I will be honest, I used to not fully understand why murals were the go-to community development art form. It wasn’t until I was tasked with project managing two murals during the summer of 2014 in my role at The Union for Contemporary Art that I became an enthusiastic believer in their role in fostering vibrant communities.

Young people in Omaha are creative changemakers. They navigate education and healthcare systems not created for them. They advocate for justice and equity. However, many feel they need to leave Nebraska to do the work about which they’re passionate.

Thousands of properties in Omaha are abandoned. Their owners have disappeared, they have delinquent taxes, and they lack marketability. These properties are vacant, create blight, and serve as dumping and gathering grounds – often for illegal activity.