For most people, their high school art class is the limit to which they want to venture creatively. Few maintain a creative hobby throughout their life, and even fewer dare to make their creativity a career.
Creating art takes courage, self-determination and, most importantly, honesty. This is certainly true in the case of Indianapolis artist Koda Witsken.
Her passion for creativity, equality and giving back to the community has allowed her to blossom into a vibrant, in-demand artist.
Born into a creative family, she was able to grow up in an environment that encouraged creativity and self-discovery. However, it wasn’t until high school that she encountered one of her biggest influences, and the person she credits as the reason she is a professional artist today.
While attending Hamilton Southeastern High School, Witsken honed her artistic skills in the art class of Angela Fritz. Fritz encouraged her students to explore their creative side, while not being afraid to go off the beaten path. The support and freedom of expression she received from Fritz were pivotal to Witsken’s evolution as an artist. This was the moment when Witsken says she truly fell in love with art.
After graduation Witsken embarked on a career path away from the arts, but always found herself coming back to it. Doing murals and other projects as a side business in college allowed her to retain her creativity, while navigating the highs and lows of corporate America.
“Losing yourself for like eight to 12 hours under a spray mask, there’s just something romantic about it,” she says. “That will always be my favorite part, regardless of what I’m doing.”
This passion gave her the confidence to take a leap of faith, become an artist full-time and never look back.
“I started my business around 2018,” she says. “I think most people thought, ‘Oh gosh, you’re quitting your cushy corporate job to start an art business.’ There was a huge surge in my industry around the pandemic and it was the perfect time to get started. It just took off from there.”
With a background in fine art and an ever-growing skill set, there is not much she can’t do. Whether the project calls for sculpting or spray painting a mural, it is met with the same enthusiasm, creative flare, and her motto of “best energies and bright colors.”
Since she began her career, Witsken has worked with many influential brands and professional sports teams including Starbucks, Harley-Davidson and Target, as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Pacers.
While her work may have international reach, what truly fuels Witsken is giving back to Indiana and its people. “I love working with people who really want to make quite visible impacts in the community,” she says.
When Indianapolis hosted the most recent NBA All-Star Game in February, Witsken was part of a collection of artists tasked with blending basketball, culture, art, history and Indiana into a series of artistic projects around the city.
Witsken’s sculpture highlighted a pivotal moment in sports history – the Title IX legislation from 1972. The law, authored by Hoosier Senator Birch Bayh, sought to bring gender equality into sports, and paved the way for girls athletics to be implemented under the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
This past spring, Witsken partnered with the City of Fishers and NBA player/Fishers native Gary Harris to create murals on the basketball courts at Brooks School Park. Harris grew up playing on those courts, and together with Witsken sought to provide a place for future generations to exercise and be inspired to chase their dreams.
Looking ahead, the next major project on the horizon for Witsken is the Damien Center, which is the oldest and largest HIV/AIDS service organization in the state. Founded in 1987, the Damien Center seeks to provide health services, education and advocacy for all those in need. It currently helps about 25% of Hoosiers living with HIV, with plans to continue expanding.
The mural that Witsken has been commissioned to create will be a part of the Damien Centers’ new building, and will seek to embody its vision, mission and history.
For Witsken, art is about the journey, not the destination. Her commitment to her community and her continual growth as an artist can only mean one thing…she ain’t done yet.
If you would like more information about Witsken or her projects, follow her on Instagram @koda.witsken.
