In September 2021, Lilly Co. and Keep Indianapolis Beautiful, Inc., along with local artists, worked together for the Lilly Global Day of Service 2021: Focusing on Racial Justice, Education, and Health Care Workers. Lilly employees, in partnership with local communities and artists, painted vibrant murals to inform and celebrate differences within the community, creating a more culturally connected and equitable city.

TANIA WINEGLASS’ mural pays homage to the many social inequities in America. The paper airplanes represent angels, and each one is protecting a movement towards equity: civil rights, #MeToo movement, Black Lives Matter’s “I can’t breathe”, and the rainbow for LGBTQIA+ equality, to the scales of justice and knowledge, and the Black power fist.The black woman is the central figure in clouds and has no hair because society tries to tell black women how to wear their hair, which is emblematic of societal control.

ESS McKEE’s mural, “Park Here,” was inspired by the many sights, sounds and people she has come across in Garfield Park. Friendly squirrels, bikers, and basketball players are all represented in the mural, and she is trying to express her feeling that the park is a place for anyone.

BOXX THE ARTIST’s mural was inspired by women of color from different walks of life. The artist believes that if women are provided equity, society will be uplifted. Because Garfield Park Art Center offers a safe space for the community, the artist felt that installing this piece here offers an opportunity to keep the conversation going toward inclusiveness and provide representation for the underrepresented.

RAE PARKER’s mural is dedicated to Adriea Hawkins, a local artist and a musician who passed away in 2020. The imagery refers to the fact that she played the guitar and loved to whistle. The heart in her hands represents all of her dear friends who miss her.

GARY GEE’s mural shows hands of different people of different ethnicities, professions, and economic levels linked and helping each other.

Learn more about this project on the Garfield Park Art Center’s public art website.