Allen County unveiled another “I Am Allen” sculpture today/Wednesday in downtown Fort Wayne.
Last year, the Allen County Bicentennial Executive board chose 15 artists to paint murals on sculptures to be placed around the county. The sculpture near Promenade Park in downtown Fort Wayne is the latest one to receive a dedication.
Local artist Terry Ratliff painted the mural to reflect the past and present of the city. He says he hopes people who pass by think about the history of the town and improvements that have been made.
“You know the Wolf and Dessauer building, which was a magical place to go at Christmastime, the trolley buses. Downtown was hustling and bustling then, and it still is today.”
The sides of the sculpture depict historical views of Fort Wayne, while the back has a large mural of the downtown skyline from the start of Parkview Field. In the bottom left of the skyline, Ratliff included a billboard that declares ‘Henry for Mayor,’ honoring the late Mayor Tom Henry who was instrumental in downtown improvement during his tenure.
Ratliff has lived in Fort Wayne for 30 years and owns a gallery on Broadway. He says he also wanted to put a bit of himself in the mural by including his own art style.
