Local artist needs help saving South Bend Art Wall

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WNDU) - A local artist needs your help to Save the South Bend Art Wall after receiving a notice it could be torn down because of maintenance issues.

Alex Van Galder, who has voluntarily offered his time and money to maintain the wall over the past three years, says he can no longer do it alone.

Van Galder says the wall, which was built nearly a decade ago near the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and Niles Avenue in South Bend, is slowly falling apart. He says it was originally built with particle boards and was supposed to be temporary, but now it needs to be replaced with weather-treated wood.

In addition, Van Galder says property owners require the wall to be maintained at all times, which costs money -- money Van Galder says he does not have this year because of the pandemic.

“This year we do not have the same sponsors due to COVID and did not have a large event to gather enough sponsors in time,” Van Galder says.

Van Galder also points out that if he is not able to receive the materials and the help to restore the wall in a timely fashion, it is likely the wall will be torn down.

“If we do not receive the funds, the wall will be torn down. Hopefully we are able to allocate the funds to fix it. It’s more about the community than it is about platforming myself as an artist because I know how hard it is coming up in the art field. People need that, people need the opportunity to platform their art, and involve themselves in the community and give back,” Van Galder says.

If you would like to donate to help save the South Bend Art Wall, you can donate by going to GoFundMe.com and searching South Bend Art Wall.

You can also contact Alex Van Galder directly by calling (574) 849-0076 or emailing VanGalderMurals@gmail.com.

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