Southern Indiana Living - March / April 2024

Cover Story
Downtown New Albany
— with its revitalized,
walkable blocks of topnotch
eateries, eclectic
boutiques, and unique shops — is
the place where Southern Indiana
muralist Carrie Johns can often be
found these days. She recently relocated
her studio to a downtown
basement that can be entered from
a staircase in front of the Elsby
East building on Pearl Street, and
she has made her home on Spring
Street.
“I am elated being downtown
where there is so much creative energy,”
Johns said. “I know many of
the shop owners. The food is amazing,
and I can walk within a threeblock
radius of my studio and pass
by five of my murals.”
The basement where Johns
has her studio has been given new
life since she moved in. She spraypainted
one entire wall, creating a
bright, colorful mural. “The place is
still a work in progress,” Johns said.
“It’s great to have this place to store
all of my supplies. I use it for prep
work, sketching, thinking about
ideas and doing research.”
There is a tremendous amount
of thought and research that goes
into each of Johns’s murals. Her
12 • Mar/Apr 2024 • Southern Indiana Living
Southern Indiana’s Muralist
Artist Carrie Johns designs and paints intricate murals unique to each town
largest mural, covering 3,700 square
feet, is located on the Elsby East
building just outside of her studio.
“This building, built in 1866, began
as the New Albany Opera House,”
Johns explained. “For 40 years, it
hosted some of the best actors and
actresses of the 19th century.”
Johns designed the mural as
a tribute to this once-grand place.
Depicted on the mural is a redhaired
opera singer, whose voice is
symbolized by stars that shoot from
her mouth across a wide expanse,
pointing to the grandeur of the
building’s past as one of the finest
theaters in the Midwest. The building,
as it was then (known from old
photographs that Johns found) is
also drawn as part of the mural’s
background.
Johns explained the style of
the painting: “The style is Art Nouveau,
which was popular during
the years when the Opera House
was flourishing.” She also added
flowers and butterflies to the mural
to hint at the growth and evolution
of New Albany over time.
Once Johns has developed her
idea for a mural, she executes it in
steps. She hand-sketches the image
on paper, then blocks it out in
squares. She photographs the wall
Story by Judy Cato
Photos by Lorraine Hughes
or surface where the mural will
be painted, then using a software
program, she superimposes her
blocked image onto the photograph
to get the placement right.
When she is painting an image
on the actual wall — whether in
Milltown, New Albany or Corydon
— she often draws a crowd who
come to watch her and to marvel.
She created her “Welcome to Milltown”
mural on the side of Maxine’s
Market during Milltown’s annual
Paddle Festival.
“The amazing people of Milltown
made me feel so welcome,”
Johns said. “They would drive by
and honk; they brought me drinks.
It was a heartwarming experience
— one I will never forget.”
That mural depicts some of the
main attractions of the town: canoeing
on Blue River, the local vegetation
and wildlife, a rendering of the
old Mill, and the legendary “shoe
tree,” a tree in Milltown where, for
generations, people have tossed
shoes for good luck.
The Milltown Economic Development
Committee commissioned
Johns to create a second mural
in Milltown in 2023. This one is
on the side of the Riverside Liquors
Building, and features two muscle