"SPRING SHOW"

-BOX BUTTE ART SOCIETY

The objective of the society is to promote and advance the study and appreciation of Art in general. This is for art experts, aspiring artists, and art appreciators! If you like art we like you and want you to join! It's only a once a year $15 fee to be a member. We hold a monthly meeting where we learn fun techniques that are easily tackled by an art enthusiast at any level! Currently we have a group of over 40 members in three counties. 

"ALLIANCE ARTS COUNCIL"

-LEA SHORTBULL

Lea Short Buffalo Bull was a gifted, self-taught artist.  She conducted extensive research on the history of the Lakota, Cheyenne, and Cherokee peoples.  It is evident from viewing her works that they reflect themes of joy, sorrow, whimsy, and a truly unique style. Lea Short Bull was a talented artist who lived in Box Butte County, Nebraska. Although Lea has passed, her work and memory live on through the private collections of individuals who admired her works. This exhibit is a collaboration of those collections and we are honored and grateful to keep Lea's memory alive. 

"HAUNTED"

SANDRA WILLIAMS:

Sandra is an interdisciplinary artist who works across a broad range of practices, including cut paper, painting, murals, community art, and social practice. Her work has been exhibited at SOFA New York, Ann Nathan Gallery in Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Art in St. Louis, Missouri, The Studios of Key West in Key West, Florida, and National Amazon University in Puerto Maldonado, Peru. Her work is included in the Howard Tullman Collection, The Museum of Contemporary Craft in Portland, Oregon, and several private collections. She was awarded artist residencies at The Studios of Key West, Florida, Rogers Art Loft in Las Vegas, Nevada; Arquetopia, Puebla, Mexico; the Contemporary Crafts Museum in Portland, Oregon and with the Amazon Conservation Association in Madre de Dios, Peru. 

"RED CLOUD HERTIGE CENTER"

STATEMENT:

he collection, preservation and exhibition of fine art is important to historical understanding, and appreciation, for what has come before. The fine art of all Native Americans, and the tribal art of the Lakota, serve as an extremely valuable cultural resource, both for Native Americans and those who seek to better know them.

"AS THE DAYS PASS"

-SYDNIE WALDRON

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Sydnie just graduated from Hastings College with a Bachelor Degree in Business Administration and High Distinction in Studio/ Digital Art. Sydnie works in multiple media forms including mixed media, textiles, painting, and scultpure. Her practice explores liminality and liminal bodies, focusing on feelings and spaces of instability through the medium of soft sculpture and mixed media. Her work has been exhibited in solo shows at the Carnegie Arts Center in Alliance, Ne.

"VIBRANT VORACITY"

-CAROLYN ALBRACHT

ARTIST STATEMENT:

 The mediums together reflect my interest in contrast and contradiction, and the layered effect reflects my view of life and the world around me as it communicates ideas of interconnection. More recently I have been adding other media to my paintings, such as embroidery thread, acrylic paint, and collage elements, adding more visual appeal and adding to the intended communication of layers as metaphor for my world view. Many of my compositions are culled from imagery I create intuitively while doodling and listening to music. 

"ANNIVERSARY SHOW"

-JURIED AND JUDGED EXHIBIT OF 36 ARTISTS

ABOUT THE EXHIBIT:

Announcing the arrival of the 30th Anniversary Show on display until May 13th. The Anniversary show is a juried and judged exhibit. First, pieces are submitted by artists for juror selection. There were 96 total entries this year representing artists from three states.  The three-member jury selected pieces to be in the show.  Out of the 96, 72 were selected. There are seven media categories including: oil and acrylic; watercolor and gouache; pastel, ink, pencil; mixed media; photography; three-dimensional; and youth.  Once judged we will announce the winners in all categories. 

"SPRING SHOW"

-BOX BUTTE ART SOCIETY 

BIO:

The Spring Show is annual show that displays the talents of the members of the Box Butte Art Society. The Art Society was established in 1958.  Today, art society members include artists from four counties around the Box Butte County region. Members vary in experience, media and age. All members have one thing in common, an appreciation and love for the creative process. Members meet once a month for either classes or studio days. Members are encouraged to work in whatever media they prefer and learn new techniques from time to time. This years’ exhibit includes twelve adult artists and two youth artists. There are thirty-four pieces total. Works include photography, sculpture, mixed media, wood working, oil painting, watercolor painting, and acrylic paintings.

"HOLOGRAPHIC"

-MICHAELA BRADLEY

BIO:

I am an Omaha native whose love of many types of storytelling and media informs my work. Each and every piece I do is for the little girl who longed to see herself reflected in the TV, books and video games I consumed. All my work features women and girls of color, often in fantasy or sci-fi settings and poses.

I have always hated the fact that “black media” has always been considered a separate category, often relegated to one-off shout outs in February. I’ve always hated that even black makers and viewers see themselves as separate or other. Black people are people with many of the same worries and concerns as any other group. SO my work doesn’t emphasize the fact that my charters are black. They do all the same cool things that any other color character can do. I aim to minimize the sense of otherness with which many people approach black artwork. I love whimsy and fun and I often view my artwork as a form of play. I keep my work fairly accessible to non-artists so that they feel invited to join in on the fun and beauty.

"PHOTOGRAPHY"

-BILL PETERS 

BIO:

Bill Peters fascination with photography goes back to childhood days when he got the infrequent chance to use his father’s Argus C3 camera to take Kodachrome slides of family travels in Europe. He still has that camera.

One of the first things he did after buying a house in Gering was to build a darkroom where many, many hours were spent learning the craft of developing film and the art of printing. The darkroom does not have a clock and as a result, frequently printing sessions too often ended in the early hours of the morning.

"COLORED PENCIL"

-GRETCHEN PETERS

BIO:

Gretchen Peters is an advocate for the arts. She volunteers for the arts, makes art and teaches art. She taught art at Gering High School for 35 years and now makes art derived from her surroundings using colored pencil as the medium. Her students received many awards for their creativity and Gretchen has received numerous awards for her

teaching and drawing skills. 

"JOURNEY"

-LINDA DABBS 

BIO: Linda has been a practicing and professional artist for most of her life, supporting herself & her three children with graphic & advertising art. She now fills her time with theater art painting sets for several theaters along with teaching scenic painting techniques at Chadron State College.

Starting at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo where she organized & started the zoo’s graphic art department. From there, moving on to become art director for Imperial Outdoor Advertising Co. Then on to advertising art as director of design for ad agencies, later owning her own free lance graphic design/ illustration studio. Some of the organizations she has served with are, the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo Women’s Board, Fontenelle Forest Woman’s Guild, and the Graphic Artists Guild. She has also donated her time and talents to Nebraska State Recycling. For several years Linda worked with Kelly S King’s Faux Finish School with schools in Omaha, NE, Denver, CO, and Seattle, WA. 

"THE WAY OF THE WEST"

-DAVID DORSEY

Art has always played a huge part in my life. Ever since I was little, drawing and painting have been something that I have always done. In fact I cannot remember a time when I was not intrigued by  artists and the work they created. That aspect has not changed, I am still mesmerized by new styles of art that I have not seen before. I will never learn all that I want to in this life time, about painting and drawing, and I truly believe this is a good thing. We should never cease to learn, no matter what our age.

"COWBOY STARTER KIT"

-JOE ROBERTS

As a kid growing up, I loved watching westerns with my dad. Seeing the horses, saddles, and gear always intrigued me. So, when I was eight, I got my first experience working leather in Cub Scouts.

Fast forward a few years, after suffering a traumatic brain injury, leather was a way for me to pass the time while enduring a long recovery. During that time, I began making smaller items and selling them. It wasn’t until about eight years ago I began pursing leather working as a career. I’ve always been interested in the cowboy/western arts.

I feel as a craftsman I should always be looking to improve upon some of the old ways of craftsmanship and not try and reinvent them.

For me I want the preserve the history of making cowboy and horse gear and the methods used a hundred years ago. 

"ORGANIC &GEOMETRIC"

-JOE LUCAS

Joe grew up hunting, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors with family and friends. He had the opportunity to develop his latent interest in wildlife and outdoor photography while living in Alaska where presentations requiring photos were a large part of his work responsibilities.  His retirement and relocation to Littleton Colorado has allowed him to focus on outdoor photography, which he enjoys sharing with others.  His photos can be viewed at lucas-photos.com.

Growing up Joe Lucas and Mary Sue Suit were instilled with a love of nature and the learned satisfaction of creating something by a father who was a by profession a forester and by craft a fine cabinet maker and a mother of endless interests and talent. 

"ORGANIC &GEOMETRIC"

-MARY SUE SUIT

Mary Sue Suit of Sidney Nebraska is an award-winning quilt designer, teacher, and author whose works include

      "All the Blocks are Geese"                                        

      "A New Twist on Triangles"

      "A New Turn on Drunkard’s Path"

      "Crazy Eights (Fun with Eight pointed Stars)"

published by That Patchwork Place.

Her original works, quilted by Diana Larson of Sidney and award-winning quilter and author Judy Woodworth of Rapid City South Dakota, have been included in national and international quilt shows. These quilts are presented here with their knowledge and permission.

"THREAD PAINTING"

-MILLA MALCHOW

Through online lessons and books, I taught myself how to use my new sewing machine for quilting. I immediately saw the vast artistic potential that comes from patterning and designing quilts. While I have always been creative, I primarily worked in 2D mediums, such as oils, acrylics, watercolors, and graphite.  I saw quilting as a new way to express my artistic vision and jumped in headfirst without ever looking back! 

"ARCHETYPES AND ETERNAL STORIES"

-SHAUN ROBERTS

Archetypes and Eternal Stories challenges viewers to confront our differences of social class, race, gender, politics or religion. It revisits the ancient idea of rise and falling civilization. Are we living in a civil society of increasing vitality and humanity, or are we on our way to a new Dark Age? The characters from the Archetypes and Eternal Stories series find themselves in unbelievable circumstances.

"29TH ANNIVERSARY    SHOW"

-OPEN ARTIST COMPETITION

 The Anniversary show is a juried and judged exhibit. First, pieces are submitted by artists for juror selection. The three-member jury will select top pieces from artists to be in the show. Multiple states are represented among the artists. There are seven media categories including: oil and acrylic; watercolor and gouache; pastel, ink, pencil; mixed media; photography; three-dimensional; and youth.  Once judged we will announce the winners in all categories. Thirty-seven artists entered this year and out of 87 pieces 69 were selected to be a part of the exhibit.

"SPRING SHOW"

-BOX BUTTE ART SOCIETY

The Spring show is the annual guild show of the Box Butte Art Society, based in Alliance, NE. The show is judged by  professional artist, Michelle Denton, Director of the West Nebraska Arts Center. The objective of the society is to promote and advance the study and appreciation of Art in general. This is for art appreciators, art crafters, weekend art enthusiasts, semi-professionals, and professionals. If you like art we like you and want you to join! It's only a once a year $15 fee to be a member. We hold a monthly meeting where we learn fun techniques that are easily tackled by an art enthusiast at any level! Currently we have a group of over 40 members in Alliance, Hemingford and Chadron area.

"A GLIMPSE OF SPIRIT"

ALLIANCE ARTS COUNCIL SPONSORED ARTIST

-JEAN JENSEN, LEWELLEN NE

For the past forty years she has engaged in self-study and workshops, developing her skills in watercolor, pastel and oil as she captures the essence of flowers, people and local landscapes. 

Jean lives near Lewellen where she and her two brothers are the exhibiting artists and owners of the Most Unlikely Place gallery and café.  Jean’s dream is to turn Lewellen into the Taos of Nebraska.  Jean’s work can be seen at www.jeanjensenart.com.

"ARTISTIC VISTAS NEAR AND FAR"

-BOB PELTZ, ALLIANCE NE

Peltz has successfully worked in numerous art fields, including impressionistic painting, abstract design, illustration, portraiture, and cartooning. He is a retired creative director for an advertising firm in Denver, CO working for major corporations. His clients have included the United States Air Force, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, AT&T and United Way. He has won three international and seven national awards for his art, including a White House award for illustration and two international Summit Awards for design. 

"POTTERY AND PAINTINGS"

-LINDA LACY, ASHBY, NE

Linda Lacy is the owner of Calinda’s Pot shop & Art Gallery in Ashby, NE. She received her BA Interdisciplinary degree with emphasis in art, education, and communications from Chadron State College. She has received and instructed numerous painting and pottery workshops over the past 30 years. As an artist in residence with the Nebraska Arts Council for the past 25 years Linda is available to give workshops or seminars with hands-on demonstrations for children and adults in schools and communities across Nebraska. 

"VISIONS IN COLOR"

-TAMMY SCHUETT, GRAND ISLAND

The Great Plains have been my home for most of my life. I can look out my back door and see the wide-reaching horizon. There’s something about the place where the earth meets the sky

that pulls me in and captivates me. What others may find ordinary, and may not even notice, comes alive when I see it—and I must paint it.

"NATURAL SELECTIONS"

-JOE LUCAS, LITTLETON, CO

Joe grew up hunting, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors with family and friends. He had the opportunity to develop his latent interest in wildlife and outdoor photography while living in Alaska where presentations requiring photos were a large part of his work responsibilities.  His retirement and relocation to Littleton Colorado has allowed him to focus on outdoor photography, which he enjoys sharing with others.  His photos can be viewed at lucas-photos.com. 

"QUILTED ARRANGEMENTS"

-MARY SUE SUIT, SIDNEY, NE

Mary Sue Suit of Sidney Nebraska is an award-winning quilt designer, teacher, and author.

Her original works, quilted by Diana Larson of Sidney and award-winning quilter and author Judy Woodworth of Rapid City South Dakota, have been included in national and international quilt shows. These quilts are presented here with their knowledge and permission.

"President's Show"

-West Nebraska Arts Center Judged Exhibtion

Every year the West Nebraska Arts Center President selects a theme for a juried exhibition. The theme this year was Resilience, chosen by Cher Maybee, West Nebraska Arts Center Board President. The group show was open to all media and artistic styles, challenging artists to visually interpret the word resilience.

"FROM THE EARTH"

-RAY SCHLEYER, ALLIANCE, NE

Ray Schleyer was born in 1947 in Chicago, Illinois, and was one of the millions of baby-boomers to embark on a radical era in our country.  An early art highlight in his life was in 5th grade when he was chosen to do the elementary school’s bulletin board monthly.  This board was located just outside the school principal’s office which was terrifyingly distracting whenever he changed the themes.  The only formal art class he attended was his freshman year of high school.  After graduating in 1965 he joined the Marine Corps volunteer draft and completed a tour in Vietnam.  This government provided “vacation” provided him with insights and learning experiences, some unwanted, into a different visual world. A far greater one took place some years later when he moved to Alaska in 1973 to work on the state’s oil pipeline project.  He lived there for over fifteen years and experienced a much different “tour” of that area’s majestic offerings.

"FROM THE EARTH"

-ROD CLUASE, GERING, NE

bio: Rodney Clause was born in Scottsbluff NE in 1957 and remained  in the valley until the journey of formal education began in 1992. After 9 years of college and living in Colorado for several years, Clause decided to come home to continue his art work with the opening of the “Der Topfer Gallery and Studio in Scottsbluff NE. Clause’s work is definitely not staying in the lines, explosion of colors, textures and the combing of organic, geomantic and abstract elements help to create a unique piece of art.

Formal Education includes BA in Studio Art, BS in Art Education and MFA in Sculpture with a Minor in Ceramics. Other “education” came from working in Bronze foundries, teaching at community centers, public school systems, local community colleges and Chadron State College.

"THE SHALLOWS"

-HANNAH DEMMA, UNL MASTERS OF FINE ART

Bio: Hannah Demma is an avid outdoorswoman, outdoor educator, and lifelong Nebraskan. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2017, with an emphasis on printmaking and drawing and is currently pursuing her Masters in Fine Art at her alma mater. Her mixed-media approach to art speaks to aspects of science and nature both familiar and strange, and mines the environment for inspiration, examining the intersection of the imaginative and the biological, of the creative and the empirical. Her process stirs the imagination and sparks excitement for exploration and adventure. 

"28th Anniversary Show"

-JUDGED AND JURIED EXHIBITION

The Anniversary Show features works from artists within Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota.  The pieces entered first go through a juried selection process and once the final pieces are selected for the show they are judged and awarded ribbons based on their media category

"ALLIANCE ARTS COUNCIL PRESENTS"

JEANANN CURRY-HESS

Lockdown has been a blessing for my artwork. It has given me the little push I needed to try out new techniques and styles. As always, I drew on my formative years in the Sandhills of Nebraska for western and wildlife subjects.

"SPRING SHOW"

-BOX BUTTE ART SOCIETY 

A judged show of the members of the Nebraska Panhandle artist guild, the "Box Butte Art Society" 

"West by West"

-MelloDe McCart, Alliance, NE

I use a mixture of pastels, colored pencils and colored inks to develop a heightened sense of the subject I’m depicting.  Whether that subject is a cowboy, buffalo, or even a rooster I seek to capture their character through color palettes and pencil strokes that give a sense of life and motion. The frames I create are from naturally weathered wood reclaimed at old barns, corrals and buildings in Nebraska.   

"West by West"

-Jerry Underwood, Alliance, NE

I seemed to be drawn to the camera early in my youth.  The camera was never far away whether I was observing wildlife, working on the ranch, just enjoying nature, or traveling to Wyoming, Montana and the Southwest.  I wanted to capture it all. When someone asks about my photography, I like to say, “I take lots of pictures, and if I’m lucky, some turn out to be Photographs.”

"West by West"

-Garry Underwood, Alliance, NE

Garry has been an artist nearly all his life.  He paints, carves, builds furniture and even designed and built his house but his true calling is welding metal sculptures.  Garry has visited over hundreds of junk piles in Nebraska, Arizona, Wyoming and Wisconsin to preserve history in his artwork. If you can't find Garry at an art show or in Quartzite, you are sure to find him in the Sandhills of Nebraska, creating and preserving some of lifes greatest things.

"The Peter's Show"

-BILL PETERS, Gering, NE

Elevators, the castles of the plains, have a special fascination and as a result there are more than a few grain elevator pictures in both negative and digital form in his files. Like the cathedrals and castles of Europe, elevators change as the sun strikes pipes, stacks, guy wires and storage bins as the day goes by. This presents a changing view all of the time. 

"The Peter's Show"

-GRETCHEN PETERS, Gering, NE

There is something about hanging art on a wall in your house. It reflects who you are, what you’re interested in, what you see as beautiful or provocative. It can hang there for a really long time, or just a while. It is part of the whole space. There’s furniture and rugs and books but when the art goes up, it makes the space come to life, it makes the soul. Appreciating and learning about visual art, and all the arts, can be a lifetime exploration. Living with art and seeking out art makes us all more interested and more interesting. 

"Light by Darkness"

-RACHEL BROWNLEE

Rachel Brownlee is a self-taught artist from the Nebraska Sandhills. She attended the University of Nebraska at Omaha and later graduated with a degree in IT Innovation in 2015. She first began her artistic career in her teenage years when she began selling commission pieces of fine art. Her work is inspired by the harsh realism of life in the Sandhills and she seeks to show highly realistic details of that life. Much like her great-aunt Mari Sandoz, Rachel grew up working on her family’s ranch and saw the toll such work and such a life takes on the people of the Sandhills. 

"Social Justice"

-FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION OF THE HERITAGE CENTER AT RED CLOUD INDIAN SCHOOL

Today, The Heritage Center offers a rare opportunity to view an outstanding collection of Native American fine arts and historical Lakota arts. It continues to serve its mission—first noted by Br. Simon so many decades ago—to collect, preserve and exhibit the fine arts and traditional arts of Native Americans. The Center concentrates on the fine arts of all Native Americans and the traditional arts of the Lakota, and promotes the arts to bring a greater appreciation of their cultures.

"Wisdom Never Fades"

-BRIAN STEPHENSON

These people, at perhaps the most fragile moment in their lives, never waiver from the daily challenges of the issues created by physical and/or mental detriments. They allowed themselves to be captured and put on display, proudly and without fear of ridicule, accepting where they are in their lives and teaching the rest of us how to do the same.

"Mariposa"

-MARIA LENA MEDINA

 I collage them on canvas, notebooks, and other substrates. Collaging to me is like painting with paper. I drip, splatter, spray and use bold strokes of paint. I paint bold, exhilarating, jubilant, funky and eclectic art. I create layers of color, symbols, patterns, handwriting, scribbling, words and doodles. I use my handwriting as a way of self-expression, in a form of a favorite song, or my deepest thoughts. I outline shapes I see and scribble using black or white to give it more depth. Then the painting emerges. I create mixed media and abstract paintings, collages, one of a kind artist books/journals and notebooks.

"27th Anniversary Show"

-JUDGED AND JURIED EXHIBITION

The Anniversary Show features works from artists within Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and South Dakota.  The pieces entered first go through a juried selection process and once the final pieces are selected for the show they are judged and awarded ribbons based on their media category

"GLIMPSES"

-CHARLES LIERK, ALLIANCE, NE

Local Alliance, NE artist Charles Lierk.  Chas is photographer and shared images of local scenery as well as images of places and people taken during his international travels.   

"SPRING SHOW"

-BOX BUTTE ART SOCIETY 

A judged show of the members of the Nebraska Panhandle artist guild, the "Box Butte Art Society" 

ROBERT PELTZ

Local Alliance, NE artist Robert Peltz primarily creates in chalk pastel and acrylic paints.  His work ranges from portraiture to landscapes.  Peltz' works are easily recognizable by their luminous and inventive color palettes.  

BRYAN AND MOLINA PARKER

Rapid City, SD artists Bryan and Molina Parker.  Bryan's work consists of pop art imagery, often times referencing traditional Native American icons with a modern spin. The works often carry a touch of subtle humor.  Molina's work displays incredible detailed hand-made jewelry with intircately created images of flowers, instects, animals, and patterned pieces.

"PROMONTORY:   150 YEARS OF TRANSCONTINENTAL RAILROADS"

-ON LOAN FROM THE CENTER FOR RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY AND ART IN MADISON WISCONSIN

"THE EVOLUTION OF NATIVE ART"

-ON LOAN FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION AT THE HERITAGE CENTER AT RED CLOUD INDIAN SCHOOL 

"FALLING INTO PLACE"

-KORY TWADDLE, KANSANS CITY, MO

I explore my own lived experiences and my body's interaction with space as 

subject matter for my biogrammatic work, in which I seek to give physical presence to my own ethereal encounters with the external world via lived diamgrams.  My biograms are records of the lived moment, of specific periods of time and particiular spaces of my own life.  They consider how I move through and between familiar spaces.

"SOFT FOCUS"

-SARAH MAGIDA, BALTIMORE, MD

 I create hand worked embroidery which is often referred to as “women’s work”. But “women’s work” has a lot to offer and a lot of power. From days past of weaving spells to present advances in fabrics that can harbor sweat or provide warmth independent of the sun, the presence of fabric as a protector, of what can and can not be shown all these topics inform a diaglogue persistent in fibers work.

"SOFT FOCUS"

-BECCI THOMAS, ALLIANCE, NE

 By looking at her pieces, one can easily see how this interest for honoring the old, the discarded and the forgotten translate into her work.  She sees the value in the "little things”. Her whimsical pieces breathe new life into old photos, buttons, jewelry, trinkets, and even doll heads.  Through her creative process, broken and fragmented pieces become whole and go on to tell a new story of their own.

"THE MANY FACES OF NF"

-RACHEL MINDRUP, CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY, NE

These documentary styled paintings are all done with the assistance of those portrayed coordinating their own photo shoots and celebrating their vocations or hobbies. Together we work on how the portrait should be handled. Each participant writes his or her own biography and ends it with a positive note for all of us to ponder and live by!  Please view the entire collection at: http://www.facebook.com/ManyFacesNF

"TWO WAYS OF SEEING NEBRASKA"

-PRISCILLA SANDOZ AND TOM SAMSON

Priscilla Sandoz of Gering, NE and a native of Alliance, NE. Her work consists of brightly colored oil paintings that fracture realistic subject matter, the result of which strongly references cubism and impressionistic movements. Her works cover a broad range of subject matter, everything from common household items, to local buildings in Alliance, Scottsbluff, and Gering, to images of the plains.Priscilla’s pieces lend a new perspective to traditional still lifes and western subject matter.

Tom Samson lives in Minatare, NE and began his career in art as a wood worker, creating detailed carvings of animal wild

life. Tom does a few carvings now but mainly works in scratchboard. As opposed to building up an image by drawing on paper, the surface you start with in scratchboard is completely black. You have to take away from the surface by scraping off the black reveal your subject. Tom’s subject matter revolves around plains scenery and plains wildlife.

"ESSENCE PAINTINGS"

-MEGAN JOHNSON FROM ALLIANCE, NE

Megan Johnson is an Alliance Native.  She is the owner of Murphy's Grooming and Owl Grove Metaphysics.  Her animal and human works represen the essence of spirit, a mirrror, a portal from your soul using color, symbols and love. 

"THE IN-BETWEEN"

-SPENSER ALBERSTON FROM KANSAS CITY, MO

Spenser Albertsen has always had a fascination and love of painting as well as a considerable capacity for the form. He has often experimented in different mediums from artistic sound design and compositions, digital performance arts pieces to illustration and small-scale mixed media works. His main passion is in medium - large-scale oil paintings. The subject matter is a minimalistic composition juxtaposed with stylized, expressionistic portraiture. Spenser attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and graduated in 2011 with a major in Studio Fine Arts with a secondary emphasis in Graphic Design. He currently resides in Kansas City, MO.

"COMIC SPIRT"

-PERMANENT COLLECTION FROM THE HERITAGE CENTER AT RED CLOUD INDIAN SCHOOL

-"LAND OF HOPE" by Marcus Cadman

"SKYSCAPE"

-IMPACT ARTISTS OF NEBRASKA

In Nebraska the sky is always prevalent.  Mysterious, enchantingly beautiful, and at times foreboding, it is inescapably entwined into the fabric of our daily lives.  What might you see when you look into the sky?

Impact is a non-profit Nebraska visual arts organization.  It was founded in 1985 with a mission to educate through outreach programs and exhibitions.  From its inception, Impact has been recognized for its record of professionalism and creative expression. Member artists work in a broad range of disciplines, styles, and directions. Membership is limited to twenty-five Nebraska artists. 

"KALEIDOSCOPIA"

-YELENA KHANEVSKAYA

WNCC Art Instructor.  

Over the years, I’ve explored many themes and subjects, including landscape, cityscape, still life, and figure, in a variety of media.  I’ve been interested in responding to situations and issues life present to us in a more symbolic way.

My ever-present interest in the human figure, human character, and state of mind is given a wide playing field in these more abstract works. I often use the human figure and patterns as a metaphor for an emotional state or a personification of different character traits.

"GRACE"

-Ericka Pritchard

This exhibit is a visual documentary of the artist's grandparents Grace and Carl. The images depict their story as wife takes on the role of caretaker for her husband who suffers from dementia.  It is not only a testament to the resilliance and strength of Grace, but to the love and dedication of a couple in the last stage of their lives.

"Wanderlust"

-Steph Mantooth

"All Who Wander Are Not Lost"

-The exhibit was a photographic passage through 5 countries, by 5 women of 3 generations, in 21 days.  It included a little sight seeing, 1 wedding, and reconnecting with long lost heritage.  

"Holiday Show"

-Anne Burkholder and Allen Smith

From blue hazed horizons to rocky courses these two masters take us on a visual tour of Nebraska's lands and skies with a brush and a lens. 

"Bridges: Sharing our Past to Enrich Our Future"

Endorsed by the Nebraska 150 Commission as a “Signature Event,” Hildegard Center for the Arts, in collaboration with the Nebraska Tourism Commission and the Nebraska State Historical Society, issued a call to both amateur and professional photographers to capture images of historic sites or hidden treasures from all 93 Nebraska counties. Photographers were invited to share photos of community or personal significance to tell Nebraska’s story. Over 800 photo submissions were received! 

"Red Cloud Heritage Center"

-Heritage Center at the Red Cloud Indian School

On loan from their permanent collection

"Horses N' Hills; Visions of Western, NE"

-Rick Yusten & Joan Buckles

Rick Yusten Bio:

Rick's paintings are currently displayed at the Prairie Edge Art Gallery in Rapid City, South Dakota. He resides in Gordon, Nebraska, where he has a  studio.

Joan Buckles Bio:

Joan Buckles has always been inspired by “The Horse,” from the time she was a first grader and saw the photo of “The Horse Fair” by Rosa Bonheur. Her husband, Buck, used saddle horses and work horses, daily, giving her an opportunity to use her camera to capture many future paintings. Her work can be viewed at The     Italian Inn and The Chamber of Commerce store in Gordon, NE. 

"The Backroads in Pixel & Paint"

- Beth & Gary Cole

Gary Cole: Someone once said, "I need to take photographs because I could never explain how beautiful something is with words."  Pictures truly are worth a thousand words.  I think it is important to take photographs that include the human element, to touch one's emotion in some way. 

Beth Cole:

I paint from life and photographs I take on my drives across Nebraska.  Once I find a scene or a photograph I want to paint, I create a small thumbnail sketch using simple shapes and values.  I always try to remember why I love the scene I am painting and try to bring the mod and atmosphere into it. 

"Losing Ground"

-Sandra Williams

The subject of my work contains variations on the theme of ecotone, the area where two communities meet and integrate. Traditionally, the term refers to ecological communities, such as the zone where the plains and desert meet the rainforest and the biodiversity that occurs there. Yet it can also refer the zone where “nature” and “culture” intersect—where city meets the preexisting natural environment and the tension resulting from this intersection. It may also refer to a metaphorical overlapping of narrative and place.

 The stark contrast of cut paper is reflective of the investigation of physical, ecological and cultural boundaries. The stories and fables I select are narratives that ultimately attempt to destabilize the modern notion of an unbridgeable boundary between ‘human’ and ‘animal’. I continue to investigate and describe the conflict between human and animal, hoping to reveal what animals teach us about our humanity.

"Paintings"

Ricki Klages

Ricki Klages has been an exhibiting artist since 1984.  Her paintings have been exhibited both nationally and internationally, She has received many awards in Juried exhibitions, and has been published in the International Painting Annual, through Manifest Gallery and Drawing Center four times. 

Ricki started teaching at the University of Wyoming in the Department of Art in 1995. She returned to the University with her husband and two children after an extended three year leave of absence in northern Italy in the Lake District at the foothills of the Alps.  It was there that she learned the Italian arts of drinking fine wine, eating great food and relaxation.  She has been the Head of the Department of Art and Professor of Painting at the University of Wyoming for eleven years.

"Holdiay Show"

MelloDe McCart

My medium is pastels – colored pencils and colored inks combined.  The subjects that I’m drawn to are the innocence of youth, the life stories in an old face and the movement and majesty in nature.  I also mat my own work and make my own frames out of recycled materials.   I customize my frames to enhance the subject in my drawings.

"Holdiay Show"

The Valentine Sand Painters Guild

Featured in the upstairs galleries we have 16 talented artists from the Valentine Sand Painters. The Sand Painters Art Club is an organization open to all persons interested in the creation and or promotion of the visual arts.  With emphasis in the North Central Nebraska and south Central South Dakota area. It was formed in 1965 by Veronica Heelan, Betty Kime and Alice Cumbow and is a charter member of the Association of Nebraska Art Clubs.

"West of the Heartland"

David Dorsey, Mary Hunt, and Michelle Denton

Three people with similar roots grounded in faith, family values, a strong work ethic and an artistic nature that could not be denied.  Those values come through in diverse ways in the work of Michele Denton, David Dorsey, and Mary B. Hunt. 

"Rodeo Highlights"

-Pam Hynek

Pam started off a rodeo photographer and branched into painting her subject matter.

"Cool and Colorful"

-Katrina Methot Swanson

Gorgeous smooth and detailed collection of oils.  The show included garden gems, vintage bicycles, city scapes, and hot rod cars.