District Energy - 2009 3rd Quarter

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Omaha Plant Is Canvas for Giant Public Mural

A new 32,5000-sq-ft public mural “Fertile Ground” made art history when it was unveiled in Omaha, Neb., June 21. The monumental project, which depicts people, places and culture from Omaha’s past and present, is the largest privately funded outdoor public mural in the United States. Uniquely, the landmark work is painted on the east and a portion of the north exterior walls of the Energy Systems Inc. building at 13th and Webster streets, in the heart of one of downtown Omaha’s rapidly developing neighborhoods. Energy Systems has been supplying steam and chilled water to the city’s downtown business district for more than 40 years.

So how did a district energy plant become the canvas for a nationally significant artwork? The Peter Kiewit Foundation contacted Todd Johnson, Energy Systems’ president, with the idea to use the building’s

façade because of its size and prominent downtown location. Johnson responded affirmatively, saying in his remarks at the unveiling ceremony, “When we were first approached about the use of our building for the mural, I really could not think of any drawbacks. How often does someone offer to enhance your property with no strings attached? And how often can a company have such a positive impact on the community they serve? We wholeheartedly accepted the proposal and stepped back and watched the mural development team go to work.”

Funded by The Peter Kiewit Foundation and administered by the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, the goal was to create a public piece of art to foster a sense of pride in the city’s downtown. World-renowned Philadelphia muralist Meg Saligman was selected by the Foundation and Bemis Center

Instead of depicting the passage of time from left to right as is typical in most murals, “Fertile Ground” artist Meg Saligman chose to represent the past in the deepest background of the mural. It becomes the literal historical background of Omaha and time, as it does in real life, marches into the foreground to become “the here and now.”

to create the mural following a nationwide evaluation of qualified artists. Considered one of the country’s top 10 most influential muralists, she has won numerous awards for her work and pioneered a large-scale painting method that has become an industry standard.

For the Omaha project, Saligman was charged with designing and executing a mural masterwork specific to Omaha. It took her 10 months of planning and four months of research to develop the design for the mural. She visited local historical archives and interviewed dozens of Omaha residents in the process. Her resulting design for “Fertile Ground” was a photo-realistic three-dimensional timeline capturing Omaha’s landscape, history, people and values. The mural’s title refers to Omaha as a place with depth of character and as a modern city that has deep roots, both in nature and in the community.

Painting of the mural began in June 2008 and was completed in June 2009. Saligman and 10 assistants used space inside the district energy plant as a production area. In total, they used 871 gallons of paint and 600 brushes to complete the project.

Reflecting on Energy Systems’ many months of hosting an ‘artist in residence,’ Johnson said it had been exciting to see the work take shape. “Fertile Ground” not only pays homage to past generations and the rich frontier heritage they passed down but also serves as a gift to future generations, visible to tens of thousands of residents and visitors for many years to come.