“Any fin” is possible with teamwork. Last Friday, volunteers from Duke Energy, Hamilton Heights and Keep Noblesville Beautiful worked together to paint two aquatic-themed crosswalk murals in downtown Arcadia.
With a weekly evening farmers market, new splash pad and an incoming brewery, downtown Arcadia’s vibrancy continues to grow. Arcadia Clerk Treasurer Jennifer Pickett wants to continue that trend.
“I had seen the crosswalk art done by Nickel Plate Arts at the Forest Park aquatic center,” Pickett said. “I thought something like that would really add to our Main Street environment.”
Pickett made a grant request to Duke Energy’s community relations liaison Dagny Zupin and the cross-community project began to take shape.
“Darren Peterson and Nickel Plate Arts are behind all of the highly visible crosswalk art in Noblesville,” Zupin said. “I approached Nickel Plate Arts Director Aili McGill and Nickel Plate Arts President Darren Peterson to see if they could design and facilitate two more murals with a grant and volunteer power from Duke Energy.”
“I was excited about the prospect of expanding our crosswalk art to northern Hamilton County,” Peterson said. “Crosswalk art not only promotes safety by making it clear where pedestrians should cross, but also activates an area with color. Art is an important part of driving development and activity to a town’s Main Street.”
With the art installation date approaching, Duke Energy and Nickel Plate Arts decided to expand their volunteer pool and call in a team of experts: the Hamilton Heights Art Club. Led by art teachers Erin Goodman and Taylor Myers, the art club has completed multiple community murals including pieces in Arcadia and Cicero. Sixteen Hamilton Heights students contributed to the crosswalk mural, taking a half day to volunteer. Heights Superintendent Dr. Derek Arrowood was more than happy to bus students to the project.
“At Heights, we believe volunteering and community service is an important part of educating our students,” Dr. Arrowood said. “I appreciate our amazing educators and community partners like Duke Energy who help make these hands-on experiences possible for students.”
The crosswalk murals are visible at the intersection of West and Main streets in Arcadia. The Arcadia murals represent the tenth crosswalk project that Peterson and Nickel Plate Arts have facilitated.
“This is a great example of what can be achieved when community comes together, Zupin said.
“Duke Energy was proud to sponsor this collaborative and colorful addition to downtown Arcadia.”
- Courtesy of the Hamilton Co Reporter
- Photo by Daniel Grose
