In 2006, Leadership Norman raised funds to beautify the new parking lot on Gray St in downtown Norman. In 2007, Palmer Studios created a three-panel mural depicting historical moments and icons from Norman’s past. This “The Heart of Norman” mural series serves as a backdrop for today’s parking lot between Peters and Crawford avenues and highlights Norman’s history.

The first panel depicts Norman from the Land Run of 1889 to statehood, including a feather representing President Theodore Roosevelt’s feather quill pen, which he used to sign Oklahoma’s Proclamation of Statehood in 1907. The second panel involves Norman’s statehood through the 1960s, showcasing early buildings and automobiles that once filled Norman’s city streets. The third and final panel of the mural series shows modern Norman’s current landmarks and displays its “City of Festivals” designation.