A canoe full of critters has materialized in downtown Franklin.
Paddling their watercraft, two dogs, two raccoons and a cat seem to glide along a placid river. Like brave explorers in a new world, the five companions hold their heads high as they travel underneath a canopy of trees.
The fun scene will undoubtedly capture the attention of passersby on Jefferson Street. But artist Greg Potter said it serves other purposes as well — attracting people to the downtown area, and drawing attention to the plight of animals in need of homes.
“How would you portray, yet not portray, an animal getting rescued on a pet-rescue center,” he said. “Immediately, I thought of the canoe.”
Potter, a well-known Franklin artist, has brought his whimsical artistry to life in a building-sized mural. Titled “Gettin’ Rescued IN Indiana,” the work of art will take up the entire alley wall on the home of Pet Elves to the Rescue, an animal rescue organization.
The mural adds to Franklin’s growing legacy of public art, and serves as another attraction to bring people to the city.
“We know having art, having things that keep your community looking vibrant and welcoming is a benefit for everybody. It benefits the residents — they have a nice beautiful place they live. For visitors coming in, they’re excited to see this. It makes the place look inviting,” said Dana Monson, community development specialist for Franklin.
Potter’s work is familiar to anyone who is active in the local art scene. His work has been featured in art shows and other events in the community for years. He is a part of the Franklin Public Art Advisory Commission, which focuses on enriching the city with art installations.
In addition, Potter worked with other artists previously to design and create another downtown Franklin mural — the sloths hangin’ around on the side of Middle Davids Artisan Candles.
His previous experience with local arts leaders led him to the Pet Elves project.
The mural was made possible through a grant by the Indiana Destination Development Corp., a state agency created in 2019 to promote Indiana as an ideal place for living, visiting, learning and earning.
Through its IN Indiana Public Art grant program, communities could embark on projects designed to create “Instagrammable experiences” in high visibility areas of the state, generate activations of the IN Indiana marketing campaign to tie Indiana communities together as a cohesive destination, and add to the beauty of Indiana’s rural, urban and suburban landscapes, according to the organization.
“These projects not only give us the opportunity to illustrate Indiana’s authentic story, but they also enable us to add to the beauty of Indiana’s landscapes,” Elaine Bedel, corporation secretary and CEO, said in a news release.
Potter had been involved with the grant program previously to expand the sloth mural at Middle Davids. When Jessica Underwood with Pet Elves reached out about applying for a grant to help paint a mural, he enthusiastically agreed. Underwood was informed they were approved for the $10,000 grant in April.
Potter’s design builds on previous work, “Bandits,” which featured raccoons and other animals on a river trip in a canoe. He included the dogs and cat as a nod to Pet Elves’ work.
Surrounding the watercraft, Potter has painted shrubs, grass and trees to create a misty wooded wonderland. He plans to hide elves throughout the artwork, creating a fun “I-spy” activity for people who come to see the mural.
“I had done a painting similar to this, and I thought, let’s go with that, and just tweak it a little bit,” he said.
Work started on the mural in late July, and Potter has until October to finish it.
“I hope people come and interact with it. We put it close to the ground, so people can get a picture with it. Anyone driving by it will see it,” Potter said.
Franklin has been working for the past few years to earn distinction as a state-recognized art district, in the same vein as Bloomington, Columbus and Carmel. Cultural districts are defined as a well-recognized and identifiable mixed-use area of a community in which cultural assets serve as the anchor.
Mural projects such as this are a key part of the campaign.
“It’s an economic development goal, because it’s encouraging people to be here. It’s a nice-looking place, they want to be here,” Monson said. “This has been such a unique partnership, getting a grant to be able to do this and having a mural on a building that supports a nonprofit. And we’re excited to see more and more people be involved in art.”
Potter is more than happy to be a part of those efforts.
“It brings people to Franklin. The more artwork we can put on the walls and get people here, it helps put us on the map,” Potter said. “If I can keep doing these murals, I’ll come up with different ideas. I’m just here to help.”
