Let the Journey Begin

This mural is a vinyl reproduction of an original work and aims to create a web of experiences. The layering of maps, shapes, and abstractions represent the artist's experiences with a place along with other’s experiences. The history of a place is shaped by the layers of memories that are created there. The foundation of the process starts with adhering a map to the surface of the piece. Upon the map, the artist build in layers of shapes inspired by the architecture of the place. The use of mainly neutral colors works to invoke a sense of nostalgia with the viewer, similar to sepia-toned photographs and aged history books. Gold leaf and splatters are incorporated to add a final element of human touch, to symbolize the passage of time, and to communicate a sense of sacredness to the place. In the end, the final piece demonstrates the layers of history that go into place, and through the work’s textural surface, it invites the viewer to step into the history of that place.

• Artist: Caroline Hays
• Location: Baggage Claim

About the Artist: Caroline Hays is an artist and educator currently teaching at a high school north of Indianapolis. In her role as a teacher, she loves witnessing her students grow in their skills and seeing them define their voice as an artist. Caroline’s personal work is inspired by her immense love for history, and her family’s legacy of travel. Many of the brochures, book pages, and maps used in her pieces come from the artifacts that her grandparents kept to document their travels. Through her work she hopes to honor their legacy and pay tribute to the history that so many places hold.