News release, Lubeznik Center for the Arts:
The new mural, painted by artist Alex Ann Allen, was facilitated by Lubeznik Center for the Arts (LCA) and funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars provided by the City of Michigan City for neighborhood beautification efforts.
The mural reflects the creativity and vision of the community it serves. Allen developed the design through conversations with garden stakeholders and Eastport neighborhood residents, followed by public surveys. The community’s top choices — fruits and vegetables, pollinators, and native plants — inspired the vibrant imagery now featured on the garden’s new shed.
“Walker Street Park Community Garden has always been about more than growing food — it is about growing community,” said Dr. Dominique Edwards, Michigan City Planning Director and longtime volunteer at the garden. “This mural brings even more beauty and energy to a space that residents have poured so much love and care into over the years. I’m especially grateful that the design was shaped by the voices of the people who live here and use the space.”
Mayor Angie Nelson Deuitch said that the project is an example of how neighborhood investments can strengthen both public spaces and community pride.
“When we dedicated ARPA funding to neighborhood beautification, this is exactly the kind of impact we hoped to see,” Mayor Nelson Deuitch said. “Public art can transform a familiar space, celebrate the people who use it and create an even greater sense of pride and ownership in our neighborhoods. We’re grateful to Lubeznik Center for the Arts, Alex Ann Allen, Dr. Edwards and the residents who helped bring this project to life.”
The celebration will continue from 1 to 5 p.m. with Walker Street Park Community Garden’s 6th Annual Harvest Festival, which will also mark the final market day of the garden’s 2026 season.
The family-friendly festival will feature bilingual storyteller Mama Edith Armstrong, an African drumming performance by the Drum Divas, a vendor market, a cooking demonstration with Chef Nakia Bonds, youth activities and a community meal prepared using in-season produce from the garden.
The community is encouraged to attend both the morning ribbon-cutting and the afternoon Harvest Festival to celebrate the new mural, the close of another growing season and the neighbors who continue to make Walker Street Park Community Garden a vibrant gathering place.
For more information about LCA facilitated murals, please contact Janet Bloch, LCA’s executive director at 219-874-4900 or jbloch@lubeznikcenter.org.