New gallery open for visitors

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CIZ-ComNewArtGalleryDoug Arnholter, 2013, by Molly Arnholter BW
Arnholter

Local artist Doug Arnholter is passionate about creating public art, and now the community can stop by and enjoy his work at an open house in his new gallery and workspace, Doug Arnholter Fine Art and Design, May 17 from 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown Zionsville.

Arnholter, who has been working out of a warehouse at 54th and Winthrop streets the last eight years, made the move to Zionsville because, “I fell in love with the community. It has a great little downtown, and I thought I could have a lot of fun experimenting with a combined retail and production space.”

The open house will feature music from electric vocalist/violinist Cathy Morris, appetizers and beverages. Arnholter’s paintings and frescos also will be on display in his 15,000-square-foot studio.

Before becoming an artist, Arnholter was an executive for Rollins, a Fortune 500 pest control company. He made the jump from the corporate world to the creative one so he could be at home to raise his daughter and now works with many different mediums including public art, frescos, paintings, sculptures and interior design layouts.

When speaking with Arnholter, you can tell his passion lies with the global community art project he created, Mural of the World; a 240-foot-long display of unique community paint-by-number murals. What started five years ago in Carmel has now engaged more than 65,000 people in 28 communities and raised more than $100,000 for various charities.

For the Mural of the World project, Arnholter works with different communities in the U.S. and internationally to come up with a paint-by-number image that is unique to their area, cause and number of people expected to participate in the painting event. The mural is then displayed at a festival or special event for passersby to fill in the artwork.

Arnholter said he has done a Mural of the World event in both Carmel and downtown in Fountain Square, with 6,000 people participating in the Fountain Square event. He said he would love to have Zionsville participate in the Mural of the World project and see the community come together in an artistic way.

“The communication of thought is what I like most about being an artist. Public art is about engaging the community and building something everyone can participate in and create together, I would love to bring that to Zionsville.”

 

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