Downtown Evansville, Indiana's Newest Mural is Only Temporary

Downtown Evansville is becoming our little metropolis of murals. We have several very cool ones on buildings that provide unique backdrops for photos. But the latest project is only meant to be temporary.

DOWNTOWN EVANSVILLE ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT GOOGLE MAPS CANVA

Main Street Makeover

The Bitterman Building is now home to The Doughnut Parlor, which is the national hub of Parlor Doughnuts. This beautiful building is on the National Register of Historic Places, so the remodel had to be handled very carefully. Now that it's complete, the empty building next to it looked really sad.

DOWNTOWN EVANSVILLE ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT GOOGLE MAPS CANVA

Vibrancy on Main

Now that Bitterman Building looks so good, our friends at the Downtown Economic Improvement District commissioned a local artist to cover the empty storefronts. Keeping Downtown Evansville looking great is just one part of the EID's focus.

Ryan McKain

Clean, Safe & Beautiful: Litter removal, landscaping, contracting private law enforcement patrols, snow removal, installing and funding holiday décor to create a more festive downtown, placemaking projects like Game Room Alley on the 300 block of Main Street and funding additional operating hours at United Caring Services for our neighbors experiencing homelessness Events & Marketing: Host events and market Downtown as a destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment Business & Developer Recruitment: Connect with potential developers and host seminars on topics such as Opportunity Zones

Ryan McKain

The Downtown Evansville Economic Improvement District (EID) commissioned local artist Ryan McKain to create a mural at 206 & 208 Main Street. The temporary mural brings vibrancy to a space that is in a period of transition. If you are interested in purchasing the building or are looking for space for a ground-floor business, please contact the current owner, Architectural Renovators, at (812) 422-2215. To learn more about the EID’s efforts to enhance resident, consumer, investor, worker, and visitor experiences in Downtown Evansville visit: www.downtownevansville.com/about.

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See How Downtown Evansville Has Changed Over the Years

I find looking back on the way things used to be fascinating. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I'm living through the current time period. The conveniences of answering any question we have in seconds, or ordering practically anything we want or need and having it delivered to our doorstep is pretty sweet. But, there is something fun about seeing how things around us have evolved. As an Evansville native, and spending quite a bit of my time in downtown Evansville (that's where the station is located), I've always appreciated the older architecture of the buildings around the area. So, I dug into the Willard Library Archives to see how a few of those areas look now compared to then. Some have changed a little, others quite a bit, and a few don't even exist any more. Take a look.

Gallery Credit: Ryan O'Bryan