In Defiance of Racism
Lyndy Bazile has become a fixture for Fort Wayne, Indiana, but her mission to create equitable futures for artists of color carries her beyond its bounds. Much of Bazile’s work is inspired by her Haitian roots and feminine nature. She dipped into both of these identities for her most recent mural, commissioned by Jiffy Lube and depicting a serene day at Fox Lake in Angola, Indiana. Angola is one of the Northeastern-most cities in Indiana, and, based on 2020 Census statistics, just 1.1% of its population is African-American. Born out of segregation and established in 1925, the Fox Lake Resort Community drew in middle class Black families from major Midwestern metropolitan areas such as Detroit, Indianapolis, Toledo and Chicago. Just three years later and less than 100 miles away, the last known lynching of Black men in Indiana was carried out in Marion.
Indiana Historical Society Database
Indiana Historical Society Database
Postcard, Indiana Historical Society Database
Based on newsletters preserved by the Indiana Historical Society, over the years Fox Lake has hosted beauty pageants, swimming lessons, and beachside recreational activities such as calisthenics, church, music, and movie nights. Due to its renowned cultural significance, in 2001 Fox Lake was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places. This multi-generational lake community is still predominantly owned by African-American families, and it gave Bazile the stamp of approval on her mural design.
Weeks before she was scheduled to start her installation, a small Black-owned shop was broken into and vandalized with racial slurs etched in red spray paint. Armed with moxie and paint of her own, Bazile pressed on with her assistants Greg Rose (they/them) and Aleks Thierry (they/them) to execute her design. I caught up with Bazile to talk with her about her plans for this mural and her vision for Northeast Indiana.
Indiana Historical Society Database
Lyndy Bazile, the artist behind AfroPlump. Photo by Sierah Barnhart.
Greg Rose (they, them), assistant to Bazile. Photo by Sierah Barnhart.
Aleks Thierry (they, them), assistant to Bazile. Photo by Sierah Barnhart.
Sierah Barnhart (SB): Tell us about your mural in Angola, Indiana.
Lyndy Bazile (LB): The mural is intended to portray a peaceful and relaxing day on the beach. A family sits on a wooden pier together and dragonflies circle above an old row boat, all while the sun is setting over the tranquil lake. For me, the mural feels a bit vintage in design, like an old postcard. However, it is also a nod to the future and our continued need for a more widespread level of belonging.
I will be installing a mural in Angola during the summer of 2022. This mural will be in celebration of the historically Black community of Fox Lake located in Angola. Since the late 1800s, Fox Lake has been a safe summer destination for Black people all across the Midwest. I am excited for the opportunity to highlight such a special place and to have the support of the Board at Fox Lake on this project. Fox Lake is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and continues to be a safe haven for the majority Black community that has grown there.
Photo from Fox Lake Resort Community Website
SB: What kind of impact do you hope this mural has on Angola?
LB: My hope is that this mural brings awareness to our history and reminds us that while much of the world has been off limits and inaccessible to POC, we still have found ways to thrive and find joy. Ultimately, I would love to see more diversity at lakes. Oftentimes, “Lake Life” is seen as something that only white people get to enjoy. The rest of us have to hope to know a white person who will let us come up for a day. Fox Lake reminds us that we are all allowed at the lake. We are all allowed to enjoy spending the summer on a pier: fishing, boating, swimming, etc. We should all experience joy!
SB: What are your aspirations for artists and people of color in Fort Wayne, Indiana?
LB: I look forward to seeing more diversity in the people involved and recognized in the arts community of Fort Wayne. So many arts groups and organizations are overwhelmingly white and perhaps have felt inaccessible to many for too long. I see things shifting to a space where we are starting to acknowledge this issue, and many are working to make the arts more accessible to people from all backgrounds.
SB: How can people support your vision?
LB: One project that I have been working on is the development of a multi-artist studio space in Southeast Fort Wayne. I believe that creating a professional studio space that offers opportunities for collaborations and support on public art projects, as well as gallery exhibits, would greatly nourish the arts culture in our neighborhoods. You can support this vision by attending events for, getting involved with, and/or buying art from BIPOC artists whenever you have the chance!
Images by Sierah Barnhart.
To learn more about Bazile and see her final mural, follow her on Instagram or purchase some art, including one of a kind originals, on her website. To learn more about Fox Lake, you can visit the Fox Lake Resort Community website or take a road trip to Angola and rent Little Brown Jug or Rohnda’s Michelle’s on Air B&B.
