Artist Carrie Johns designs and paints intricate, unique murals
Downtown New Albany — with its revitalized, walkable blocks of top-notch eateries, eclectic boutiques, and unique shops — is the place where Southern Indiana muralist Carrie Johns can often be found these days. She recently relocated her studio to a downtown basement that can be entered from a staircase in front of the Elsby East building on Pearl Street, and she has made her home on Spring Street.
“I am elated being downtown where there is so much creative energy,” Johns said. “I know many of the shop owners. The food is amazing, and I can walk within a three-block radius of my studio and pass by five of my murals.”
“I am elated being downtown where there is so much creative energy,” Johns said. “I know many of the shop owners. The food is amazing, and I can walk within a three-block radius of my studio and pass by five of my murals.”
The basement where Johns has her studio has been given new life since she moved in. She spray-painted one entire wall, creating a bright, colorful mural. “The place is still a work in progress,” Johns said. “It’s great to have this place to store all of my supplies. I use it for prep work, sketching, thinking about ideas and doing research.”
There is a tremendous amount of thought and research that goes into each of Johns’s murals. Her largest mural, covering 3,700 square feet, is located on the Elsby East building just outside of her studio. “This building, built in 1866, began as the New Albany Opera House,” Johns explained. “For 40 years, it hosted some of the best actors and actresses of the 19th century.”
Johns designed the mural as a tribute to this once-grand place. Depicted on the mural is a red-haired opera singer, whose voice is symbolized by stars that shoot from her mouth across a wide expanse, pointing to the grandeur of the building’s past as one of the finest theaters in the Midwest. The building, as it was then (known from old photographs that Johns found) is also drawn as part of the mural’s background.
Johns designed the mural as a tribute to this once-grand place. Depicted on the mural is a red-haired opera singer, whose voice is symbolized by stars that shoot from her mouth across a wide expanse, pointing to the grandeur of the building’s past as one of the finest theaters in the Midwest. The building, as it was then (known from old photographs that Johns found) is also drawn as part of the mural’s background.
Johns explained the style of the painting: “The style is Art Nouveau, which was popular during the years when the Opera House was flourishing.” She also added flowers and butterflies to the mural to hint at the growth and evolution of New Albany over time.
Once Johns has developed her idea for a mural, she executes it in steps. She hand-sketches the image on paper, then blocks it out in squares. She photographs the wall or surface where the mural will be painted, then using a software program, she superimposes her blocked image onto the photograph to get the placement right.
When she is painting an image on the actual wall — whether in Milltown, New Albany or Corydon — she often draws a crowd who come to watch her and to marvel. She created her “Welcome to Milltown” mural on the side of Maxine’s Market during Milltown’s annual Paddle Festival.
“The amazing people of Milltown made me feel so welcome,” Johns said. “They would drive by and honk; they brought me drinks. It was a heartwarming experience — one I will never forget.”
That mural depicts some of the main attractions of the town: canoeing on Blue River, the local vegetation and wildlife, a rendering of the old Mill, and the legendary “shoe tree,” a tree in Milltown where, for generations, people have tossed shoes for good luck.
That mural depicts some of the main attractions of the town: canoeing on Blue River, the local vegetation and wildlife, a rendering of the old Mill, and the legendary “shoe tree,” a tree in Milltown where, for generations, people have tossed shoes for good luck.
The Milltown Economic Development Committee commissioned Johns to create a second mural in Milltown in 2023. This one is on the side of the Riverside Liquors Building, and features two muscle cars and classic signage, including E.K. Roggenkamp, a car dealership that played a big role in Milltown’s history.
“Indiana car shows are big events here and serve as a way to bring the community together,” Johns said. “I love these stories behind the murals I do. It is one of the great pleasures of my life to bring people together through art.”
Johns has completed over a dozen murals in Southern Indiana, and another seven in Louisville. All of them are designed for a specific location and purpose. In 2020, she was commissioned by MESA, A
Collaborative Kitchen to paint a mural that would get “MESA Kids” excited about cooking.
Just a block from her studio, on the back of MESA, she created her Chef’s Mural, which features portraits of six famous chefs: Julia Child, Nancy Silverton, Emeril Lagasse, Anthony Bourdain, Jamie Oliver and Mashama Bailey. The faces and unique expressions of each chef are captured with affection.
In 2021, the City of New Albany commissioned her to paint a mural on the side of Mickey’s Coffee Shop on Vincennes Street to promote growth in that area of town. For the background, Johns chose black and white paint to depict some of the landmarks of that area: New Albany High School, the building where Mickey’s is located and a rendering of the old Monon train station. In the foreground — in bright blues, oranges, and yellows — she painted a pair of hands letting go of a kaleidoscope of butterflies.
The main inspiration for all of this joyful and playful art is Johns’s children. “They keep me happy,” she said. Johns also had a happy childhood growing up in Georgetown, where her father was an amateur artist.
“I would sit for hours watching him paint, and learning,” she said. She expected to follow in his footsteps and become an artist.
“I remember once in elementary school a teacher singled out my picture to put on the board as an example of good work,” Johns said. “I never gave it a second thought because I already knew that I would be an artist, and that people would pay for my art.”
“I remember once in elementary school a teacher singled out my picture to put on the board as an example of good work,” Johns said. “I never gave it a second thought because I already knew that I would be an artist, and that people would pay for my art.”
And people did pay for her work. While still in high school, her aunt allowed her to paint a mural in her nursery. After that, people began calling her.
She also started doing Etch A Sketch drawings as a child. “We did not have endless supplies, so that was a tool I could erase and use again,” she said.
She became an expert. She now draws detailed portraits and copies of famous paintings — including the Mona Lisa — on this children’s tool. She is one of the top five people in the world who can do this.
She was recently offered a group show in Las Vegas to exhibit her Etch A Sketch drawings. People also buy them to hang as shadow boxes. It is another outlet for her creative energy.
She has also been taking workshops in plein-air painting for a few years, with plans to make this a priority in the future. But for now, she has four or five murals lined up. The next one will be on the Floyd County Token Club Building, just down the street from her studio. •
Story by Judy Cato
Photos by Lorraine Hughes (except where noted)
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