Indy’s last bicentennial mural will depict 43 Hoosiers in blue and gold

The final mural in a series to celebrate Indianapolis’s bicentennial will be painted blue and gold and depict 43 celebrated Hoosiers.

The City of Indianapolis and the Indy Arts Council are working with Pacers Sports and Entertainment for this last installment of four commissioned legends murals.

Arts Council Director of Public Art Julia Moore said the art can inspire city pride and connect people with history. She said the mural depicts a diverse group, including Kurt Vonnegut, Madam CJ Walker, Richard Lugar and Julia Carson.  

“To lean into something that was already happening around the city, the idea of highlighting individuals who are important to Indianapolis but also important to the world,” Moore said.

The mural will overlook new development outside Gainbridge Fieldhouse and be installed at the new Bicentennial Unity Plaza. 

The project is funded with money from the city through a bicentennial commission and private funding.

Moore said a committee of 40 considered over 200 possible Hoosiers. 

“Indianapolis is made up of a lot of different people from a lot of different backgrounds all coming together,” Moore said, “and so early on the idea was to say, ‘Who? How can we identify a number of legends from a variety of different backgrounds and time periods over the last 200 years?’”

Artist Anna Murphy will complete the mural this summer, and a dedication is expected in the fall.

Indianapolis’s bicentennial was in 2021.

Contact WFYI city government and policy reporter Jill Sheridan at jsheridan@wfyi.org. Follow on Twitter: @JillASheridan.