Working with the Irvington Development Organization, Irvington-based artist Michael McAuley created this mural that can be found on the back of the buildings along Washington Street facing the parking lot. The mural speaks to the “renaissance” of the immediate area, as is seen in the redevelopment of many of its buildings. McAuley selected Michelangelo to represent that historical era of profound change, and the figure of God from Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling represents the act of creation that is currently shaping Irvington.

The title is taken from Ernest Hemingway’s novel For Whom the Bell Tolls: “If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” The artist believes that Irvingtonians feel the same way about their neighborhood.

Bill Shank, owner of the Irvington Shoppes buildings on Washington Street commissioned the project.

Michael McAuley operates Livingston Designs Sculpture Studio, where he focuses on clay and bronze figurative sculpture in the academic manner along with graphic design.  Born and raised in Bloomington, Indiana, McAuley received a bachelor’s degree in Art Education and a master’s degree in Instructional Systems Technology, both from Indiana University, with a second masters degree in Ceramic Sculpture from the University of Cincinnati.