Italian Mural: South Omaha Mural Project

 

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.

Santa Lucia in the tree 

Many Italians worked for the railroad, others ran businesses

in the garden at the bakery

the famous fork is around the corner at a restaurant

South 24th Street Murals that have Disappeared.

 On N Street on both sides of the street there are murals that are no longer.  The Magic City Mural which appears on their website is no longer there.  It was covered over by the Quetzal mural.  They indicate it had deteriorated and needed replacing.  The Magic City Mural was painted over another mural which did not have an adequate base, so the entire thing was scratched.  It is still seen on Google Maps and the South Omaha Mural Project website.

On the other side of the mural there was a mural with a religious spin.  The only left of this mural is Our Lady Guadalupe.  The mural on the neighboring street no longer exists.  However I did find them still on Google Maps.

Tree Pluribus Unum! Buena Vista High School Mural

 This mural inside the cafeteria at Buena Vista High School is a representation of the tree of life.  This is a picture of the tree of life in South Omaha on 24th Street.  It also has scenes from many of the other murals as well as the ornaments on the original tree of life.

Polish Community Mural Nostrovia on So 29th Street, South Omaha Mural Project

 The Polish mural can be found just south of Creighton/Martha Avenue close to the freeway.  Ir is on the side of Dinker's Bar and Grill.  This is considered Sheelytown named for two brothers who had a meat packing company on the edge of the community at 24th and Martha.  It is south of Hanscom Park.  The mural presents a Polish wedding which is a four-day community event.  The mural s unique as it adds three-dimensional touches.  In the mural we see holy water sprayed from water pistols, bride and groom, ball playing, vegetables from gardens and food in the ceremony, pigs and chickens, apple trees and accordion playing.  The best man breaks a chair as a means of determining how many children the couple will have.  Nastrovia is like saying "cheers."  

South 13th Street Mural: South Omaha Mural Project

 This project is not actually in South Omaha but is in Omaha on south 13th street.  It is actually older than most of the murals in the mural project.  It is at the corner with Williams, but cannot be seen from 13th because it is on the back side of the building.  The mural represents past pictures of the 13th street area as well as hopes for the future.  For more information on the mural visit the South Omaha Mural Project.

The mural.

The film strip shows the donut shop.

filmstrip shows lady justice, representing law office, two women in bohemian dress, gymnasts at the Sokol gym which is now the Admiral, 

Iris in the upper left corner.  There use to be a rooftop garden above this.  Film strip shows early printing and a couple dancing Polka, and lastly an accordion player

 

Views in the arches, Hempel Sheet Metal, Frank Foreman at his barber shop,  donur shop and law office,  St Francis Cabrini Catholic Church, Prague Hotel, ole Bohemian restaurant and street car.

Green space at the top shows future activity of community interaction

figure of a woman dancing showing connection to the past culture while embracing the future

street care is in the golden folds of the dress

three community homes (las is in yellow and harder to see.