Dr. Pepper unveiled the latest addition to Kirkwood Avenue on Friday: an interactive mural called the “Fan Wall of Fame.”
The mural, made in collaboration with global art agency Muros, celebrates the fans who supported Indiana football’s historic championship run last season.
Located at 124 E. Kirkwood Ave. on the wall of store Alumni Hall, the mural features celebrating fans opening Dr. Pepper cans, holding the national championship trophy and crowning the "No. 1 Fan." When people take a selfie from a certain spot, it looks as if the painted fans are crowning them taking the photo.
The piece was created by Nate Baranowski, a muralist based in South Bend, Indiana. When Muros and Dr. Pepper first approached him about the piece, Baranowski said he was excited for the opportunity.
"I love when art and sports go together," Baranowski said. “My goal was to capture how universal the passion of being a fan really is.”
Baranowski went through five or six rough drafts before settling on the final design. He was especially satisfied with the addition of the national championship trophy on his last design, and the crown being placed on top of the throne. He had to adjust his design to fit the dimensions of the mural wall, before using a virtual-reality headset to project the design onto the wall and ensure the proportions were right. He then spent three days painting the mural. His favorite parts of the design, he said, are the fans of all ages.
"Being a fan is a special area that's able to cross over generational gaps, and that was one of the biggest goals I had when creating the design," Baranowski said.
He wanted to show that Indiana football has fans of all ages, backgrounds and experiences.
Working on the mural for a few days, Baranowski was able to interact with many Bloomington locals who are longtime Indiana sports fans and get a deeper understanding of the community he was creating the mural for.
The unveiling took place at 3 p.m. Friday following a speech from Trent Green, a former Indiana quarterback who spent 15 seasons in the NFL and earned two Pro Bowl selections throughout his career. Green's ties to Indiana date to 1988, when he played under head coach Bill Mallory, a time he considered to be the “heyday” of college football.
Green said he was drawn to the mural's interactive design, as well as how the mural depicts community through athletics.
"Sports is something that really brings people together," Green said . "Football in this case is what brought so many people together today to celebrate this amazing achievement of Indiana football."
As part of the unveiling, Dr. Pepper gave out free soda and limited-edition merchandise ,. Among the attendees was IU sophomore Erica Luther, who said the mural reflected the sense of community around Hoosier athletics.
"It's so cool to see everyone come together," Luther said. "It shows a real sense of community and that so many people can bond over our love for athletics."
