Secret Stairwell Mural
At the Cottonwood Hotel | Omaha, Nebraska
Illustration - Hand-lettering - Mural Design - Painted Mural - History Research - Large-Scale
Omaha’s Best Kept Secret
Tucked away in the iconic Omaha Cottonwood Hotel (formerly the Blackstone Hotel) is a stairwell that’s, well … secret. It’s a hidden gem showcasing a different artist’s mural on each landing.
As the second muralist and first local artist chosen, I wanted to design a piece that harkened back to the history of the space, but also my personal history. You see all of my Omaha ancestors spent their wedding night or celebrated a momentous life occasion at the Blackstone Hotel since its opening in 1916.
This mural is a modern take on stained glass with a visual representation of each ancestor. It also happens to be adjacent to a window so the light cast on the work changes with the time off day. “Bonne Journeé” translates to “good day” in French, tying back to the roots of the building’s founders and nodding to the transient nature of stairwell passersby. Its colorful nature is a response to the bold black and white first mural below.
