‘Art of Protest’ exhibit shares stories of local artists behind Black Lives Matter mural in Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A special project at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is giving people a chance to view the fight for social justice through the eyes of 18 Indiana-based artists. Some of those same artists came together after the death of George Floyd to create the Black Lives Matter mural downtown.

Now their work is being put on display in a new way as a part of the museum’s Stories from Our Community: The Art of Protest exhibit. A miniature creation of the street mural is part of the project along with video interviews that allow each artist to talk about how the fight for social justice has made an impact on them individually.

Children’s Museum Director of Exhibits Monica Humphrey talked to “All Indiana’s” Randall Newsome about why she feels like the videos add to the exhibit’s impact.

“It’s so powerful to see those individual artists telling their story and their interpretation of really difficult topics and emotions and what this did to impact their own lives,” she said. “It has been opening for all of us.”

Visitors can also see paint brushes, sketches and other tools some of the artists used to create the mural while also checking out stations with tablets available for children and families to watch. Each video shows interviews with each of the artists providing different outlooks on the mural art and the messages behind it.

“We’re all about family learning and we want to give families, kids and adults, tools to understand, learn about other experiences and have conversations with each other,” Humphrey said.

The Stories from Our Community: The Art of Protest exhibit will run for two years. The museum also plans to feature more artwork from these artists outside of the Black Lives Matter Movement, giving them a platform to continue telling their stories.