Muncie board clears Cooley Park mural site agreement, pending legal review

Courtney Marsh, president of the Safeway Neighborhood Association, told the Muncie Park and Recreation Board on Dec. 16 that her group used community surveys and a state arts intermediary to select an artist to paint a mural on the Cooley Park concession building using American Rescue Plan funds. The board voted to approve the site agreement so the neighborhood may proceed while legal staff completes a formal review.

Marsh said the neighborhood gathered more than 100 survey responses and narrowed more than 200 initial designs to three finalists before selecting the artist. "We started with over 200 different renderings for art, and we narrowed that down to the top 3 individuals," she told the board, adding that community engagement informed the final selection.

The proposal calls for the artist to apply a graffiti-protective coating after completion. Marsh said the artist estimated two to three weeks for physical installation if weather permits, and the neighborhood association offered to help prime the wall to shorten the work schedule.

Board members asked about vandalism contingencies and whether the parks legal team had reviewed the agreement. Marsh said the neighborhood has planned a protective finish and would work with city staff on site security during installation. The chair indicated the legal office had performed a preliminary review and that the board would receive the full legal check before finalizing the agreement.

The board approved the motion to permit the neighborhood to continue the process pending legal review. The artist’s final walkthrough will be open to the board, and the artist will have a 30-day period to make modifications if the board or community raises concerns.

The board’s approval allows the Safeway Neighborhood Association and its selected artist to move forward with procurement and scheduling while the city completes the required legal and administrative steps.