Mural brings touch of happiness to Center on Fifth

Adam Long hid little treasures among the watery depths of the 1,800 square-foot mural on the east side of the Center on Fifth building.

If you look long and hard, you can find a football, flipflop, sunglasses, a heart (every mural Adam completes has a heart for his wife), beachball, the sunken Titanic, a key, a fishing pole, a kite and more.

The former Fifth Street Elementary school’s facade provided a great canvas for the Bloomington muralist/artist to create his vision of a seascape. In his signature style, he added these little mystery pieces among the whales, octopus, dolphins, turtles and more that greets anyone driving along Fifth Street, coming to a football game at the new stadium, or visiting the Center for help.

Long was invited into a conversation with the Dubois County Community Foundation about a year ago as they began considering a community art project. Without a clear spot in mind, Long met with Kevin Smith, the foundation’s Director of Grantmaking, and Nicole Lampert, the foundation’s Director of Community Development & Communications, for a drive around the community, looking at potential buildings as a canvas for the project.

They were parked along Fifth Street, checking out the eastern-facing wall of the Center on Fifth, when the Southwestern Indiana Child Advocacy Center Coalition (SWICACC) Director Tammy Lampert walked out to get the mail. They yelled at her from across the street.

“I walked across the street, and they said, ‘Get in the back,'” Lampert said.

“I said, ‘This seems kinda sketch,'” she laughed.

But after telling Long about the Center, he came back with an idea for the seascape that now covers the wall. Serendipitously, his idea matched the water-themed art projects already displayed in the Center, provided through a community art event and donations.

Long began work on the mural this past spring, spending days going over the piece again and again to create the welcoming and beautiful image that greets children coming to the Center on Fifth. A moment of beauty amid chaos and potential hurt in their lives. SWICACC’s mission is to support investigations into child abuse and neglect by providing forensic interviews for the investigation into allegations as well as access to caregivers and services to help the victims in the aftermath of these incidents.

Lampert noted that the mural had already helped her in one such investigation. “I had a kiddo the other day and he told me that he liked to look at creatures, to study them,” she said. “He said, ‘I like to look at sea creatures. Your painting out there is so cool.'”

The mural created an avenue for Lampert to gain some rapport with the young victim and helped him open up to her about the abuse.

And it has helped in other ways.

“It has brightened their spirits,” she added. “And, it’s been really uplifting for the adults that work here, too. It helps us to be able to go on another day. It also reminds that we’re here for our community, the kids we serve and everyone around us.”

The mural was made possible through several donors, mainly the United Cabinet Endowment with the Dubois County Community Foundation.

Jeane Campbell, the daughter of Stan Krempp, who founded the United Cabinet Endowment, acknowledged the love her family had for the arts and how wonderful it was to be part of such an impactful mural.

During the special ceremony held Tuesday at the mural, Mrs. Campbell announced that the endowment would fund a second phase of the mural, covering the entire 4,000 square feet facing east on Fifth Street.

“Public art is a great example of ways to affect the quality of place,” Nicole Lampert said about the Community Foundation’s efforts and vision in impacting Dubois County. “We have a long-term vision to do more (art) countywide, but we felt this was a good starting point to get the community excited.”

Smith noted the project was impactful on several levels.

“It’s an overwhelmingly awesome mural in and of itself,” he said.

But its impact on the building, its mission and the community it serves adds to its beauty.

The work done by SWICACC is a whole different level of power and impact,” he said.

For the artist, Long, the mural fits in his dedication to creating art that helps others in need. “I think that is what I push with all my murals,” he explained.

He wants the mural to be an attraction for the community. Something that brings happiness, but he understands it has another role. It helps these victims by providing them a welcome distraction from the reality of what they are going through.

Referring to his work, “What kind of memory can I leave that gives happiness to someone else,” Long said.

Long remembers talking to Tammy Lampert about what he could do with the wall. She started tearing up with the joy of the vision.

“That’s the point,” Long said. “I can’t do her job, but what if I can make her have a better day; if every time she comes out here she is a touch happier.”

Dedication as read by Klara Glendening, mental health provider at SWICACC.

This vibrant piece of art is a symbol of hope, resilience, and the boundless potential within every child.

The mother and baby dolphin depicted in the mural represent the nurturing and protective environment we strive to provide, where every child feels safe and cared for.

The tranquility of the water signifies the peace and calm we aim to restore in the lives of children who have faced turbulent times.

The starfish represents renewal and regeneration, mirroring the healing and growth that take place within our center.

The color blue, dominant in this mural, symbolizes serenity and inner peace we hope to instill in every child who comes through our doors.

The sunbeams penetrating the water symbolize hope and the promise of brighter days ahead, illuminating the path toward healing and recovery.

The mural is not only a piece of art: but a promise that we will continue to stand by our most vulnerable children–to help them find their voices, their strength and their hope for a brighter future.