Fountain Square muralists get a do-over & get well-compensated while doing it

On the morning of June 19, a group of artists gathered in an alley just east of Fountain Square to paint murals on gray-washed walls where there had previously been murals.

Call it a do-over, or Fountain Square Mural Alley 2.0.  

Two weeks earlier, on June 3, employees for K&S Holdings Inc. painted over murals in the alley just east of Fountain Square, called “graffiti alley” by some, behind Square Cat Vinyl. The record store posted about the situation along with Snakeroot Botanicals: “Sad day for our alley, our city, local art, street art, and the overall art community,” it reads. “Sad to see a local landlord, (not ours), whitewash a city/neighborhood landmark in the blink of an eye.”

But the story, of course, does not end there. 

Later that day the attorney for the landlord, K&S Holdings Inc., released a statement saying that there had been a miscommunication leading to the murals being painted over: “The property owner has no objection to the immediate return of Graffiti Alley 2.0 and in addition to the original artists, who are welcome to recreate their art, if the Arts Council or Fountain Square Neighborhood Association would like to select some additional artists to make the alley better than ever — we approve.”  

So Square Cat Vinyl took the opportunity to start a fundraiser to make sure the alley would get repainted and that the artists would benefit. Money raised through their GoFundMe will all go to the participating artists, both original muralists and those new to the alley, to pay them for their time and supplies. To date they’ve received $15,735 and each artist will receive at least $1,000 apiece. 

Later in the day, at 4 p.m., Joy Hernandez —   who had originally painted an astronaut with a balloon in the alley against a green background —   was repainting the astronaut, this time with a blue background. She took her cue from Fynley, a student in a Brownsburg elementary school class who had painted a version of her astronaut holding a balloon against a blue background. That sealed the deal for Hernandez, who had been on the fence about what color to paint the background. (She is collaborating with the class in an art education project.)

Hernandez, who is a photographer for WISH-TV and owner/artist of Full Circle Nine Gallery (among other numerous titles, roles, and responsibilities) was also helping Square Cat Vinyl organize the artists involved in the mural painting.

“Don’t fall,” she reminded artists repeatedly, those who had ladders.  

Up on one of the ladders was Margo Koontz, who was painting comic book images 20 feet up, with imagery that explores the idea that Hoosier hospitality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Margo Koontz up on a ladder, working on her mural

“It's this idea that it's like ‘Oh it's super welcoming, everyone's open’ but there’s a lot of barriers and lines,” she said.  

Nearby Mike Meares was painting a surrealist scene on a door with mushrooms in an Alice-in-Wonderlandlike environment.  His painting contained some veiled references to Muck Rock aka the Venice, CA.-based muralist who has visited Indianapolis several times, occasionally inspiring controversy and whose mural had also been painted over. 

Painting in the spot where Muck Rock’s mural had been painted over were Mike Graves and Justin Cooper, who have been collaborating on and off on mural and painting projects for the past decade.  

“We're doing a tribute to MF DOOM,” Graves said. “MF DOOM; he recently passed, he's an MC/rap artist.”  But the outlines were already on the wall for a depiction of Dr. Doom, the nemesis of the Fantastic Four in Marvel comics.  

Another musician being honored was Jimi Hendrix; his image had been painted on the alley wall by Kwazar Martin: he had started work at 11 p.m. By 4 p.m. he was done. The Indy-based Broad Ripple High School graduate has done some murals in town with Swish, and one in Nashville, Tenn.  “So when I saw that it was going behind the record store I was like, ‘I'm going to do an artist.’ So I picked Jimmy. Never did him before.” 

Jimi Hendrix mural by Kwazar Martin

Adjacent to the Jimi Hendrix mural, Matthew Aaron was putting the finishing touches on his mural portraying a stick of dynamite. Not only is Aaron known for his own work, but he’s known for his collaboration with New York City street art icon Al Diaz, who was a partner with the teenage Jean-Michel Basquiat in the graffiti duo SAMO© in the 1970s. In May 2019, Aaron had an exhibition of his work in Carmel’s Evan Lurie Gallery.

Aaron had not been intimidated at all by the fact that his narrow and cramped section of mural wall angled back at 30 degrees. “It's not for everyone,” he said. “Yeah, most people would hate that spot.” 

Asked about his history as an artist and his plans for the future, Aaron said this:

“I do this anyway I can,” he said. “In paint or any other medium.”

Matthew Aaron in front of his mural