Faces of the Fort is a public art project initiated by the Fort Wayne Public Art Commission that shares faces and stories of the community through large-scale murals. This project seeks to elevate civil rights and social justice stories of residents; past and present.   The purpose of this initiative is to celebrate the uniqueness, different backgrounds, stories and ideas of fellow residents through the development of murals and throughout the City.  

In 2019, Public Art Commission established a Faces of the Fort Selection Committee made up of Public Art Commission members and community representatives who put out a call for artists and conducted community conversations to develop the stories the murals will tell.  In early 2021, the committee selected the individuals that would be celebrated during the first phase of installations which were installed in June of 2021 at three locations in the Northeast, Southeast and Southwest quadrants of Fort Wayne.

The Phase two installation is in Downtown at 520 West Jefferson Boulevard.  The mural was installed in September 2022.

Faces of the Fort Murals

Downtown Mural
520 W. Jefferson Blvd

Theme:  Engage, Serve and Advocate for Fort Wayne’s Youth
Subjects:  Ephraim Scott Smiley III & Omowalé-Kétu Oladuwa
Artist:  Michael Johnson

 

NE Mural
1514 St. Joseph Blvd

Theme:  Creating an Inclusive Community
Subjects:  Glynn Hines & Genevieve Meyer
Artist:  Benjamin Duke

 

SE Mural
4335 South Anthony Boulevard

Theme:  Achieving the American Dream
Subjects:  Irene Paxia & William E. Warfield
Artist:  Kacy Jackson

 

SW Mural
1818 Bluffton Road

Theme:  Breaking Down Barriers
Subjects:  Raquel Kline & Thomas Smith
Artist:  Mitchell Egly