SEYMOUR — The city of Seymour is partnering a with professional artist to give the downtown more visual appeal, including a tribute to Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Seymour native John Mellencamp on the east wall of This Old Guitar Music Store, 106 W. Second St.
That particular location has been eyed for a Mellencamp mural since 2013, but it was never completed due to issues with how the mural was to be applied, the condition of the wall and getting Mellencamp’s direct approval.
Mayor Craig Luedeman said Hoosier artist Pamela Bliss is painting the mural. Bliss is well-known and respected in the state for her work, including a 60-foot Reggie Miller mural and a Kurt Vonnegut mural, both in Indianapolis.
“She came to us out of nowhere,” Luedeman said. “She’s the real deal when it comes to painting that type of thing.”
The mural will cost $25,106 and is being funded by the Seymour Redevelopment Commission.
Mellencamp has signed off on the project and location, and it’s Bliss’ hope he will come participate by helping paint some of the mural himself, Luedeman said. Besides being a musician, Mellencamp also is a well-known painter.
“Our big thing is trying to get people into downtown,” Luedeman said.
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
