[NFBN-Lincoln] Lincoln Monopoly and the Pershing Mural tactile model

[Nancy Coffman]

Thank you. I sent an email as well.

From: NFBN-Lincoln <nfbn-lincoln-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Coleman Mark via NFBN-Lincoln
Sent: Monday, April 6, 2026 9:12 AM
To: nfbn-lincoln at nfbnet.org
Cc: markmurraycoleman at gmail.com
Subject: [NFBN-Lincoln] Lincoln Monopoly and the Pershing Mural tactile model


Good morning Federation family,

During the February and March Chapter meetings  we discussed proposing and advocating for the inclusion of the Pershing Mural tactile model housed at the Nebraska History Museum to be included as a property for the forthcoming Lincoln Monopoly game. I looked into the process for proposing Lincoln sites to be included on the Monopoly board. It appears the selections will be determined by Hasbro and its Monopoly collaborator, Top Trumps. The following email has been set up to receive recommendations for the Monopoly Board:

Lincoln at TopTrumps.com<mailto:Lincoln at TopTrumps.com>

This morning I submitted an email proposing the tactile model as a site to be represented on the Monopoly Board. The text of the email is posted below. If members and allies want to participate in supporting the effort, I would encourage sending an email to the Top Trumps email address above. You can feel free to give your own explanation of the importance of including the mural on the Monopoly board. However, even simple one sentence messages would demonstrate that there is community interest in the project. It sounds like the deadline for submissions  is mid to late April, but I could not find a precise date, so don't wait too long.

Posted below is the text of the email I submitted this morning.

Thanks,
Mark Coleman, NFBN Lincoln Chapter First VP

Text of submitted email:

On behalf of the National Federation of the Blind of Nebraska Lincoln Chapter, I propose the inclusion of the 3-D tactile model of the ceramic tile Pershing Auditorium Mural located on the first floor of the Nebraska History Museum at 131 n Centennial Mall North in downtown Lincoln. This exhibit was installed last year and represents a milestone in museum exhibit accessibility. When plans were announced to demolish the historic Pershing Auditorium a few years ago, a community wide effort spearheaded by Lis Shea-McCoy emerged to preserve the historic mural affixed to the auditorium which has graced downtown Lincoln since 1957. As the movement gained momentum to preserve the 762,000 individual tiles for the purpose of reassembling the mural  , Barbara Loose asked what could be done to ensure this project would be accessible to Lincoln's active blind and low-vision community. The innovative tactile model created by John Olson and 3-D Photoworks which Mr. Olson co-founded proved to be the answer to this question.

Choosing this tactile exhibit as a  property on the Lincoln Monopoly board provides a unique opportunity to represent several important landmarks and institutions of Lincon with a single selection including the following:

-The Pershing Auditorium, which for many decades served as Lincoln's primary municipal entertainment venue and has hosted concerts, sporting events, circuses, and a variety of other events and exhibitions since the auditorium's opening in 1957.

-The Pershing Auditorium Mural, which has been a beloved feature of downtown Lincoln since its completion in 1957. The mural, known as the Nebraska Picasso  was created by artists Leonard Thiessen and Bill J. Hammon. The 140 by 38 foot mural was the largest mosaic mural in the United States at the time of its creation consisting of 762,000 individual one square inch ceramic tiles. The tiles currently are being reassembled to recreate the mural at Lincoln's Wyuka Park.

-The Nebraska State Museum, which hosts the exhibit and the Nebraska State Historical Society which led the effort to save the Pershing Mural. The Nebraska History Museum is a vital downtown Lincoln institution which has been preserving Nebraska history and educating Nebraskans since 1983

-Lincoln's innovative and trail blazing blind community. Lincoln's blind community has been on the cutting edge of creating opportunities and raising the expectation of blind and low vision people for over a half century. Lincoln boasts an active chapter of the National Federation of the Blind which has continuously produced leaders whose impacts have been recognized at a national level. The chapter has played an important role in bringing the tactile Pershing Mural model into existence. The Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired, headquartered in Lincoln, has been responsible for innovations in rehabilitation and skills training for the blind that have had global impacts.

-The 3-D tactile Pershing Auditorium model itself, which creates an opportunity for blind and low-vision people to experience the mural in a manner many of us have never had the opportunity to experience before. The three by ten foot model was created with the advocacy of Barbara Loose and the NFB of Nebraska Lincoln Chapter and with funding from the Nebraska Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. This amazingly detailed exhibit individually represents each of the 762,000 ceramic tiles in a tactile manner that can be touched and felt by the blind and sighted alike. The exhibit also includes audio descriptions of the history of the mural and of interesting events that have been hosted at the Pershing Auditorium.


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