✨ 5 Local Wins This Month

🎨 1. Murals Revitalize Gary, Indiana's Public Spaces

In a city known for its steel heritage and recent struggles with economic decline, a new form of renewal is taking shape: public art.

Through the Paint Gary Initiative, residents and artists have come together to transform abandoned buildings and underused spaces into canvases of color and pride. With themes ranging from civil rights and jazz history to visions of local hope, these murals are more than decoration — they’re statements of resilience.

The initiative has grown to include over a dozen large-scale pieces, each sparking conversation and creating a safer, more welcoming public environment. Local youth are also being trained in mural arts and storytelling, making this not just a beautification effort but a platform for intergenerational dialogue.

Source: NWI Times

📚 2. Artist-Designed Little Free Libraries in Santa Fe, New Mexico

Reading and art collide in Santa Fe’s newest community project: four artist-designed Little Free Libraries, located throughout the city’s public parks. Born out of a collaboration between the immersive art collective Meow Wolf and the City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department, these free library boxes are as stunning as they are functional.

Each box — designed by local artists — doubles as a miniature sculpture, drawing in children, families, and curious passersby. The libraries are stocked with bilingual books (English and Spanish), emphasizing inclusion and accessibility.

This project is part of a broader effort to bring art and education directly into neighborhoods, particularly those that lack traditional library access.

🧦 3. Flint Public Library's Sock Drive Supports Local Shelters

In Flint, Michigan — a city still recovering from the long-term effects of its water crisis — small acts of care go a long way.

The Flint Public Library recently completed a winter sock drive, collecting over 250 pairs of new socks for people in need. Socks are one of the most requested yet under-donated items at shelters and warming centers.

The drive was part of a broader winter initiative organized by library staff to meet immediate, practical needs within the community. Donated items were distributed to local shelters and also made available on-site for unhoused patrons who use the library as a daytime refuge.

🥕 4. Free Farmers Markets Support Tulsa Families

In Tulsa, Oklahoma, a creative partnership is making fresh food accessible to those who need it most. CAP Tulsa, an early childhood education nonprofit, teamed up with the Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma to host free pop-up farmers markets at school pick-up sites.

These markets provide seasonal fruits and vegetables to families with young children — many of whom live in food deserts or struggle with grocery costs. The produce is offered at no charge and comes with simple recipe cards and cooking tips.

The timing — during afternoon school pick-up — is intentional: it meets families where they already are and removes logistical barriers to access.

Since its launch, the initiative has fed hundreds of families and strengthened the bond between schools and their surrounding communities.

🎨 5. "Greatness of Gary" Project Engages Students in Public Art

Also in Gary, Indiana, a separate youth-driven effort is reclaiming narrative power through art. The Greatness of Gary project, led by the nonprofit GAPS (Gary Alumni Pathway to Students), invites local students to design and install billboards and murals that celebrate the city’s legacy and future.

Students learn about Gary’s rich history — from jazz legends to civil rights leaders — and interpret those lessons through digital and public art. With guidance from teaching artists, they create pieces that now line city corridors, inviting residents to reflect on their shared story.

The project is building pride and confidence among students, while also giving the broader public new images of what Gary represents today.