Emerging artists come together for new downtown self-expression mural

OMAHA, Neb. — The Omaha Performing Arts Holland Center has a fresh burst of color thanks to a collection of new and aspiring artists.

"The idea and the thing behind the project is nurture," South Omaha artist Hugo Alberto Zamorano said. "I gave the artists and the people that I work with free reign to come up with ideas about what nurture means to them, what nurture looks like or what that feels like."

From boxers and flowers to angels and dancers, seven different artists and groups worked with Zamorano to create a mural of self-expression.

"I worked with elementary school, middle school, high school and also seniors, and that was with the Intercultural Senior Center," Zamorano said. "For me, we're nurturing visual art and we're nurturing younger minds, the next generation to also do the same."

Students varied between spray paint and acrylic materials. Zamorano says each individual expression contributes to the bigger picture.

"It's just really interesting the thought process that everyone has, the similar ideas that everyone has at different ages and then the different ideas that everyone has about nurturing and what that looks like at different ages as well," Zamorano said.

The mural will be up until December 2025. Zamorano says he hopes the community will check it out for a dose of fresh inspiration.