Mural celebrates Indianola

 

Mural celebrates Indianola

BY RECARDO THOMAS for Enterprise-Tocsin
12/10/2015

The community has begun to paint a picture of unity in more ways than one.

Delta Health Alliance/Indianola Promise Community, the city of Indianola, the Roosevelt Community Association and individuals from across the city gathered on Saturday to engage in what Delta Health Alliance calls “one of the biggest projects we have undertaken since the playground build, at the Bethune Center, a few years ago.”
IPC contracted with urban artist Vitus Shell to design and create two full-color, 9-foot-by-25-foot murals on the exterior walls of the city swimming pool on Roosevelt Street.
“It’s all part of the restoration and beautification project we’ve begun with the city,” Anthony Powell, IPC project manager/community relations, said.
The design on the east wall features the words “Indianola” and “Mississippi” along with other symbols of the Delta including musical notes, a bayou scene and a Magnolia blossom.


The west wall is different because “we wanted to capture the essence of Indianola,” Powell said. It features likenesses of blues icon B.B. King, actress Mary Alice, who was born in Indianola, and Minnie Cox, who was the first black woman to serve as a postmaster in the United States.
When asked how their association with Shell emerged, Powell said local citizens recommended him. After contacting and communicating with him and several other artists, IPC concluded Shell was the best fit.
“He works really well with the kids; he is patient and helpful. We are very pleased and impressed with IPC’s choice,” said Marilyn James, president of the Roosevelt Community Association.
“We held an art contest back in October and asked kids to submit design ideas. We took the top 10 elements that the kids chose and had the artist put them together in a design,” Powell added.
“Use long brush strokes -- like this,” instructed Shell, as he demonstrated good application techniques to some of the young “would-be artists” lending a hand to the project.
Several groups convened at the pool to grab brushes and apply their portion of paint to the concrete canvas: Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts, members of the Indianola Youth Council, the Gentry Student Government Association and various individuals young and not as young.
Victor Smith Scout leader for Troop and Pack 4478 /Crew 4477 said, “I like to keep my kids involved in things in the community. Some of them are working on their service badges today.”
James said, “We are vested in our community. Sure, we have shootings, but we need people to see we are about more than shootings. We have parents and kids out here working together. We want them to take pride in this. One day they can look back and say, ‘I helped do this.’ We’re not going to stop until it is more positive than negative.”
Powell said, “We wanted to get the community together doing something amazing.”
Josh Davis, who heads the IPC for the Delta Health Alliance, said, “DHA is excited about playing a role in improving community engagement, working side-by-side with the community and helping improve the beautification of Indianola. We want to know from the citizens, ‘What role we can play?’ We need you to say, ‘This is what will help.’”
Powell said they are doing a lot of thing to get the community more involved and have many more events coming up.