FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What is the Omaha Mural Project?
Where is "Fertile Ground" located?
When will the mural be finished?
What are the major themes found in "Fertile Ground?"
Where can I see an artist's rendering of "Fertile Ground?"
How was the artist selected?
How was imagery for the mural selected?
We know it's big, but what is different about The Omaha Mural Project's "Fertile Ground?"
What else is new and different with "Fertile Ground?"
Why is the Peter Kiewit Foundation creating the mural?
What is the role of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts?
What is the Omaha Mural Project?
The Omaha Mural Project is a towering 22,000 square-foot mural on the east wall of the Energy Systems building near 13th and Webster Street. Measuring 70 feet tall and 328 feet long, the work is titled "Fertile Ground" and is the creation of internationally acclaimed artist Meg Saligman. It will be the largest public art project in the history of the city and is a gift to Omaha from the Peter Kiewit Foundation. Upon completion, the work will be one of the very largest murals in the country.
Where is "Fertile Ground" located?
The mural is located on the eastern wall of the Energy Systems Inc building on 13th and Webster in downtown Omaha. Its prominent NoDo location makes the mural a stunning backdrop for visitors to the Qwest Center and the soon-to-be-built ballpark as it also acts as an over-sized welcome card to those entering the downtown area from the airport.
When will the mural be finished?
The mural is scheduled to be finished in June of 2009.
What are the major themes found in "Fertile Ground?"
Simply put, "Fertile Ground" will tell our story, the story of Omaha. Who we are, how we got here and where we are going. From historical references to present-day neighbors to the far-reaching dreams of the many children in the mural, "Fertile Ground" aims to capture the essence of our community identity: our "Omahaness."
Where can I see an artist's rendering of "Fertile Ground?"
Because The Omaha Mural Project's "Fertile Ground" tells the story of who we are as a community, the artist decided that the construction of the mural should also be in story form. Like all good stories, the characters will reveal themselves slowly and over time as we come to know the narrative of "Fertile Ground." For this reason, no advance images or depictions of the mural have been made available to the press or public. Any drive from Dodge Street north along 13th Street now presents almost daily surprises as "Fertile Ground" sprouts new blossoms.
How was the artist selected?
Omaha deserves the very best and so it was only after an exhaustive national evaluation of qualified artists that world-renowned muralist Meg Saligman was commissioned by the Foundation and the Bemis Center to create "Fertile Ground." Many of Saligman’s most acclaimed murals are located in her home town of Philadelphia. Among theses is her hallmark work, the iconic “Common Threads,” which depicts area high school students contrasted against images of Victorian ladies, ancient heroes, historical gentlemen, and past imagery in a variety of forms. Saligman is renowned for her large-scale paintings and her technical innovations in mural design and execution. Her adaptation of a method of painting on cloth that is then fused to a surface to form a permanent bond has become an almost overnight industry standard.
How was imagery for the mural selected?
Saligman made three extensive research trips to Omaha late in 2007 and early in 2008. Besides spending countless hours in museums and libraries digging through historical archives to help her get to the heart of the city and our past, she interviewed over 40 historians, educators and community leaders before uncapping the lens of her camera. Almost 100 community members were then photographed in sessions at the Bemis Center, the Charles Drew Health Center, Creighton University, the One World Community Health Center, and the LaFern Williams South YMCA. As testimony to the whimsical serendipity that so often typifies her creative experiences, Saligman's sidewalk encounters led to an ever growing number of models to photograph and stories to chronicle. The end result was a collection of images and ideas that captures the soul of Omaha and its rich diversity.
We know it's big, but what is different about The Omaha Mural Project's "Fertile Ground?"
One of the more striking aspects of "Fertile Ground" is that the artist has turned on its head the conventions of how time is represented in most murals. Instead of depicting the passage of time in a "from left to right" chronology - think here of the classic evolution of man tableau where the story progresses across the page as primordial mush becomes monkey to ultimately become man - Saligman chose to have the past represented in, well, the past. The deepest background of "Fertile Ground" becomes the literal historical background of Omaha and time, as it does in real life, marches into the foreground to become that which is most naturally and undeniably "in the here and now."
What else is new and different with "Fertile Ground?"
Saligman is known for innovative technology in the creation of her work and "Fertile Ground" is no exception. The project is being closely tracked as a "best practice" study that will influence how we think about murals, mural technology, how they may be made to last and how older murals may best be preserved or brought back to life. From materials to methodologies, "Fertile Ground" will be thoroughly chronicled by the Gerald R. Ford Conservation Center in Omaha, the Rescue Public Murals project of Heritage Preservation in Washington, D.C., and the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. More information about the importance of "Fertile Ground" as a pioneering best practice project may be found by linking here.
Why is the Peter Kiewit Foundation creating the mural?
By creating a world-class public art masterwork as another contribution to the invigoration of downtown Omaha, "We hope that that this project will add new energy and visual impact to the rapidly growing NoDo area and contribute buzz about Omaha as a progressive city with an enviable quality of life," says Peter Kiewit Foundation executive director Lyn Wallin Ziegenbein. "Peter Kiewit loved his hometown and he was especially committed to the vitality of downtown," she continued. "We can think of no better place to present a project of this magnitude as a tribute to our community and citizens than in the heart of downtown Omaha."
What is the role of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts?
As the area's leader in managing public art programs, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts was proud to be selected to oversee The Omaha Mural Project's "Fertile Ground." From artist selection to managing all aspects of the planning for and execution of the project, to ongoing responsibility for maintenance and "curating" the completed mural, the Bemis Center was the logical choice for such an important and ambitious effort.
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