There’s a different kind of souvenir being created at the Shipshewana Flea Market this Labor Day. (WSBT Photo)
SHIPSHEWANA, Ind. (WSBT) —There’s a different kind of souvenir being created at the Shipshewana Flea Market this Labor Day.
Instead of taking something home, visitors can leave their own mark by painting a tile that will become part of a permanent mural.
The project starts with a blank tile and a little creativity.
Visitors can choose from red, blue or gold and paint their own design.
There are 200 tiles in all, and organizers say every one of them matters because they’re all going to become part of the same picture.
“We are offering the community our shops, our guests, to come and have a look at the label. So we’re going to be a part of a mural that will live and last for a number of years ahead. This is a way that we wanted to celebrate America’s 250th, but also give our community members a chance to leave a little piece of themselves behind in a place that they love to travel and visit,” said Lora Gates, director of marketing at Shipshewana Trading Place..
That connection to the community is really what organizers wanted to create.
Shipshewana sees visitors who return year after year, and this gives them a chance to leave their mark in a place they already know and love.
While some people may spend time creating a detailed design, Gates says there’s no right or wrong way to do it.
“Well, it takes everyone, so it can be a complex painting or it can be a very simple painting, and a lot of people who come, they come annually and they like to visit and return and so it’s just another way for them to have an experience while they’re here,” said Gates.
Visitors can take part Monday through Wednesday, September 9th, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Shipshewana Flea Market’s Snack Bar, while supplies last.
Once it’s complete, the mural will have a permanent home at Shipshewana Trading Place.
According to organizers, the goal of the project is ultimately to bring the community together through a shared experience.
“It is a really fun experience, and for them to just leave a little piece of themselves behind and to put a little bit of their mark on a larger piece that all comes together as a community project, I think, is what really drove this particular project,” said Gates.
The project will bring together 200 individual paintings to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.
Organizers hope the finished mural will become another part of Shipshewana’s story and a place visitors can return to see for years to come.
