Murals

Finding the art spirit

2024- Robert Henri Museum and Gallery in Cozad, Nebraska.

Commissioned by Cozad Tourism, artist Karrie Steely created a mural honoring Robert Henri that powerfully reflects his formative years in Cozad, Nebraska. With evocative brushwork, a masterful application of the 1919 Palette, and an array of hidden visual elements, Karrie invites viewers to step back in time. Her work doesn’t just depict Henri’s history—it immerses us in the essence of Cozad as it might have felt to a young creative soul in the heart of the Midwest.

rooted in care

2026 - McCook Community Hospital housing project, ROOTS.

Based on MCH’s dedication to care, compassion and community, this mural reflects these values to visitors and residents alike using bold colors and evocative imagery.

rhythms of the heartland

2026 - McCook Community murals project in the McCook Creative District.

This mural took a few years in the making. It started with conversations in the creative community about what we would like McCook’s second community mural to be about. We decided that we wanted it to be about the native prairie landscape. As we narrowed in on the design, we decided to include electric poles as a nod to George Norris’ electrification of our rural communities. We decided to make the design show a progression, starting on the left with early spring and moving into summer and late summer at the right of the mural. The storm clouds are a nod to the extreme weather that the region experiences, and also the storms of darkness and conflict within our society. But the skies clear as the images progress. We chose bright colors to create a feeling of hope and vibrancy.

We painted many Easter eggs into this mural, and we hope that people take the time to look up close and enjoy finding them. We want people to interact with the mural, taking pictures with the butterfly wings. We also created a stream along the walkway as an interactive element to invite people to hop along the rocks.
Most importantly, this is a community mural. We invited local artists to participate. Everyone in the community had a chance to ‘lend a hand’ during a Third Thursday event, where they put their handprints on the wall, which our artists turned into prairie flowers.