Washington Street Walkway Becomes a Photo Destination

For years, a blank canvas in downtown Kearney was just waiting for people to come together and make something beautiful. The place is fondly known as the Washington Street Walkway, and Kearney Historic Museum Director Gerri Spencer has recruited some volunteers to paint murals on the walls and make it a photo op destination.

Tourists can come and stand in front of this vintage ‘Greetings from Kearney’ postcard. So lots of good things I hope will come from this - Gerri Spencer

The Washington Street Walkway is a brick-paved alley way that connects Washington Street with the Old Church Plaza. A few years ago local residents thought it would be a great idea to spruce up the walls of the walkway with some art. Gerri Spencer started working on making that idea a reality. 

“I was able to apply for some grants to help with the cost, plus I was able to round up some groups in the community who were interested in helping,” Spencer reflected. “Then along comes 2020 and the grants and help went away.”

This summer, Spencer was able to revisit the walkway mural idea. She procured the supplies through local businesses, and reactivated her volunteer network to get the help she needed to paint the walls.

“I am so excited about all this beautiful artwork created by our children, high school students and a broad range of people,” said Spencer. “I think this will be a real connection point in the city.”

Jessica Riley of Kearney’s National Honor Society is a senior at Kearney High School, and she is excited to work on the ‘Greetings from Kearney’ postcard. “I think the payoff is going to be really nice, because you can come back and see this for years and years and know you were a part of this mural,” she said.

Alice Parker is a junior at Kearney High School and is excited to share her art and do community service at the same time. “I’m graduating after my junior year and collecting all the community service hours I can get. This is a pretty cool way to do it since I like art so much,” she said. “I have a sketch book I carry with me everywhere. I like drawing and painting and have gotten into wood burning art recently.”

The murals include butterflies, angel wings, a giant owl, a swan, and the giant ‘Greetings from Kearney’ postcard. The postcard will include iconic Kearney-related images like a bulldog, Jesse James, and a railroad. The murals have been created with help from the Kearney High School National Honor Society, Kearney Girl Scout Troop 4300, Kearney-Holt CAN, Laurie Rothwell of Pieces of My Art, as well as the Kearney Historic Museum and the City of Kearney.

Part of the purpose of the murals is to create a photo op destination, similar to the wings murals in Liberty and Parkville.

 “I do believe that this will be a photo destination point for our locals and our community whether for graduation or a date,” Spencer says. “Tourists can come and stand in front of this vintage ‘Greetings from Kearney’ postcard. So lots of good things I hope will come from this.”

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story