July/August 2024
Once again, internationally renowned graffiti artist and muralist Jules Muck with Muck Rock has blown through town in typical “Jules Muck fashion” to create another exceptional mural for the CFM Winter Market.
CFM Market Manager Susan Bock announced that with the CFM Winter Market’s recent relocation and the support of a generous donor, the committee had the opportunity to reconnect with Muck. As a result, Muck came out last month to create a new mural for the [winter market] building.
Bock added, “It’s important that [our] building has our mark and that people are able to easily find our winter market.”
Leaving Her Mark in the Midwest
Muck began her career as a graffiti artist in the ’90s across Europe and the UK. She trained under Lady Pink in NYC and has collaborated with artists like Spek and Since. Her work has been featured in publications such as “Broken Windows” and “Graffiti Women,” and she has contributed to projects like Wooster Collective’s “11 Spring Street” and Hanksy’s “Surplus Candy.” Muck has painted murals for TV shows like “Under the Dome” and movies like “IT,” as well as at Miami’s Art Basel. She resides in Venice Beach, where she continues to create under “Muckrock” on Instagram.
In 2019 and 2020, Muck provided CFM with family-friendly murals featuring her signature bunnies. Her work can be found throughout central Indiana and the Midwest. During her visit here last month, Muck shared that she had completed a mural for a local Indy brewery and several private homes in Broad Ripple.
Muck was thrilled to be warmly welcomed by enthusiastic CFM committee members upon her arrival. She also expressed her gratitude for the lift provided by Sunbelt Rentals, which replaced the need for a ladder.
“The CFM committee arranged everything and made it easy for me [to work], which was really nice,” Muck shared. “The collective call for the murals is why I stop here [central Indiana] so often. ‘Flower Alley’ in Broad Ripple started because a bunch of neighbors came together, which made it possible for me to put aside some of my larger projects and spend time doing these murals for private homeowners and smaller businesses. I did murals for three people before the [farmers] market mural. It’s fun, and I love driving through this part of the country.”
Muck continued, “I’ve had my eyes open to the diversity and forward-thinking of the people in the Midwest, in towns and cities in Indiana, and recently in Nebraska and Wisconsin. I think the transgression of spray paint from graffiti art and legal vandalism to mural work has made it popular and affordable for everyday people to have murals. I’m not sitting there hand-painting something that would take a month to create, but can spray paint for someone in an afternoon, and it’s affordable to those who don’t have the disposable funding of a government agency to spend on a mural. They can afford to have flowers on their garage doors or a buffalo on the wall of a small business.”
When asked where she gets her energy to keep painting and traveling, Muck replied, “There’s so much enthusiasm [for murals] and happiness around me—that kind of energy is contagious.”
A Colorful and Purposeful Display
CFM is a fervent supporter and community partner to the city’s artistic and cultural initiatives. Hence, the [market’s] participation in the annual Rain on Main event.
Rain on Main is an annual event in Carmel promoting water quality and conservation. Local artists transform 65-gallon urn-style rain barrels into unique pieces of art. The barrels are displayed along Main Street in the Arts and Design District, where the public can vote for their favorite in a People’s Choice contest on Facebook. There’s also a judged art competition with cash prizes for the top three artists. The event concludes with an online auction and a display of all the barrels at 5 Carter Green during the CFM Summer Market on the third Saturday of August. The proceeds of the silent auction go toward water quality education in Carmel. This year’s Rain on Main silent auction will run through August 9-17 and ends at 11:00 a.m. on the 17th.
“Rain on Main is a big draw for the market, and the public can come out and see all of the rain barrels, together, on display,” Bock explained. “This event also promotes sustainable practices, which is one of the tenets of the market. I think it’s remarkable how all of the different departments and sectors of the city work together on this event to make Carmel a better place. It moves us all forward.”
Bock added, “The conclusion of Rain on Main is a great time for the community to gather at the market and enjoy looking at the artwork on each of the rain barrels. It’s also a great venue for the artists to display their talents and the rain barrels.”
For more information on Rain on Main, visit rainonmain.com, and for a complete list of vendors, entertainment and upcoming events at CFM, visit carmelfarmersmarket.com.
CFM SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT
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Marrialle Sellars
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Tim Wright
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Island Breeze
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