feet. The city has budgeted $13,000 for the wall mural and $6,500 each for the tunnel murals.
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Mayor Scott Fadness has said he wants the lighted tunnel to be a place where trail-goers spend time rather than rush through. The 120-foot tunnel is 20-feet wide and has benches and security cameras.
The city is also put out to bid a request for an artist to install a 600-square-foot mural on the side of a historic building that is being preserved next to the tunnel. The mural would be on the west-facing wall at the Vardagen Building, 8464 E. 116th St.
The building last housed Vardagen, a clothing store that doubled as Sure Shot Coffee. Two buildings west of Vardagen have been torn down: one was home to the Nickel Plate Bar and Grill and other a barbershop.
According to the bid requests all the murals "should be vibrant in color, interactive, and allow for an “Instagrammable” moment while also helping establish a sense of place." They should be completed between June and August 2023.
To apply for the mural commissions submit a resume and cover letter with a written concept. Include up to 10 images of previous work through email with a corresponding description of each work. Applications can be sent to facc@fishers.in.us or by mail hard copy to Fishers City Hall, 1 Municipal Drive Fishers, IN 46038, Attention Ross Hilleary by Aug. 19, 2022, at 4:30 PM.
Call IndyStar reporter John Tuohy at 317-444-6418. Email at john.tuohy@indystar.com and follow on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Fishers offers $46,000 for murals at Nickel Plate Trail
