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The project is seeking 2-3 Otoe-Missouria artists to design and co-create a mural to be painted in Lincoln, Neb. The mural is part of the Mellon Foundation-funded initiative Walking in the Footsteps of our Ancestors: Re-Indigenizing Southeast Nebraska. The initiative, a partnership between the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma and the Center for Great Plains Studies, aims to promote healing and reconciliation in our region by reconnecting the Otoe-Missouria Tribe to one of their homelands in southeast Nebraska and engaging non-Native people with the history, culture, and ongoing presence of the Otoe-Missouria and other Indigenous peoples in our region.
Jessica Moore Harjo, Ph.D. (Otoe-Missouria/Osage/Pawnee), will serve as the lead artist. Artist selection will be done by committee.
Artists must commit to taking part in three Zoom meetings in May/June 2026 and to painting the mural July 26-August 1, 2026 in Lincoln, Neb. All travel costs, supplies, and an honorarium of up to $4,000 (depending on number of artists chosen) will be provided.
Artists are not asked to create work for this submission, but we will view your Instagram, online portfolio, and/or work samples as part of the decision-making process. Please ensure it is up to date with recent samples of your work. This application is open to all artists, but please note that priority will be given to those that have existing mural experience.
Submission requirements:
- 18+ years of age
- Otoe-Missouria Tribal Identification (membership card, CDIB, or documentation of lineage)
- Link to online portfolio or 3 examples of past work
- Artist bio (300 words or less)
- Artist resume/CV
- Commitment to meeting deadlines and participation in May Zoom meetings
- Commitment to being on-site to start and complete the mural July 26-August 1, 2026 in Lincoln, Neb.
Email all materials to ashley.wilkinson@unl.edu.
Brief timeline:
April 15-30, 2026: Call for artists
April 30, 2026: Artist deadline to submit
May 8, 2026: Selected artist(s) notified
May 12, 2026: 12 p.m.-1 p.m. CT: 1st Zoom meeting/introductions
May 19, 2026: 12 p.m.-1 p.m. CT: 2nd Zoom meeting: conceptual development
June 2, 2026: 12 p.m.-1 p.m. CT: 3rd Zoom meeting: finalize art direction
July 26-August 1, 2026: Painting of mural in conjunction with Otoe-Missouria Youth Trip
Contact information and general questions:
Jessica Moore Harjo: jharjo@weomepedesigns.com
Ashley Wilkinson: ashley.wilkinson@unl.edu