Make wishtv.com your home page

Students create a masterpiece inside IMPD’S Southwest District

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – The United States Attorney’s Office and the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department collaborated to create a masterpiece. Both groups leaned on students from Daniel Webster Elementary School.

Over the course of several weeks, 23 girls from the school were selected to create a mural.The legacy art project picked students from high risk neighborhoods and got them involved in creating the artwork. The U.S. Attorney’s Office invested $8,000 in the program, and the Mary Rigg Neighborhood Center gave about $2,500 to the project.

The investment allowed the group to hire an art teacher for the girls. The students also received instructions on how to improve their self-esteem. In the end, the collection of pre-teens created three murals. Two are visible to those inside IMPD’s Southwest District, the other one is placed inside Daniel Webster Elementary School.

Part of the mural says “Courage” in big bold letters.

“I am pleased to see our community working together to honor the brave officers of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department with the one word that always comes to mind when we think of law enforcement: Courage,” said Minkler.

Mayor Joe Hogsett and IMPD Chief Bryan Roach joined Minkler for the announcement.

“This mural is a testament to the talents of our richest treasure, our youth,” said Chief Roach.

A roomful of adults were inside the gymnasium at the southwest district marveling at the students work, while some students appeared amazed by what they were able to create.

“It’s amazing, I didn’t think I could do something like that,” said Aubany Vaughn, one of the students behind the project.

Never miss another Facebook post from WISH-TV