From her job as the Fulton County Public Library's makerspace coordinator, to leading the art in some of Rochester's downtown murals with Full Tilt Arts murals and more, local artist Erica Coffing continues to inspire the area with her creativity.

Recently commissioned by the Indiana State Museum, Coffing took herself out of her comfort zone for a project at the end of the summer to represent Fulton County with an ornament added to the museum's 92 county tree collection that is displayed each December. 

The 92 County Tree is still on display at the Indiana State Museum's Washington Street entrance until December 31, and will return next year during the 2024 holiday season. 

Having a little more than two months to work on the project starting at the end of the summer, Coffing highlighted five of Fulton County's unique characteristics in a quilt-like design. Blending reality alongside folklore with oil paint on a birchwood, Coffing included the legend of the Lake Manitou Monster to be the center of her piece, surrounded by the Fulton County Courthouse lions, corn, a round barn, and the majestic blue heron. 

A unique project compared to her usual work as a contemporary portrait artist, Coffing hopes that her willingness to step out of her comfort zone will enable her to continue growing as an artist. 

By continuing to put creativity on display, Coffing also hopes to inspire other artists to not let fear or self-doubt stop them from creating and sharing their art with the community.