Every Part Matters

Harrison Center artist Megan Jefferson has a special bond to a project that has made a big impact on Central Indiana, and her connection to the project just ramped up a notch. To explain, let’s do a flashback to a few years ago, when Megan was working with the “Department of Public Words” as a Grants Director and Community Mural Coordinator. One day as she was touching up the paint job on the “Love Train” mural between 52nd and 54th Streets on the Monon Trail, a passer-by stopped to ask her a few questions. This person happened to work for Steve Sanner, owner of several Jiffy Lubes, who was in the process of launching a mural project called “Every Part Matters”. The next thing Megan knew, she was helping to coordinate the production of murals that would be done by five different artists on five different Jiffy Lube buildings as part of the company’s “Growing People Through Work “ initiative.

Megan was proud and happy to see the first murals in the series appear in the Indianapolis area in 2016. Since then, Jiffy Lube has partnered with The Indianapolis Arts Council to produce additional murals, and for Megan the project came full circle when she was accepted to be the artist who would create the mural for the Avon Jiffy Lube at 7825E US 36. One of the truly exciting aspects of this initiative for artists is the fact that each of them is given total freedom regarding the subject matter of their mural as well as their process in creating it. Megan’s mural was inspired by the striking similarities between the rural landscapes that she could experience in the Avon area and those of her childhood home in Northwest Ohio. She wanted to capture the soothing feeling given in the presence of the wide open vistas she remembers from her growing up years. Megan completed her beautiful mural recently, and it would make for a good field trip for anyone who is up for a trip out to Avon.

Other Harrison Center artists, including William Denton Ray, Shamira Wilson and Kyle Ragsdale, have been part of this project, and their murals are well worth tracking down. Since each Jiffy Lube store is different, each location has different dimensions, textures and various creative problem solving opportunities for the artist to tackle. The unique style of each artist means that every building ends up with a unique and special appearance that serves to enhance the community while attracting customers. Jiffy Lube has been nominated for national awards and the partnership between the company and the Arts Council has blossomed, bringing beauty and opportunity to the Indianapolis area and its artists. We’re excited for everyone who is involved with this wonderful project, and especially for Megan who has been connected to it practically since its inception.