‘A Herculean journey’: First pieces of Lincoln’s Pershing Mural put up

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – The first pieces of the Pershing Mural were put up at Wyuka Cemetery on Monday.

The beloved art piece has been in storage for years, but it is now being restored to its former glory.

A crowd celebrated as the first tile was placed on a massive concrete base in Wyuka.

“To say this has been a Herculean journey … is an understatement,” said Liz Shea-McCoy, the chair of the Pershing Mural Historic Preservation Committee.

The decades-old mural was saved from demolition when the Pershing Auditorium was demolished in 2022.

The art showcases Nebraska history.

More than 760,000 tiles were preserved. It took more than two years for a team of people to clean each one.

“All of us have appreciated the importance and the artistic value of the Pershing Mural,” Shea-McCoy said.

She said it will likely take between six weeks and two months for the mural to be fully assembled.

The members of the preservation committee believe the finished piece will bring incredible value to the community.

“This is going to draw thousands of people from all over the world,” Shea-McCoy said.

She also said none of it would have been possible without public donations, which helped pay for the nearly $1 million project.