Nathan Murray of Lincoln has been selected to design and create a Malcolm X bust, who will be inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 2024. He was chosen through a selection process conducted by the Nebraska Hall of Fame Commission and the Nebraska Arts Council. Artists responded to the request with the selection committee choosing Murray to create the bust with a permanent home in the Nebraska State Capitol.
“When I look at somebody like Malcolm X… I see the importance of celebrating your culture, celebrating where you come from, and really taking self responsibility for making yourself a better person and making the world a better place to be,” Murray told KLIN News, “I can’t think of anyone else I would rather sculpt for the Nebraska Hall of Fame.”
Murray earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2009 and his Master of Fine Arts from the University of Florida in 2015. Murray has exhibited his work nationally and has been widely published in magazines, books, and online.
Murray said one of his favorite parts of sculpting is imbuing qualities of the person into the piece, “Ultimately, what was really important for me was Malcolm X’s intelligence and his strength. I wanted to make sure I had a sense of confidence and strength that comes across when you look at the piece. But I also wanted to touch a little bit on the thoughtful, intelligent nature of this incredible man.”
Murray often teaches at Lux Center for the Arts and Nebraska Wesleyan University.
“Malcolm X will be the first black person inducted into the hall of Fame,” Murray underscored, “For children, for adults, really, for everyone, to go in there and see somebody like Malcolm X, you know, a black man, born in Nebraska, represented in the state capitol, I think it’s really important, and I think it’s going to mean a lot to a lot of people.”