How a Nebraska Mural Project unites a community
The South Omaha Mural Project is transforming the community one wall and brushstroke at a time. Since 2014, the mission of the project has been to strengthen the community through collaborative art and cultural exploration. The goal of the project is to inspire important and engaging conversations about the variety of cultures that make this Nebraskan community unique.
Today, more than 433,000 people call Omaha home—but it takes more than statistics to tell the story of a city. Omaha was named after the Indigenous Omaha tribe that resided there until the Nebraska territory was created as part of the Nebraska-Kansas Act in 1854. It was a major location on the transcontinental railroad. The railroad drew immigrants from across the United States and created a culturally and ethnically diverse city. As a result, the city’s industries flourished, and Omaha quickly became known as, “The Magic City,” but what is it that truly makes the city magical?
The city was also a center of racial tension during the civil rights movement. As a result of the construction of highways and suburbs, residents were subsequently divided along social and economic lines, separating the once culturally diverse city. Recent efforts, such as the South Omaha Mural Project, are working to revitalize downtown Omaha to bridge this cultural and ethnic divide by highlighting the stories of these groups.
From humble beginnings as a small, two-mural endeavor, the South Omaha Project quickly grew into something larger. The focus has now shifted to a community-wide project highlighting the diverse cultural history and ethnicities of Omaha. Artists collaborate closely with members of the communities they wish to represent to accurately portray their stories and communicate their rich history. Most murals take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to complete. In the future, the artists intend to add more murals to the project.
Artist Jair Rodriguez, an artist working on the project, says his favorite mural is the “Threads of Life,” a Mayan community mural.
“I just like to learn more about the different groups and help them get their voice(s) heard–or seen–on these murals,” Rodriguez says.
Through the creation of murals like this, the artists of the South Omaha Mural Project are working to showcase the voices that make Omaha, “The Magic City.”
Mayan Community Mural. Artists: Communidad Maya Pixan Ixam and friends, Jair Rodriguez, Ilaamen Pelshaw, Richard Harrison, and Gary Kastrick. 2019
Artists: Neighbors of South 13th St, Richard Harrison and Rebecca Harrison. 2014.
Artists: Metro Community College students, South Omaha neighbors, Mike Giron, Susan Trinkle Tamayo, Richard Harrison, Rebecca Harrison, and Gary Kastrick. 2014.
Magic City Mural. Artists: Mike Giron, Richard Harrison, Rebecca Harrison, Jair Rodriguez, Ian Rodriguez, Aaron Olivo, Rigoberto Barajas-Rivera, and Gary Kastrick. 2014.
Lithuanian Community Mural. Artists: The Omaha Lithuanian American Community and friends, Mike Giron, Richard Harrison, Rebecca Harrison, Hugo Zamorano, and Gary Kastrick. 2015.
Mexican Community Mural. Artists: Mexican American Historical Society of the Midlands and friends, Hugo Zamorano, Mike Giron, Gerardo Vazquez, Ian Rodriguez, Jair Rodriguez, Aaron Olivo, Danial Castaneda, Richard Harrison, Quintin Slovek, and Gary Kastrick. 2016.
Croatian Community Mural. Artists: Sts. Peter and Paul Church and friends, Richard Harrison, Rebecca Harrison, Quintin Slovek, Maggie Heusinkvelt, and Gary Kastrick. 2017.
Native American Community Mural. Artists: The Native American Community of Nebraska, The Nebraska Urban Indian Health Coalition, Aaron Olivo, Steve Tamaya, Sara Rowe, Richard Harrison, and Hugo Zamorano. 2021.
Artists: Highland South and Indian Hill neighborhoods, The Simple Foundation, Barber, Jennifer Young, Zaleski, Benter Mock, Rebecca Harrison, Jeremiah Neal, Pamela Conyers-Hinson, Joelle Sandfort, Aaryon Williams, and Ang Bennet. 2021.
To learn more about the South Omaha Mural Project, go to https://www.southomahamuralproject.com/ or follow the project on Instagram @Southomahamurals.
