Rachel Kavathe designed the mural based on the flower gardens in the neighborhood. (Rachel Kavathe)
The City of Bloomington will celebrate the McDoel Gardens neighborhood in a mural-painting event next week.
Rachel Kavathe, a local artist who designed the mural, said she has been working for a year on the project. In her research to design the mural, she met with people who lived in the neighborhood to learn more about the area and what was important to them. She found out flower gardens have been a part of the community for a long time, inspiring a floral design.
“I picked flowers that I saw blooming a lot in the neighborhood,” she said. “The final design is really a bouquet of flowers that you might find from one of the many gardens in the neighborhood.”
The street mural will include blue flag iris, coreopsis and coneflower. Sidewalk stencil designs will include peony, iris and clover.
Another source of inspiration for Kavathe was the history of the McDoel Gardens neighborhood. Many of the homes were built around the 1920s, which reminded her of when the Art Deco style was prominent from the 1920s to 1940s.
“[It’s] also celebrating the history of the architecture,” she said, “and that time when this neighborhood was first beginning over 100 years ago.”
She sees this event as an opportunity to celebrate the community through art.
“I think that art is a great way to open a dialogue with the community about what's important to us for our community,” she said. “It's also just a great way to allow people in the community to have an opportunity to come together and beautify their neighborhood.”
All slots to volunteer have been filled. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14, at the intersection of Allen and Fairview Streets in the McDoel Gardens neighborhood.
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