A Fort Wayne City Utilities artistic program has received the Mayor’s Arts Award for illustrating the importance of keeping rivers clean, Arts United announced Thursday.
City Utilities soon after announced that its seeking artists to create sidewalk murals for the fourth year of Clean Drains Fort Wayne: Be River SmART.
The initiative raises awareness about the role storm drains play as the gateways of the waterways, City Utilities said in a news release. Pollutants can enter local bodies of water by entering storm drains.
The program was started by a three-year partnership, which ended last year, between City Utilities and Friends of the Rivers. The program has led to 95 storm drain sidewalk murals and the installation of 4,800 storm drain medallions throughout the city.
The program’s culmination was the legacy mural, Protect our Rivers, designed by Alex Hall. It was dedicated on Sept. 23 at the Clean Drains Riverfest event held at Promenade Park, which organizers said drew 4,000 individuals to celebrate the initiative.
City Utilities has partnered with Downtown Fort Wayne Improvement District’s Art This Way for the fourth year. Frank Suarez, City Utilities public information officer, said in an email that he hopes Clean Drains will continue beyond this year because the need continues.
The arts award is given to individuals, organizations and projects that “have greatly impacted arts and culture” in Fort Wayne, the news release said. Mayor Tom Henry said in a statement that he looks forward to the award presentation each year.
“Our attention to the importance of arts and culture is vital to the identity of our community,” he said. “It says a lot about who we are and where we’re going.”
Henry called Clean Drains “a highly successful effort to raise awareness about storm drains and clean rivers through art.”
The program will be recognized at the 2024 Arts United Awards on Tuesday. A full list of nominees is online at artsunited.org/advocacy/awards.
Artists who are interested in participating can apply online at utilities.cityoffortwayne.org/clean-drains-artists/ before the May 12 deadline.
The Fort Wayne Public Art Commission will review the designs, and selected artists will be notified by June 6.
Selected artists will receive all necessary guidance, materials and paint for the mural painting, the news release said. Drain artists will also receive a small monetary gift.
The first group of murals will be painted at the selected sites July 20-28, and another round will be in the field from Aug. 17-25.
