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Mural to cover 12th Street skywalk

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By Deena Winter/Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Mar 27, 2007 - 12:30:44 am CDT

Downtown Lincoln will soon have a new work of art highly visible to motorists.

The City Council gave its stamp of approval to plans to install a photographic mural on the downtown skywalk over 12th Street.

The vinyl mural will depict 10 people of various ages and ethnicities walking, some of them standing, with a brick wall in the background. It will cover the whole skywalk, which is 86 feet long.

The skywalk is owned by the city.

The project has been in the works since about 2003, when 12th Street was designated an arts corridor and the Downtown Lincoln Association hired an arts consultant, according to Dallas McGee of the Urban Development Department. The mural is designed to enhance the arts corridor and downtown retail area.

The DLA raised $60,000 for the project from local foundations and businesses. It received proposals from more than 50 artists nationwide. Local artist Larry Roots’ artwork was chosen.

People walking inside the skywalk will still be able to see out – similar to people riding in advertisement-slathered StarTran buses.

Roots said the work was inspired by the Stories of Home project, which celebrates diversity.

“It was people that (were) on my mind,” he said. “I think that’s the lifeblood of a community.”

In fact, the people depicted in the mural are actual Lincoln residents.

The mural is to be installed by June 15.


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BJ wrote on March 27, 2007 8:37 am:
" Oh great! One more thing to distract drivers. I'll bet there will be at least one accident from people looking at a mural above the street. "

 give me a break wrote on March 27, 2007 8:44 am:
" Pay money to hide a skywalk, $60,000 wow can use that kind of money elsewhere in downtown. So people can see in OUT but from the street one can not see IN. Sure hope no one get hurt by a mugger or worse. Is this a real good idea. "

 Stop complaining! wrote on March 27, 2007 10:42 am:
" Oh my gosh! Good news and all people have to say is negative stuff? An accident because of the design? Get Real! Its like any other advertisment! Art costs money, and in this case its money going into a good cause. Grow up Lincoln and get with it! "

 Read Again wrote on March 27, 2007 10:50 am:
" The $60K was raised by outside sources, not from taxes. These were donations specifically for the project. I think Lincoln really needs more art/culture, not less. This town is boring enough as it is. Let's have more projects like this!! "

 Eric wrote on March 27, 2007 11:03 am:
" Complete waste of money. "

 linda wrote on March 27, 2007 11:08 am:
" talk about a huge distraction and traffic accidents. bad enough drivers hit things, but now drivers will be hitting more people on foot. what a brilliant idea! "

 Liz wrote on March 27, 2007 12:11 pm:
" What a welcome addition to downtown. I can't wait to see the final result! "

 JMK wrote on March 27, 2007 1:47 pm:
" WHY??? 9 million in the hole, wouldn't the money wasted on this be better spent on buying the city government some comon sense? "

 hmmm wrote on March 27, 2007 2:07 pm:
" I love the idea of public art, but I hope this looks better than it sounds, because it sounds like a cheesy photograph from the cover of a high school civics textbook or the like. "

 Todd wrote on March 27, 2007 2:17 pm:
" If you didn't donate money to the project, it's not really your call if it's a waste of money, now is it. "

 Gene Hogan wrote on March 27, 2007 2:20 pm:
" Eric, it's paid for with donations. "

 wow wrote on March 27, 2007 2:27 pm:
" The City gives a lot of money to DLA for them to do thier business and if Urban Development is involved there will be Your tax dollars being use in it. One needs to think how long will this last? With the sun fading it and the weather conditions. Spo if it lasts for 6 years it equates to 10,000 a yr based on the amount of 60,000 that was listed, if that ends up being the true cost. "

 Craig wrote on March 27, 2007 2:34 pm:
" As if the skywalk isn't enough of an eyesore. "

 Soylent Green wrote on March 27, 2007 2:43 pm:
" Why don't they just sell the space for advertisements. I'm sure that Dr. Johns would love to put another neon sign there! It might actually spruce the area up some... "

 wow wrote on March 27, 2007 2:56 pm:
" What a novel idea make money selling advetising instead of using donations and tax dollars. Oh that will not go anywhere it's too logical. Then expand it to the other skywalks and really make money thus saving tax dollars. "

 Good grief wrote on March 27, 2007 3:29 pm:
" I agree, complete waste of money, plus it makes it look trashy. I hate those adds painted on the buses.Just plain destest them. I maybe didnt donate to it, but the my property taxes are paying dearly the this city to be painted up to look like Hippyville!! Why don't they work a little harder to get business and industry in instead of wasting time on such trash. Goes to show what kind of people are on city council!! "

 Hey Wow here's a quote wrote on March 27, 2007 3:39 pm:
" The DLA raised $60,000 for the project from local foundations and businesses. It received proposals from more than 50 artists nationwide. Local artist Larry Roots’ artwork was chosen. "

 mike wrote on March 28, 2007 4:33 am:
" at least its not football "

 unknown wrote on March 28, 2007 8:02 am:
" This is just another thing for you all to complain about! Seriously stop whining! Have none of you traveled to a bigger city before? There is art work, and things to "look" at all over! You didn't contribute to the cost of this project, so stop worrying about the waste of money! I do agree with "give me a break" on one point...it worries me that you won't be able to see inside-what if someone is mugged? However, I think the art project is a great idea! I hope we continue to move forward in this direction in other areas of Lincoln! "

 Casey wrote on March 28, 2007 8:05 am:
" I can't believe how negative everyone is being about this! The money was RAISED by the DLA, not one dollar of taxpayer money was used. I for one am happy to hear that my kids will be able to see that Lincoln is taking steps to bring out art in our community. I am especially happy to see that the DLA saw fit to pick a local artist. We need to give Lincoln's art community more of an opportunity to contribute their talents to our wonderful city. BTW, if you think Lincoln is so boring....get a move on and find a new place to live. "

 Heather wrote on March 28, 2007 8:19 am:
" I think it sounds great, downtown is starting to look trashy and hopefully this will help spruce it up a bit. I'm for anything that will help restore it! "

 wow wrote on March 28, 2007 8:23 am:
" If DLA raised all the money why is the City involved. Why did you waste money hiring a consultant? If the City is involed why wasn't it bid out like the brick mural and runza mural. Why wasn't the a news story on it to begin with inviting everyone? "

 Perspective? wrote on March 28, 2007 9:24 am:
" I'm sure if it was a HUSKER mural they wanted to put on the skywalk, there would only be a tiny fraction of complaints on this page. "

 nitemare wrote on March 28, 2007 9:43 am:
" Most surely an accident waiting to happen. And don't tell me it isn't so. Look how many accidents happened on I-80 near Kearney when they opened the new Archway. Facts people, facts. "

 read the article wrote on March 28, 2007 1:38 pm:
" This isn't tax money...it was raised by the DLA. You have no right to complain if you can't even retain what you just read seconds ago. "

 So What wrote on March 28, 2007 2:07 pm:
" So what if our tax dollars did not pay for it. I still have to look at it. Just the word art makes me sick sometimes. When the word art is used, nothing is simple anymore. Everything is blown out of perspective on a topic like this. Art is just a way of trying to make eyesores look justified. Lincoln put up the art bikes on corners. They all looked like crap but since the word art was used, well then it was ok. Lincoln looked like Disney land for a while. You know if a neighbor left his rusted out vehicle on blocks in front of his/her house, they would either get a ticket or have to move it. Why is that? Because it looks bad? Could they just spray paint some flowers and all different colors on it and call it art? "

 shadbailey wrote on March 28, 2007 2:36 pm:
" man they should have donated the money to a worthy cause not something else to make our city look junky "

 JJ wrote on March 28, 2007 3:18 pm:
" Accidents? If you can't drive 25mph under a walkway without hitting someone please turn in your license. Muggers? Does anyone know what buildings are connected by the walkway? That's a real question, by the way, because I don't know. But I bet that there are very few "muggers" using the walkway. "

 I wrote on March 28, 2007 4:03 pm:
" Art and culture are bad! Boo! /sarcasm "

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