Two Indianapolis organizations hope a crowdfunding campaign will raise enough money to qualify for a state arts grant and paint new public murals featuring the late local DJs and community figures Mpozi Tolbert and Ron Miner.
BRIDGE Collective and the Broad Ripple Village Association have partnered to raise $12,500 for the effort before September 19. If successful, the organizations will receive a grant from the state-funded CreatINg Places program, part of the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.
“This proposed artwork will honor the legacy of two Indianapolis icons,” said Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch in a press release. “It will be a fitting tribute to individuals whose work has touched the lives of so many, and I am pleased that this project is coming to fruition through the collaborative work of the community.”
A mural by Broad Ripple depicting Tolbert was painted over about a year ago, more than a decade after it was painted following his death in 2006. The new public art installation will be found in roughly the same area, in an alley off Guilford Avenue between Westfield Blvd and Broad Ripple Avenue.
Miner, also known as DJ Indiana Jones, died in 2020 and has a Broad Ripple mural on College Avenue near the Red Line bus stop.
“BRIDGE Collective is thrilled to partner with BRVA and IHCDA’s CreatINg Places program to commemorate Mpozi Tolbert and Ron Miner (aka Indiana Jones), two larger-than-life figures who left an indelible mark on our Indianapolis community,” said Jordan Dillon, executive director of the Broad Ripple Village Association, in the press release.
CreatINg specifically encourages communities to crowdfund to raise matching amounts as part of its goal to engage the public and “inspire community pride.” CreatINg Places was founded in 2016 and has raised more than $11.1 million in public funding and an additional $9.5 million in government grants.
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