Fort Wayne will host a new set of sidewalk murals beginning this weekend as part of the sixth edition of Clean Drains Fort Wayne: Be River SmART, a public art effort designed to raise awareness about what flows into the city's storm drains and, ultimately, local creeks and rivers.
Sixteen artists, neighborhood installations
The city announced Tuesday that 16 artists were selected to create the seasonal installations. Work will begin Saturday and continue through Aug. 23. The murals are being painted adjacent to storm drains around the city, where visual reminders and messages encourage residents to keep drains free of trash, chemicals and other pollutants.
Two pieces are scheduled for installation to coincide with the city's Open Streets Fort Wayne festival on Sunday along Calhoun Street. Amanda Stout is set to work at South Calhoun and West Douglas streets near Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, while Haley Tabb will paint at East Lewis and Calhoun streets near St. Mother Theodore Guerin Chapel. Open Streets runs from noon to 4 p.m. between Superior and Pontiac streets and features food, family activities and live performances.
“There’s a lot going on during Open Streets, but this is a neat way for people to see these actively getting installed,”
“And we can get in front of people and have a conversation around why they’re seeing these murals.”
The remarks were attributed to Alexandra Hall, manager of Downtown Fort Wayne’s Art This Way public art program, which partners with City Utilities on the initiative.
Program funding and outreach
City Utilities budgets roughly $15,000 annually for Clean Drains Fort Wayne. The program also provides volunteer kits known as “drain stormer” kits so community members can mark and clean storm drains themselves. Kits include T-shirts, gloves, maps and medallions to affix at drain locations.
City Utilities spokesperson Frank Suarez characterized the program as an important investment for protecting rivers and neighborhoods. Some initial funding for the project came from Friends of the Rivers, the nonprofit that originated Clean Drains Fort Wayne in 2021 and partnered with the city for the program’s first three years.
What residents should know
The murals are intentionally placed by storm drains to connect a public-art message to the environmental function of the infrastructure beneath city streets. Organizers use the artwork to communicate the simple but critical message often summed up as “Only rain in the drain.” The goal is to reduce the volume of trash, chemicals and other waste entering the stormwater system.
- Start–end: Work begins Saturday and runs through Aug. 23.
- Artists: 16 local artists selected for installations.
- Budget: About $15,000 from City Utilities annually.
- Open Streets tie-in: Two installations will be visible during the Aug. 11 Open Streets festival, noon–4 p.m.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Program name | Clean Drains Fort Wayne: Be River SmART |
| Number of artists | 16 |
| City funding | ~$15,000 annually (City Utilities) |
| Open Streets times | Noon–4 p.m. |
For residents, the murals provide both an aesthetic addition to sidewalks and a point of civic education about stormwater stewardship. Organizers say the visibility of in-progress installations during city events like Open Streets gives staff and volunteers an opportunity to speak directly with pedestrians about how everyday actions — from littering to disposing of household chemicals — can affect waterways downstream.
As work proceeds over the next two weeks, residents can expect to see artists actively painting at marked locations and volunteers out with drain stormer kits. The program's combination of public art and environmental messaging represents a continuing city effort to engage neighborhoods in protecting Fort Wayne’s rivers and streams.
