The completion of a mural at the Downtown Warsaw YMCA was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting Friday. Pictured are muralist Chris Catalogna and members of AkzoNobel, the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Warsaw, Warsaw Public Arts Commission and Clearly Kosciusko. Photo by Jackie Gorski, Times-Union.

By Jackie Gorski
Times-Union

WARSAW — Four weeks after a mural at the Downtown Warsaw YMCA was started, its completion was celebrated Friday, Nov. 1, with a ribbon-cutting with Main Street Warsaw.

The first brushstrokes of a mural were put on the wall at the Downtown Warsaw YMCA Sept. 27.

AkzoNobel partnered with Main Street Warsaw, Warsaw Public Arts Commission and Clearly Kosciusko to create a 2,100-square-foot mural on the building located at 576 W. Fort Wayne St., Warsaw.

Muralist Chris Catalogna said it took about 270 hours of painting and 40 hours of designing to complete the mural.

The old Madison Elementary School was the focal point of the mural. The Downtown Warsaw YMCA is in what remains of the school’s gymnasium.

Catalogna said he wanted the idea of kids running from the past in the future in the mural. The idea of the mural is it’s OK to dream, get out into nature and have fun.

While Catalogna was painting the mural, there were kids playing at the playground.
“They were swinging on the swings, asking me questions,” he said. It was great to talk to people about what Madison Elementary School was like and he got a good perspective on what the impact of the mural was going to be, he stated.

During Friday’s event, AkzoNobel Warsaw Site Manager Hector Loyola said the mural honors members of the area. He thanked Catalogna for the amazing job with the mural.

AkzoNobel sponsored the mural as part of its global Let’s Color initiative, which has added color to people’s lives and transformed communities around the world for more than a decade, according to a news release. With 3,059 community projects completed globally, AkzoNobel is “eager to bring our passion for coloring our community to Warsaw.”

Paulette Davis, of the Warsaw Public Arts Commission, said she wanted to thank AkzoNobel for reaching out to the commission and giving them the opportunity do something like partnering on the mural. She thanked the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, Main Street Warsaw, Warsaw Public Arts Commission and Clearly Kosciusko for supporting the project and helping the commission in advancing and bringing public art to Warsaw.

YMCA CEO Jim Swanson said when the YMCA partnered with G & G Hauling & Excavating Inc., they wanted to keep the history of Madison Elementary School alive in the area.

Rob Parker, Main Street Warsaw and Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, said it was a great collaboration and was excited for what the future holds for all the sponsors of the project.