The Henry County Community Foundation awarded $5,000 to New Castle Main Street for further development of the Robert Indiana Arts & Culture Campus downtown.
Carrie Barrett, Main Street’s executive director, said she contacted Vandewalle & Associates, the Wisconsin-based urban planning firm that put together a downtown growth plan for the city last year, and asked them for a price to design a streetscape for the Robert Indiana campus. Their estimate was about $13,000.
Barrett then approached the Henry County Community Foundation and asked for funding. She is pleased the HCCF provided $5,000 to help defray the cost of the streetscape, which is basically a detailed design plan.
“I am thrilled we were awarded anything!” Barrett said. “Now my wheels are spinning trying to figure out how I’m going to find the other $8,000 we need to move forward with the design, but I was really excited to get what we did because I know the Foundation has a limited amount of money and that they get a lot of requests.”
Robert Indiana, who was born in New Castle, is a pop artist most famous for his LOVE sculpture. The Robert Indiana Arts & Culture Campus is a project that will encompass 15th Street from Broad Street to A Avenue, also known as Robert Indiana Parkway. It includes installation of a walking path alongside a new on-street bike path called the Rose City Trail. The new walking path connects the Art Association of Henry County, New Castle-Henry County Public Library, Murphey Park, and the Henry County Historical Society Museum.
The centerpiece of the campus will be the Robert Indiana-inspired sculpture park installed at Murphey Park. This project will attract visitors to the unique history of New Castle and will provide a connection between New Castle’s cultural entities, Barrett said.
Mayor Greg York said he is pleased the HCCF provided funding for this project. He praised Barrett and the Main Street organization.
“The Main Street program has been real aggressive. They’ve only been in existence about a year and they’ve managed to get a lot done in that time. I’m excited about what they’re doing and about the Robert Indiana project,” he said.
The local Sears store has pledged funds to sponsor banners planned for 15th Street. Barrett is challenging other area businesses to do likewise.
“This is going to affect the whole county so I really hope the business community will get involved, because when we get this done and new businesses come to town they will be able to see that this is a community that values arts, culture and quality of life, which is beneficial for everyone,” she said.