Bricks from Kelby Love Mural Available for Pickup today

ELKHART COUNTY, Ind. --The Kelby Love mural in downtown Elkhart may no longer be standing, you still have a chance to own a piece of that history. 

It’s an icon in the city of Elkhart as it stood on the corner of Prairie and Main for 30 years.  Now, the city is determined to preserve this piece of history for generations to come. 

Love painted his iconic mural in response to incidents of gun violence in the city but the building the mural was painted on was falling apart and had to be torn down.  

But the bricks the mural was painted on can now be picked up by anyone looking to hold on to a piece of Elkhart history.  

“You can see that he really was motivated by love and passion for his hometown as he put this mural together. We want that mural and message to sit on a building that is deserving of it and is going to stand for another hundred years like this old building did,” Director of Communitions for the city of Elkhart Corinne Straight said.  

The pickup is scheduled for today between 1-4 PM. City staff members will be assisting handing out the bricks drive-thru style as it’s one brick per person on a first come first serve basis.   

Elkhart mayor Rod Roberson and Love's mother, Glenda Love, will be there to commemorate this special occasion. 

Straight emphasizes the emotional significance of the mural and the building it adorned. 

“It’s really exciting. The paint that was painted on those original bricks, we know it’s special. Not only did Kelby design it and paint some of it, but he involved students from the local high schools come and paint it. He was a staff member there. It was a real community effort. Throughout this whole process, people have shared their memories of painting it and help Mr. Love go buy the paint and doing the work. People who have painted this wall, I know they have a real emotional connection to the work that they did,” Straight said.