Artists hope murals on Rural Street will promote peace

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Artists on the near east side are hoping the murals they paint can help revitalize the area and deter crime.

The initiative to create artwork along North Rural Street to promote peace and reduce crime was started by the Near East Area Renewal (NEAR) group. The organization has been planning the logistics for almost two years. It’s also funded by the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

Tosca Carranza painted a mural of a calla lily on the corner of North East Street and East Washington Street. Carranza has lived three blocks away for 27 years and says the mural means more to her than what meets the eye.

“The fact that there has been violence and murders on this street makes some people fearful, and I want to try and do something that combats that fear and produces more faith in each other,” Carranza said.

Carranza said the mural came after a teen was murdered nearby. Carranza also painted on four traffic boxes to use her gift of art to promote peace.

“This neighborhood was hit very hard in the housing crisis, so I watched as a lot of houses, mostly half of the houses on my block, got boarded up and were vacant,” said Carranza. “Even though that was a different period, I still love my neighborhood.”

John Hay, executive director of NEAR, said, “It also indicates care for a community; it indicates that there’s life here and the symbols that are chosen in the art themselves signal there’s something very important and powerful here.”

Other local artists will be joining Carranza in beautifying the area. They hope it will bring a sense of calmness and spark a conversation between neighbors to promote a positive living environment.