This quickly-painted street art is a winking take on Indiana’s state bird, the cardinal, and the very high rate of smoking in the state, news which broke in the summer of 2019 just as the mural was being painted.  Indiana has one of the lowest state taxes on cigarettes in the U.S., and smoking cessation efforts are vastly underfunded compared to other states. In 2017, almost 22% of Indiana adults smoked (compared to around 17% nationally). Indiana ranks 44th out of the 50 states for its high smoking rate.  The mural was painted during an informal artist’s residency in the summer of 2019.

Jules Muck, aka MuckRock, is a street artist from England who learned her craft in the 1990s from Lady Pink and many other legends of graffiti and hip-hop culture.  After working extensively in New York, she moved to Venice, California in 2008.  She currently works nationally and internationally, with major works in various locations including Miami’s famous Wynwood district, produced with Art Basel Miami. MuckRock’s street works are both invited and unsanctioned, and she has created work for gallery exhibitions.