Local artist Craig Martin completes latest mural on South Street
Lindsay Moore
LAFAYETTE — Over the course of three weeks artist Craig Martin added a little bit of color to the corner of South Street and Earl Avenue.
His mural "Tropical Wabash" brings the Indiana coneflower to the busy intersection. Martin said he decided on the purple flower because they can be seen all over the Hoosier state, from large fields to small lawns.
Jiffy Lubes across the state got a fresh coat of paint this summer as part of the "Every Part Matters" public art project. The car maintenance and servicing company launched the mural project after a store in Broad Ripple was tagged, Indiana Chief Operating Officer Lonnie Hinkle said.
The company decided to commission artists statewide to bring color to the side of the beige buildings.
Jiffy Lube has a long history with Greater Lafayette, Hinkle said. One of the earlier locations in West Lafayette across from Triple XXX even had a Purdue Pete mural on the side.
When Martin saw the call-out from the Arts Council of Indianapolis he assumed he would be making a trip to the city. Conveniently, he ended up only a few minutes from his house.
"I pass it all the time," he said. "It almost makes you self-conscious because then you're like, 'Oh maybe I should have done this or that.'"
The Jiffy Lube staff and customers were particularly interested in Martin's work, he said, often popping their heads around the corner to see the latest developments.
"You almost feel a little exposed since they're seeing it in development before it looks like anything." Martin said.
But, Martin is no stranger to the attention. His other work can be seen on the side of the West Lafayette Post Office, inside Loeb Stadium and around the Happy Hollow pool.
The Lafayette Jiffy Lube is one of nine that feature new artwork with another six stores slated for next year.
"There's not a lot of space but they're committing this exterior to something for the community," Martin said.
Photos of all the murals can be found on the Arts Council of Indianapolis website. Artists who are interested in contributing to the "All Parts Matter" project can contact the council.
Contact Journal & Courier reporter Lindsay Moore at 765-420-5205, lrmoore@jconline.com and follow her on Twitter: @_lindsaymoore.