CLARKSVILLE, IN (September 16, 2024) – Clarksville’s downtown area has a new look thanks to the Cornerstone Group and local artist Damon Thompson.  Earlier this year, the Cornerstone Group contacted Thompson about the possibility of painting a huge mural on the side of a large building downtown, across from the Bolt + Tie building.  The mural was recently completed, so town officials joined Thompson for a special ribbon-cutting celebration.

The beautiful mural covers the entire side of a building and resembles the town’s handshake logo, which spells out Clarksville, Indiana.  Each letter of the mural is filled with an image representing a piece of Clarksville’s history or present.  Elements include the Colgate clock, Rosie the Riveter, Falls of the Ohio State Park, and the old George Rogers Clark School bell tower.  Artist Damon Thompson says his inspiration came from Clarksville’s history as well as the area’s flora and fauna.  The mural was originally supposed to take three weeks to complete, but ended up requiring five weeks.

The Cornestone Group, which owns several properties in downtown Clarksville, commissioned the mural with support from the new Clarksville Arts Commission.  Co-President Cory Hoehn says it is an investment into making downtown Clarksville a place people want to be.

“This art looks fantastic, but it’s a lot more than just decoration on the side of a building; it transformed this ordinary space into a place of meaning, sparking conversations and Instagram posts, and building connections between neighbors,” said Hoehn. “Investments in public art like this mural also have a real economic impact, attracting visitors, residents and businesses that all want to be part of a vibrant, creative environment.”

Town Council President Ryan Ramsey spoke to the crowd during the celebration and commended the work of the Cornerstone Group and artist Damon Thompson.  He stressed that this new mural is just the beginning of the investment in the arts in the Clarksville community.

“When the Town Council created Clarksville’s first-ever Arts Commission last year, murals like this were a dream that we had hoped would someday become a reality for our residents,” said President Ramsey.  “Clarksville is a vibrant, diverse community with a rich history and countless stories to be told.  Now with the guidance and passion of the Arts Commission, the story of Clarksville has an entirely new way in which it can be told.”

Ramsey says he hopes the community will be celebrating and enjoying many new art installations in the coming months.

You can learn more about artist Damon Thompson and his other work at DamonPaints.com.