Mural Unveiling and Artist Talks Thursday June 6

The Portrait on the Wall

Unveiling the First Larger Than Life Mural by Nebraska Now

Please join us at the nick / drick Preston Love Jr. mural unveiling on

Thursday, June 7, 2024 from 4:00 - 7:00 pm.

The celebration will take place in front of the mural outside the building at

2311 North 24th Street.

Nick and Scott will speak at 4:30 p.m. and again at 6:15 p.m.

24th and Grant St. looks a little different today. There’s a larger-than-life portrait of a familiar Omaha face spanning across the side of a building looking north down 24th Street. Over the course of two weeks, the mural came to life. If you look closely, every wrinkle, every hair, every fiber of clothing, is painted as though one were looking at an actual photograph.

Nebraska Now - Leading By Example, is a mural campaign designed to enhance Nebraska's cultural landscape through large-scale, hyper realistic murals of influential figures across the state, including community leaders, athletes, and artists. Led by artists Nick Flatt and Scott Drickey, the project combines Nick’s international mural experience with Scott’s photography and deep connection to Nebraska’s heritage.

With the slogan "Leading by Example," the two aim to inspire communities by showcasing leaders on the walls of buildings who embody the spirit and values of Nebraska, starting in North Omaha and expanding statewide to celebrate and invigorate the State’s rich cultural tapestry.

Their first mural is not only a tribute to Preston Love Jr.’s significant contributions to Omaha but also a symbol of a commitment to enriching Nebraska’s cultural and civic landscape.

Nick and Scott met at an exhibition in Benson and quickly found familiar experiences working on art and design projects all over the world. With a shared work ethic that combines taste and tenacity with embracing the subjects that are in front of them, a collaborative artistic and business partnership, nick / drick, was born.

After meeting for lunch one day at the Fair Deal Cafe, the two were inspired to scout for canvases on building walls that could incorporate Scott’s photos with Nick’s hyper realistic painting style. They developed a short reel (video) depicting murals, as they would appear on what were now empty walls, and soon approached Mr. Love Jr. offering up their inaugural mural. Starting with a portrait session of Love, within days, Nick and Scott began the project with Nick painting as Scott documented the process.

nick / drick see their first mural and vision for future murals as a complement to the existing mural art around the North Omaha community. Scott noted, “As an Omaha native, the art and heart of our community inspires us to honor and enhance the people and the places as we live and see them every day. Our hope is to provide a lasting tribute to those who lead by example. Keep your eyes peeled for the next installation.”