By Cheril Lee
Omaha, NE – Student artists from Kent Bellows Studio and their mentors have been working on murals on the Keystone Trail since mid-July.
Executive Director Anne Meysenburg says the project gives urban art students the chance to get out in the community and create public art projects. She says these projects really make a difference to the individuals who are utilizing that public space. Meysenburg says there have also been studies conducted that show graffiti is less likely to be put over good artwork than it is on a blank wall.
She says, "The Neighborhood Center approached us and said, "Hey we have this incredible challenge with keeping graffiti off the trail system. It's dark and it's not monitored through all hours of the night. We would much rather have amazing community driven murals in place of this graffiti. Would you be interested in being involved?"
There will be a formal ribbon cutting ceremony in early September to celebrate the completion of the first four murals. Meysenburg says the studio's ultimate goal is to create murals at each underpass on the trail system.