Originally posted in April 2021 issue of Urban Times
Farewell to the Gateway Eclectica Mural
Cottage Home will bid farewell to its popular mural design installation “Gateway Eclectica” at the St. Clair Street bridge under the Michigan St. exit. The loss is a result of work on the reconstruction of the I-65/I-70 North Split interchange. The reconstruction includes important safety improvements but will involve a rebuild of the bridge, making it impossible to retain the artwork. Even though the new underpass will include areas for public art, it will be difficult to replace Ray’s exceptional design for this location.
Indianapolis-based artist and designer
The mural was designed by Indianapolis-based artist and designer William Denton Ray. Cottage Home residents have enjoyed this design installation since 2015 and will miss the totems (pillars) and characters that made this such an inviting gateway to the neighborhood. The artwork is truly distinctive, embodying Denton’s “whimsical funk” aesthetic.
Designed around architecture and diversity
When the mural was in the conceptual stage the artist met with neighborhood residents several times, including a brainstorming session about things that make Cottage Home distinctive. Some ideas that came up were ghosts (the Block Party), love of dogs and cats, bees and gardening, and the “crows of CoHo”, among others. Ray decided to design the mural around “the eclectic quality of the architecture of the neighborhood and the diversity of the neighbors themselves.”
In order to document the mural, neighborhood residents have been taking photographs which will be archived, and discussions will be ongoing regarding possibilities for the new bridge.
