Elmwood Hills

This piece was used as the cover art for the Fall 2023 issue of UNO Magazine.

I was commissioned to create a piece that would work with the issue's theme for “Going the Distance.” That was the perfect match, as I spent my time at UNO commuting to campus from the various places I lived and worked during those years. I've also enjoyed driving by and living near the UNO campus off and on since graduating.

UNO is kind of a centerpiece for Omaha. While not actually central to the city anymore since the metro area keeps growing West, it's still nestled into a beautiful area in the rolling hills between Dundee, Crossroads, Aksarben, and Elmwood Park. I've always loved the tree-filled hills around the campus.

It was the terrain and the way the campus' buildings reveal themselves as you drive by or walk and bike the nearby trails that inspired me to incorporate those ideas into the piece. The scene references where we come from, when we leave home, when we grow up, when we explore the world, and when we embark on our own path.

We have all kinds of students from all over the city who commute and traverse the campus, going the distance both physically to get where they need to go and figuratively as they take what they learn along with them once their time at UNO has ended. I had a wonderful time and education there and am so grateful for being able to contribute to UNO Magazine. Thank you!