Basketball Court Mural Project Begins September 6

(KFOR Lincoln September 3, 2022) Lincoln Parks and Recreation and Public Art Lincoln Thursday announced that two basketball courts in Antelope Park will serve as the site of a giant mural beginning in September. The courts, located near the intersection of Normal Boulevard and South Street, will be closed from September 6 through 20 for resurfacing and painting by the nonprofit organization, Project Backboard. The courts are expected to be open for play September 21.

The mural design is a reproduction of a painting by African American artist Felrath Hines, entitled “Red Sea” created in 1985. The original painting is in the permanent collection of the Sheldon Art Museum. Hines (1913-1993) was a prolific expressionist and later geometric abstract painter based in New York and Washington, DC.

The mural project is funded by private donations raised by Public Art Lincoln, a fund of the Lincoln Community Foundation. Public Art Lincoln will host an opening recognition event at 5 p.m., September 27. The event will feature remarks by Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird and a game with athletes from the Cornhusker Shooting Stars, Capital City Chameleons, and Lincoln Sharks Special Olympics teams. Refreshments will be served.

Project Backboard is a nonprofit organization that renovates public basketball courts, installs site specific art, and makes art accessible. Project Backboard goals are to strengthen the community, encourage multi-generational play, and inspire an appreciation for art. For more information visit projectbackboard.org.

For more information, visit lincoln.ne.gov/publicart.