The murals at Heritage Park in Montpelier were painted by Austin Budge, local police officer and artist. The were commissioned by the Montpelier Community Foundation. The themes include: Old Ephraim, railroad history, pioneer heritage, Bear Lake, Big Hill on the Oregon Trail and Butch Cassidy.
The Italian Mural is not in South Omaha, but it is in keeping with the common theme of representing different cultures which made up South Omaha. The mural is located on the corner of Seventh street and Pacific on Orsi's Italian Bakery and Pizzeria. The bakery has been there since 1916. It is in the heart of Little Italy. The mural has an Italian theme showing the boat bringing people to Ellis Island. Two brothers came here from Carlentini near Sicily. They set up a bank and then made arrangements for others from Carlentini to come to America. There are now more descendants from Carlentini in Omaha than residents of Carlentini. There are also religious themes and Italian food.
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| Santa Lucia in the tree |
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| Many Italians worked for the railroad, others ran businesses |
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| in the garden at the bakery |
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| the famous fork is around the corner at a restaurant |
Roy Purcell was the curator at the Mohave Museum of History and Art for many years. He contributed murals to the museum and the museum also displays many of his paintings. Roy Purcell also did the Chloride Murals. He was enmeshed with the mining operations in the area.
I found the South Omaha Mural Project after visiting the Irish mural which had a blurp about sponsorship. I have really b een enjoying tracking them all down. As of today there are 18 in total.
Ancestral Voices Native American: 25th and N
Star Seed, Granary Mural: Off of F on D and 28th
Zajedmica Croatian Mural : 36th and W
Mayan Mosaic: 25th and N
Aztec Mural: 24th and N
Threads of Life: Mayan Mural. 25th and N
Sláinte: Irish Mural
Quetzal Mural. 24th and N
Mexican American Mural. Del Futuro al Pasado: 25th and N
Nebraska Odyssey: Sesquicentennial Mural. 36th and Q, Nuestra Familia Supermarket
Waves of Immigration: Metropolitan Community Collage
Black American Communiuty Mural, Q and 30th streets
Lithuanian Community Mural South Omaha, Q and 33rd
Italian Mural 10th and Pacific
Magic City. 24th and N, replaced by Quetzal Mural
Nostrovia Polish Community Mural South 29th Street south of Hanscom Park
South 13th Mural, Little Bohemia, 13th and Williams (behind the stores on 13th)
Buena Vista: Tree Pluribus Unum, In Buena Vista High School 60th and L, tree of life.
