BLAIR, NE. — The Blair Art Alley is celebrating one year since opening in downtown Blair, and organizers say its impact has stretched well beyond colorful murals.
Located just off 17th and Washington Streets, the alley began in 2025 when Washington County leaders converted a parking lot into a public art display.
The goal was to expand public art spaces in Blair and Washington County — but organizers say it has since grown into something much larger.
Angie Schroder, founder of the Washington County Public Art Committee, said the project has taken on a life of its own.
Schroder said supporting local businesses has been central to the alley's mission.
"We wanted to promote a lot of the small businesses in our community," Schroder said. "We are bringing not only local vendors but a lot of the public down to see and to showcase what they can offer."
The space has also become a venue for a wide range of community activities.
"We can do live demonstrations, we can do artwork, we can do community gatherings, music, things like that," Schroder said.
The alley is also home to a pollinator garden, which Cathy Prettyman, a member of the Pollinator Alliance for the Heartland, says is an art form in itself.
"The garden is not only scientific, (but) there is an art to planning and laying out and how plants will grow," Prettyman said.
For Schroder, the alley's greatest achievement is the sense of ownership it has inspired among residents.
"Getting people to care about their community a little bit better, they have an investment," Schroder said.
The Washington County Public Arts Commission will mark the alley's one-year anniversary with its Fall Night Market on Oct. 1 from 5 to 9 p.m.
The event will be held in the alley near 17th and Washington Streets.
