Guitar Picks & Paintbrushes
Celebrating more John Mellencamp in Indiana.
We were randomly empowered to cheat in the moment. There was no fighting authority; it just happened.
Our traveling trio consumed the visual art, likely his lesser-known talent to most, as our 4th of July surprise in Bloomington, Indiana, was serenaded by some of the painter’s famous audio recordings. There was no expectation of viewing John Mellencamp’s paintings in the CLASH art gallery on our country’s 249th birthday. Still, it fortuitously happened, and our spike in excitement could be described as launching from birthday candles to sparklers on the proverbial birthday cake.
My friend Tom Gross drove in from Illinois to visit a family member for the holiday. And that meant time enough to steal him away for an hour(ish) drive to the Indiana University campus to pay homage to the John Mellencamp statue that was unveiled on Oct. 18, 2024. The bronze statue, sculpted by Bloomington native Michael McAuley, is Mellencamp in motion with a guitar and can be found in the Elsie Irwin Sweeney Rock Garden on the north side of the IU Auditorium.
Nearly a year earlier, Tom and one of his amazing daughters joined me and Monica for a trip to Seymour, Ind., where we explored, appreciated, and celebrated THE “small town” where Mellencamp grew up. It became an important part of the podcast episode that Tom and I recorded while discussing each track from the 5X platinum (U.S.) 1985 album, “Scarecrow.”
While in Seymour, it was easy to find people to talk about their local rock and roll hero. Bloomington was no different once we walked into CLASH. Owner and artist Jennifer Mujezinovic welcomed us with open arms and shared how Mellencamp’s art came to be in her gallery and how that relationship has continued to grow. There were many great stories, but none better than when she introduced us to the painting, "Indiana Jersey Line." She had a print of the piece hanging in the gallery—Art created by the combination of Mellencamp and his friend, Bruce Springsteen.
Soaking in that story, hearing “R.O.C.K. in the USA,” and other songs through Jenn’s curated gallery playlist (that only has a handful of Mellencamp’s songs), and spending a special holiday with loved ones while meeting a new friend was amazing. More “small town” feelings as we again celebrated a person, artist, and individual who has made a tremendous impact on Indiana, America, and the world.
