Throughout the month of August, artist Koda Witsken will be installing a large-scale mural on an outside wall of Alderman Automotive, 13875 Trade Center Dr., Fishers.
The mural will be visible from Ind. 37 and from the Pinhead’s parking lot, according to an announcement from Witsken. The design was created with help from Fishers’ residents and was funded in part by the City of Fishers through the Fishers Arts & Culture Business Matching Grant program.
“When I was approached with this mural opportunity, I knew I wanted to engage Fishers residents in the design process to add bright, meaningful artwork to the Fishers’ landscape,” Witsken stated. “We wanted to further brand Fishers as a smart, entrepreneurial and vibrant community, and I feel like we’ve done just that.”
The City of Fishers used to go by many names. One such name was “Mudsock,” referring to the knee-high mud that caked horses as they pulled carriages through the city.
“The name is now associated with local organizations and sports events. In celebration of Fishers’ continued history as a ‘smart, vibrant, entrepreneurial’ meeting place for people, commerce and culture, the Alderman Automotive mural will honor the ‘Mudsock’ theme by incorporating references to local horses,” the announcement stated.
Witsken announced in April that she was seeking horse photos from Fishers residents. The response was big, with residents submitting more than 150 photos of their horses to inspire the design. Ultimately, Witsken selected images submitted by Kate Owen, Brenda Palmer and Shayna Crooks.
“I am overwhelmed, excited, all the feelings, that my horse was chosen to be a part of (this) beautiful mural,” Owen stated. “Avalena (Owen’s horse depicted in the mural) passed away in November, so this is so very special to me. I can’t wait to watch the progress.”
According to her artist profile on the This Is Fishers website, Witsken was exposed to art early on, and credits art teachers at Hamilton Southeastern High School for helping her become a professional artist. She worked in the corporate world for a while after college, but then returned to Fishers in 2018 and became a full-time artist.
You can see images of Witsken’s work on her website, huemuralsbykoda.com.
The mural is the second one to be installed in Fishers this summer. In June, “Greetings from Fishers” was unveiled. That privately funded mural by siblings Corey and Casey Wilkinson pays tribute to the City of Fishers with details representing the city’s past and present. It is in the Nickel Plate District on a historic building at 8684 E 116th St.
