Spreading Beauty- Girl blowing on Sunflower
Josh Arias is the co-founder of the Kearney, Nebraska-based nonprofit "Impact Art," which focuses on creating and promoting positive public art. Josh and Derek Rusher (his friend and mentor) founded the nonprofit in 2017. Together they have been on a
quest to bring art that educates, empowers, and brings hope to all of Nebraska. Josh is currently a Title 1 Part C service provider for ESU 7.
Josh attributes his passion and direction in life to his upbringing. The son of El Salvadoran immigrants Josh was born in Los Angeles, CA, before moving to Lexington, NE. His parents instilled in him a selfless spirit and a knack for expression. Art was always part of his life. After graduating from Lexington High School in 2009, his life has continued to be filled with colors. Josh gave all different art mediums a try, but it was in spray paint that he found comfort. He attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney, where he received a degree in social work, which illuminated in him a need to be a service-oriented leader.
Don’t Worry Bee Happy
Angie Schroder is a self-taught artist based in small-town Nebraska, known for blending creativity with civic engagement in her public art. As a founding member of the Washington County Public Arts Committee, Angie plays a leading role in enriching her community through art.
In 2024, she gifted the city of Blair with the “Greetings From Blair” mural—a vibrant piece that sparked a wave of community pride. The mural's impact inspired local nonprofits to invest in placemaking efforts, paving the way for the area's first Art Alley Project. Her work continues to drive collaboration, beautification, and connection across Washington County.
Community Mural
Makayla - I designed and finished painting the community mural. I just recently graduated from Blair High School, and am going to UNL for Art Education now. I have been doing art my entire life and really want to continue with it. I've also helped with some murals in high school and am right now working on another mural for my church at First Lutheran in Blair.
The Products of my Farm are these
Public artworks are a fantastic way to enliven new spaces and reinvigorate existing ones.
Working as a graphic designer since 2008, I know the value of a good design and the impact it can make when properly implemented. The emotions and excitement conjured up by the colors and shapes that make up a mural are vital to the impressions people experience within a space.
My goal in making public art is to create an emotional connection between the work, the space, and, hopefully, the viewer. If I can create a piece of artwork that someone feels is worthwhile - something that inspires a “photo-worthy moment,” then I feel like I’ve succeeded.
-Jeanette Johnson Freelance Graphic Designer, Owner
Love it Here
Seth Boggs, also known as Bogzilla, is a native Nebraskan with over twenty-five years of design, illustration, and art experience. Boggs works almost exclusively with spray paint and has extensive mural experience, both residential and commercial, interior and exterior. Boggs and his family live in Seward, Nebraska where he is a Professor of Art at Concordia University–Nebraska.
Tess Mural
Tess is a portraitist and muralist based in Omaha, NE. She attended high school in
Norfolk, NE after her family moved from Fort Wayne, IN, where she was born and
raised. After high school she studied at Hollins University, a women's college in
Roanoke, VA. While attending Hollins, she had the opportunity to study abroad in
London. Being there rekindled her lifelong passion for art, leading her to switch
her major from Sociology to Studio Art at the beginning of her senior year. After
she earned her BA, she returned to London and obtained her MA in Fine Art
from Middlesex University. After finishing school, she returned to Norfolk to be
closer to her family. After a few years, she moved to Omaha, where she currently
lives with her dogs, Harper and Enzo.
Tess primarily focuses on figurative oil painting. Her current body of work is what
she calls “Outline Paintings.” These paintings are made up of fully-rendered
representations of people or objects overlaid with outlines of other angles or
movements of the primary subject. The outlines are like echos of the main subject
and are also representative of the many views that can be seen of anything based
on a person’s vantage point.
Since 2019, Tess has had the opportunity to paint several murals. Five are in
Norfolk, NE and one is in Omaha, NE. Working on such a large scale has
stretched her abilities in the best way, and she hopes to continue stretching and
growing in her work.
