A busy travel route near downtown Elkhart is getting a lot more colorful. New murals are being installed in the northern approach to the Benham Avenue underpass.
They feature animals, native plants and other references to the local area, like a saxophone and a railroad crossing sign. At the center are a young Black boy and an older Latina woman.
Muralist Alex Allen says it’s meant to tell the story of two different generations. "So, they’re kind of centered strategically, kind of facing each other," Allen explained.
Last year, the city of Elkhart reconfigured the traffic pattern at the underpass, to improve pedestrian access, reduce flooding and better connect downtown with the Benham neighborhood. With the new murals, Allen says it’s quite the transformation.
"Before this process, we were scrubbing off dirt and moss – well, dating back from 1955 – so it was a lot of elbow grease," Allen said. "So, color is much better, I think."
Allen, who is based in South Bend, is collaborating on the murals with two artist friends from Texas. The murals were commissioned by the city of Elkhart, with funding from the redevelopment commission. Allen says they’re already getting attention from people walking by.
"For them to walk by, look up and see someone like them, that’s the reason why we’re doing this," Allen said. "And for the community, just to make their commutes brighter and happier and give back some love."
Allen says the models for the murals were real people, but the artists were instructed by the mayor’s office not to use people from the Elkhart community. Instead, Allen says, they’re intended to be representative of the African American and Latino communities generally.
Work on the murals is expected to wrap up next week. The next step will be to continue the design under the railroad tracks themselves, with printed artwork installed in metal panels.
