A vibrant new mural by Boxx The Artist graces the Fletcher Place Community Center (FPCC) thanks to the WNBA All-Star Host Committee Legacy Project.
The WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee awarded a grant to the FPCC in February as part of its Legacy Project. The grant provided funding to local nonprofits, such as the FPCC, toward the development of new or advancement of current programs that “lift up and empower youth and their families,” according to a press release. The 2025 WNBA All-Star Host Committee unveiled the mural — alongside additional renovations to the FPCC — during a ribbon-cutting celebration at the community center on June 26.
“We’re incredibly grateful to the WNBA All-Star 2025 Host Committee for funding this project, and to the Rotary Club of Indianapolis and a generous anonymous donor for their support of the mural,” Melissa Drew, executive director of FPCC, said in a statement. “This collaboration is a powerful example of what’s possible when the community comes together.”
FPCC has served Indianapolis’ South Side community through outreach programs for low-income and unhoused residents since 1872, Drew said during the ribbon cutting. The FPCC strives to “break the cycle of poverty through hope, compassion and renewal,” by offering programming designed to alleviate immediate needs, operates a community garden to address hunger and runs an affordable daycare with high-quality education for children up to 5 years old.
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Boxx The Artist was selected to create the mural for FPCC, entitled “Rooted Together,” a celebration of community compassion and the renewing spirit of the Fletcher Place Community Center through the Legacy Project.
The Indy-based multi-disciplinary and award-winning visual artist has designed and installed more than 10 murals across the city — including a permanent piece in the Indiana State Museum and a mural for the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit at Conner Prairie — and said it is an honor to be selected to “create the vision and the voice” of FPCC.
“Art does have that way to connect community in ways that others can’t,” Boxx The Artist said. “You can capture the spirit of what goes on inside and outside of the walls, through the community garden, through their early education programs, through the meals that are served, through the community essentials that are provided. Being able to capture that visually, it can connect in a way that can really help people understand the work that’s been done here.”
In addition to the mural, the WNBA Legacy Project grant funded improvements to the FPCC, such as updating kitchen and basement storage and equipment, upgrading the REACH Early Learning playground and toddler play space, adding a learning greenhouse and improving the community garden, according to Erin Weesner, FPCC board chair.
When it comes to hosting major weekend-long events, especially sporting events, Indianapolis is better than most, but what makes it truly special is the addition of Legacy community initiatives that will be remembered for years to come, said Mel Raines, CEO of Pacers Sports and Entertainment.
“What is great about these events is that we can do Legacy Projects and engage our community that has a lasting impact for decades to come, and this project at Fletcher Place, which is really in our neighborhood for Gainbridge Fieldhouse, is extra special,” Raines said. “They had something in the works. They needed additional funding. We could match their funding and get their project done before the All-Star game and make an impact that I think families will feel for a long time here.”
The AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025 is coming to Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis July 18-19. For more information about the WNBA All-Star weekend, visit wnbaallstar2025.com.
For more information about Fletcher Place Community Center, visit fletcherplacecc.org.
Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.
Chloe McGowan is the Arts & Culture Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper. Originally from Columbus, OH, Chloe graduated with a degree in journalism from The Ohio State University. She is a former IndyStar Pulliam Fellow, and her previous work includes freelancing for Indy Maven, Assistant Arts & Life Editor for The Lantern, and editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Chloe enjoys covering all things arts and culture — from local music, visual art, dance, theater and film, as well as minority-owned businesses. In her free time, Chloe enjoys reading, cooking and keeping her plants alive.
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