Library Foundation Helps Bring JCAP Recovery Art Project to Life

An unveiling ceremony will be held on Wednesday in downtown Lawrenceburg.

Photo provided.

(Lawrenceburg, Ind.) - On the side of the building that includes the offices of the Dearborn Highlands Arts Council at 331 Walnut St., in Downtown Lawrenceburg, a giant mural can be seen depicting a dandelion blowing in the wind.

Lawrenceburg born and raised, Doug Seymour is happy to say he helped make it happen.

“I think it looks amazing. It is a sense of accomplishment. I get a sense of pride when I see it,” said Seymour.

The mural is the second collaborative public art creation for Project Hope- a program that provides positive experiences for Dearborn County JCAP Alumni in recovery from past chemical dependency issues. The first is a totem pole displayed in the courtyard of the Lawrenceburg Main Library.

An official unveiling of the JCAP Mural will take place during a gathering held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19, at the DHAC gallery, 331 Walnut St., Lawrenceburg. Bring your family and friends to view artwork and enjoy refreshments.

As a continuing community partner, the Lawrenceburg Public Library Services and Resources Foundation provided a grant to help bring the mural to life, as the library district continues to collaborate with the JCAP Alumni on a future writing project called Words Work.

“We are pleased to continue our community partnership with the Dearborn County JCAP Alumni. Our goal is to have everyone feel welcome in the library and consider it a safe place,” said Georgeann Doan, acting director Lawrenceburg Public Library District.

“We are very excited about our continued collaborative community art projects,” said Tisha Linzy, director of JCAP, who works with artist LeAnn Price, director of Project Hope.

Linzy also thanked several other individuals, organizations and businesses that worked together to make the mural possible including building owner Mark Eberhard, ArtsWave, Civista Bank Charitable Foundation, Dearborn County CASA, ARTS Rental and 1Voice.

JCAP Alumni are always looking for ways to introduce people to new things and hobbies, said Seymour.

The Project Hope collaborative public art projects are a way to do something more creative while giving back the community, said JCAP Alumni Chad Sirosky, originally from Aurora now living in Lawrenceburg.

“We had a discussion before we started painting the mural. We started throwing out ideas about what we wanted to do and what it meant to us,” said Seymour.

Local artist Adam Gilliam created the outline on the wall and marked the different areas indicating the color needed, he said.

“We almost did it like a paint by number,” said Seymour.

The idea of focusing on a dandelion has several meanings for JCAP Alumni. One meaning symbolizes the effort it takes to move from addiction into recovery, said Seymour.

“A dandelion is very resilient … always coming back,” he said.

It speaks to what alumni members go through during addiction and how they can bounce back through recovery, he said.

Seymour also explains many people see the dandelion as a weed, not something that can be positive. One of the things they learn from JCAP counselors during recovery is turning “character defects” into strengths. If you are stubborn, turn it into something positive, said Seymour.

The mural took approximately four to five months to complete due to COVID protocols and weather. About 10 to 15 people worked on the mural.

Sirosky said he worked on the mural about once a week. “It was my free time away from everyone else. I got to spend it with some of my friends,” he said.

“If you asked me before, I would have never thought I would get enjoyment out of painting or working with pottery,” said Seymour, who also worked on the totem pole.

During the open house for the totem pole at the Lawrenceburg Main Library, he was excited about the big turnout.

“I felt there were a lot of people rooting for me,” said Seymour, adding recovery can feel lonely.

Through the collaborative community art projects, both Seymour and Sirosky hope the community understands positive results can come from recovery.

“These are people willing to work and give back to the community. People who have struggled with addiction. … We are contributing members of society. We want to have a sense of pride in ourselves like anyone else does,” said Sirosky.

Dearborn Highlands Arts Council Inc. is a nonprofit organization comprised of supporters of the arts, with support from the Columbus Area Arts Council, the Indiana Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts.