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Advocates prepare grant pitch for legal graffiti wall at West Side Skate Park
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Summary
A community advocate told the Muncie Park and Recreation Board that he has scheduled a pre-grant meeting with the George and Francis Ball Foundation and is gathering letters of support for a proposed legal graffiti wall at the West Side Skate Park.
MUNCIE, Ind. — Caleb Sports, who described himself as a community advocate for a legal graffiti wall at the West Side Skate Park, told the Muncie Park and Recreation Board on Sept. 16 that he has scheduled a pre-grant meeting with the George and Francis Ball Foundation and is organizing letters of support from local arts and construction partners.
"My name is Caleb Sports and I am the community advocate for a legal graffiti wall at the West Side Skate Park," Caleb said in his presentation. He told the board that the parks department had previously suggested doubling the scale of the initial installation and seeking grant funding for construction and programming support.
Caleb said a pre-grant meeting with George and Francis Ball Foundation program staff Courtney Zimmerman and Kelsey Harrington is scheduled for Oct. 20, from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom. He said he has gathered or expects letters of support from the Muncie Arts and Culture Council (MACC), Hunger Skateparks, Madjax MakerSpace and other community partners, and that he will ask the parks department — which the board and staff previously agreed would be the grantee — to attend the pre-grant meeting.
Caleb outlined additional partnership prospects to support construction and permitting, including Pride Mark Construction and Rundell Ernstberger Associates (REA). He also said he would contact Ball State University and All-State University (School of Art) for potential program partnerships and volunteer recruitment.
Board members and staff offered fundraising and partnership suggestions. Board member Mark (first name listed in roll) suggested explaining how the graffiti wall would benefit youth; other board members recommended linking the project to arts-education programming and school partners. Caleb said he will request letters of support from the mayor and MACC and will report back at the October board meeting, which falls the day after the pre-grant meeting.
Why this matters: The proposed legal graffiti wall combines public-art opportunity and youth programming at an existing park amenity. Grant funding of roughly $10,000 (as Caleb estimated from the foundation’s quarterly grant program) could cover construction or initial installation; the parks department would be the formal grantee and the department’s program director would be expected to help with programming and enforcement of the wall’s code of conduct.
What’s next: Caleb will attend the Oct. 20 pre-grant meeting and return to the parks board with the foundation’s feedback at the October meeting scheduled the following day. He will bring letters of support and a draft budget as available.
Quote
"With the underlying that's being the underlying focus of the grant proposal is, like, youth engagement," Caleb said, describing the project rationale and partners.
