By Norman Business Journal

The 2006 Leadership Norman Class has embarked on a project to raise funds for the aesthetic development of the new Gray Street parking lot in downtown Norman.

The City of Norman has committed to the construction of this facility and the Leadership Class wants to take this opportunity to participate in the promotion of Norman as an important business and tourism destination and of downtown Norman as a premier arts center.

They plan to achieve this by literally elevating the visibility of the arts in downtown Norman through the installation of three fifteen by forty-five foot murals. The full scope of the project includes raising funds not only for the murals themselves but for required city elements, including high-end landscaping, bike racks, and benches.

University of Central Oklahoma artist Dr. Bob Palmer has been chosen by the class to paint the murals. He is a member of the Oklahoma Art Educators Association (OAEA) and the national Art Educators Association (NAEA). Dr. Palmer’s work can be seen internationally in Mexico, Canada, and Eastern Europe. He has also painted more than 600 murals throughout the state of Oklahoma, including recent murals at Bass Pro Shop and OKC Rocks.

The Heart of Norman Murals will be painted on 3 15’X 45’ elevated screens (flat panels installed during original construction along the south boundary of the new parking facility obscuring the alley and buildings to the south. They will be accompanied by a permanent fixture that will feature the individuals and entities that donated their time and efforts.

It is anticipated that the murals will become an important image of and for Norman and used to help market the downtown community by organizations like the Norman Chamber of Commerce and the Norman Convention and Visitors Bureau through their inclusion in promotional materials.