Commission open to sculpture idea for Cameron, Nebraska’s ‘Capitol Cat’

LINCOLN — A commission expressed openness Friday to a revised proposal for a sculpture to honor the Nebraska State Capitol’s longtime unofficial feline mascot.

Multiple members of the seven-person Nebraska Capitol Environs Commission said they might be able to support the scaled-back idea to honor 11-year-old Cameron the “Capitol Cat.” For nearly a decade, the tabby regularly trotted to the Capitol, where he would greet legislators, staffers and the public. In May, Cameron and his owner, Dianna McGinnis, moved into assisted living.

The revised proposal calls for a life-size bronze statue of Cameron on the south side of the Capitol atop a bench, the final materials of which — limestone, granite or otherwise — are still being ironed out. A final vote could come as soon as next month.

“In no way do we want to compete against the historical figures that are at the Capitol,” former state Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, a project leader, told the commission Friday. “Instead, we want to have just his presence there in a way that reflects the joy and the nonpartisanship that he brought to those who know him and to future people through the statue.”

State Sen. Jana Hughes of Seward is also assisting the project. Speaker John Arch of La Vista has also endorsed the idea.

‘I like this a lot better’

Commissioners generally thanked Wishart and her team for listening to commission feedback at an August meeting and scaling back what was originally a taller, more monumentlike proposal. The sculpture would move slightly closer to the state parking lot at the intersection of Goodhue Boulevard and H Street. It would also be lower to the ground, intended to be more interactive.

“I do like this site … and having it down lower and being able to sit next to it I think is great,” said Commissioner Eileen Bergt. “I think it’s more whimsical that way, rather than trying to elevate it more and more.”

“Generally, I like this a lot better than what we saw last month,” added Commissioner Andrea Gebhart. “I appreciate the feedback that you heard and actually incorporated into this.”

Among the additional feedback commissioners gave Friday was whether to add a plaza near the sculpture for students and visitors to relax in.

Bergt also suggested that when Cameron dies, his ashes could be incorporated into the area. Wishart said her team would talk with McGinnis and her family.

“Then his spirit lives on there,” Bergt said.

Commission Chair Kile Johnson said he believes it would be good to have public art along Goodhue Boulevard, the street running south of the Capitol, if it’s “high quality.” A portion of Goodhue is included in the Capitol Environs District, which the commission oversees to preserve the impact and quality in the cardinal directions leading to the Capitol.

“And this, to me, is high quality,” Johnson said of the proposed Cameron sculpture.

Collin Christopher, a staff planner for the Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department, which assists the committee, said commission staff are generally comfortable with the idea and would recommend approval if it comes up for a final vote.

‘Be careful what you approve’

Benjamin Victor, an Idaho-based sculptor, is poised to sculpt Cameron’s bronze statue and pedestal, assuming enough private funds are raised. Johnson praised Victor’s past work, which is also displayed in the Capitol Environs District, including bronze statues for Ponca Chief Standing Bear and Dr. Susan La Flesche Picotte on Lincoln Mall north of the Capitol.

Victor has also sculpted four statues in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol, including a Chief Standing Bear statue for Nebraska.

Bob Ripley, who was the State Capitol administrator from 1975 until 2023, again raised hesitation about the sculpture idea, as he did last month. He said he didn’t know how anyone could argue with the idea but worried what precedent it could set.

As an example, Ripley said he approved many activities on the north side of the Capitol in his former role, including rallies for the American Nazi Party. He said he didn’t support the event, but organizers had met requirements for hosting.

“I’m just saying: Be careful what you approve, because you may get someone coming along asking for approval that you may not want to stand up and make a campaign speech for,” Ripley said.

‘More than a charming story’

Courtney Wittstruck of Lincoln, a registered lobbyist at the Capitol, again testified in favor of the idea in her private capacity. She said honoring Cameron would be in line with the symbolism of the Capitol, similar to the Sower, bison and pioneer families found in and around the building.

She said Cameron is more than a “beloved cat” and proved people could “remember that the person on the other side of a political argument was still a neighbor and a fellow Nebraskan.”

“That is more than a charming story about a Capitol mascot,” Wittstruck said. “It is a simple, accessible expression of values this building was deliberately designed to teach.”

Among the virtues of Nebraska which Cameron represents, Wittstruck said, she listed magnanimity, charity, temperance, justice and hope. Wittstruck said a child doesn’t need to understand constitutional theory to understand kindness.

“Cameron made those abstract ideals tangible and approachable by giving them four legs and a face people could recognize, and that I believe is why the fact that Cameron is a cat is not a weakness in this proposal,” Wittstruck said. “It may be precisely what makes this symbol work.”

Wishart told reporters after the meeting that her team has a “little more homework,” such as determining ongoing maintenance, selecting final materials and considering additional landscaping, but she hopes to be back next month seeking final approval. She said supporters are confident they’ll raise enough private funds and will take all feedback into account.

“We’re doing everything possible to make this a sculpture that everybody embraces,” Wishart said.

The next Capitol Environs Commission meeting is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Oct. 23 in Lincoln.