Arts & Humanities

By Joel Sartore

It all started in 2005 when my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Though she’s fully recovered now, at the time we knew we were in for a long haul—at least a year of chemo, followed by surgery and radiation. My high-flying days as a National Geographic photographer were over.

By Burns Davis

There are occasions when a voice is heard above the common noise of our lives. Locally there is an artist lifting up her songs for us in the sound of a woman’s voice.

By Bob Reeves

Wildlife and nature photographer Joel Sartore will share his experiences on exotic assignments for National Geographic and other magazines, while holding up a mirror to our relationship with wild creatures and places, in two presentations on March 26 as part of Peacemaking Workshop XXIII.

By Paul A. Johnsgard

The Great Plains cast a footprint-shaped imprint over the heartland of North America that covers a million square miles, the heel resting gently on the glacial-shaped plains of eastern Alberta and the toes touching the muddy shorelines of Texas and northeastern Mexico. Across much of this 1,800-mile north-to-south distance perennial grasslands once exerted their quiet dominance, sustaining the lives of the ecologically and culturally diverse tribes of Native Americans and of the hundreds of species of mammals, birds and reptiles. These grasslands also supported myriads of smaller vertebrates and invertebrates that are much less well known and tend to be overlooked by present-day casual observers.

Michael Forsberg recently completed “Great Plains: America’s Lingering Wild” after crisscrossing 100,000 miles of the Plains from Canada to Mexico. The book explores the wildlife, habitats and conservation challenges of our grasslands with essays by South Dakota writer and rancher Dan O’Brien, former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser and writer and geographer Dr. David Wishart. The book will be released this fall and is published by the University of Chicago Press.

By Michael Forsberg

Niobrara river sunrise—click. One-half second. Bobcat walking along a game trail at sundown—click. One-sixtieth of a second. Bison at night in a lightning storm—click. Fifty-eight seconds.

By Amanda Mobley

Augustus Dunbier (1888–1977), international artist of Omaha, Neb., was a prolific landscape painter. At age 16, Dunbier moved to Germany from Nebraska to study art at the Royal Academy of Fine Art in Dusseldorf with Adolf Munzer. Then he studied for one year at the Chicago Art Institute, where he became good friends with many prominent artists, including Robert Henri; Robert Spencer; Taos artists Walter Ufer and Eanger I. Couse; and Robert Guilder. Although he traveled and painted throughout the United States, he was the most educated full-time artist working in the state of Nebraska. From 1930–1977, between seasonal travels, Dunbier influenced many budding artists in workshops taught from his Omaha studio.

By Roger Millnitz

Gentlemen, in this age of dictators and government control of everything, about the only privilege guaranteed by the Bill of Rights not in some way supervised and directed, is Barber Shop Quartet singing. Without doubt we still have the right of ‘peaceable assembly’ which I am advised by competent legal authority includes quartet singing. The writers of this letter have for a long time thought that something should be done to encourage the enjoyment of this last remaining source of human liberty.”

By Sarah Baker

The opportunities to take in the arts in Nebraska are as vast as the wide-open prairie itself. Museums and commercial galleries, performing arts venues, exciting live music and artists who explore the rich history of Nebraska are just a taste of what the state has to offer.

By Maureen Ose

The International Quilt Study Center & Museum was founded in 1997 and is now the home of the largest publicly held quilt collection in the world.

By Jack Bewley

Why war? Why at this late date, with all we know about history and science and logic and the human psyche, with all the art and wisdom and charity mankind has generated, do we still slaughter one another over imaginary lines on the ground and made-up titles and claims and labels of dubious authenticity? Forty years ago this spring as I left college, Americans by the thousands were fighting and dying in Asia for no comprehensible reason and thousands more—myself included—were engaged in a struggle here at home to halt that war and tarnish forever the concept of war.

By Mark L. Moseman

Poets Ted Kooser, Twyla Hansen and Leo Kovar will be featured as part of an exhibit about agrarianism in art and poetry at Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art in David City, Neb. Kooser is the well-known U.S. Poet Laurate. Hansen’s agrarian poems are in several books. Kovar is a writer who has composed poems just for this event. All of these poets focus on agrarian poetry.

By Kandra Hahn

11 p.m., Friday, June 19, Norfolk, Neb.

They did it again.

Norfolk rolled out the second Great American Comedy Festival (GACF), June 14–20, in homage to Nebraska’s greatest contribution to humor, Johnny Carson.

By Danny Staehr

It’s time for yet another Bugs and Butterflies class at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo. For today’s group of 5–8 year olds, this includes a visit to Laura’s Butterfly Pavilion. The pavilion is open from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. each day. It is a seasonal exhibit that is in operation from June through mid-September. This is where I get the opportunity to bring together my little friends: the caterpillars, the butterflies and the kids.

By Susan Curtis

Plains Indian beadwork encompasses the relationships of technique, design, color and dimension. Stunning examples of this art are the subject of the current exhibition at the Great Plains Art Museum. Included in the exhibition are selections from the museum’s permanent collection that depict Native American beadwork, historical examples of beadwork from the University of Nebraska State Museum and contemporary pieces worked in traditional techniques and designs.

By Amanda Mobley

Agrarian is “of or relating to fields or lands or their tenure.” According to Brian Donahue, author of “The Resettling of America,” agrarian values are land, beauty, food, work and community. “In 1790, 90 percent of American households were farm households. In 2004, farmers made up 2 percent of the U.S. population.” America has resettled to urban communities and agrarian values are being forsaken in the process.

By Barb Schmit

The Lincoln Municipal Band is a professional concert band, comprised of some of the area’s finest musicians, including regulars with such ensembles as Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra, Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, Nebraska Brass, Third Chair Chamber Players, and The New Music Agency. Each summer the band presents free concerts on Sunday evenings at Lincoln, Neb.’s Antelope Park, bringing together thousands of people with a thirst for good music and community camaraderie.

By Tierney Brosius and Mitch Paine

While we often think of tropical rainforests and tigers when we think of conservation, in Lincoln, Neb., a small insect offers a local illustration of a global issue. The Salt Creek tiger beetle lives in our backyard and as a result has become a symbol of Lincoln’s environmental conscience. Our community controls the fate of our backyard neighbor.

“I’ve come a long way to file claim to a parcel of land. If you could see your way clear to help me…” He explained his plight.

“You halfta talk with Jim Bedford, he’s the assistant. Jamison’s outta town. He’s the registrar.”

Where do I find this Jim Bedford?” Strains of “Turkey in the Straw” yanked from the resilient gut of the bango strings competed with the zee-zwa-ing of the two fiddles to be heard.

By Amanda Mobley

Floyd F. Nichols (1897–1958), whose retrospective exhibit will open May 22, 2009, at Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art, was an adventurous creative man. His exciting life story is important to examine in conjunction with his artwork. He joins the ranks of prominent American writers, poets, artists and musicians, who sought to find and express themselves through the arts shortly after the beginning of the 20th century. The creative voice inside of him was strong. Throughout his life, he searched to realize his vision. He was a craftsman of ingenuity. He created a wide variety of fine arts and crafts that were authentically American.

By Amber Mohr

Art is process, and art is best viewed with knowledge of that process. This is the theory behind the Elizabeth Rubendall Artist-In-Residence program at the Great Plains Art Museum. Each year, an artist from the Great Plains region is selected to create a commissioned artwork for the Great Plains Art Museum’s permanent collection. The interactive residency prescribes that the artwork is created live in the Great Plains Art Museum lobby. Gail Sundell, a stone sculptor from Cheyenne, Wyo., will be creating an original figure grouping of Plains Tribe natives titled “Women of the Plains,” in alabaster. She will be working April 21–26, 2009, sculpting from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and then from 2 to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and from 1:30 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. The public is welcome to observe and interact with the artist while she works.