Exploring Nebraska through Art The Sesquicentennial (NE150) Projects: “Bridges” Photo Exhibit and “Legacy of Nebraska” by Todd Williams

Tomorrow is a rather big day for Nebraska. After all, not every day does a state turn 150 years old!!!!! All sorts of celebrations are planned in honor of the sesquicentennial milestone. First thing tomorrow, I will tell you about what is planned for Nebraska’s birthday day. If you are curious and do not want to wait, you can visit the link below. This site is definitely worth exploring. NE150 Art projects have been developed. Both projects feature all ninety-three counties, and these traveling displays will both be exhibited in Lincoln for a short time.

Nebraska 150 Celebration

“Bridges: Sharing our Past to Enrich the Future”

To make “Bridges Exhibition” project happen several organizations worked together. The Hildegard Center for the Arts collaborated with both the Nebraska Tourism Commission and the Nebraska State Historical Society. Amateur and professional photographers had the opportunity to submit photographs that captured Nebraska historic sites or of other interesting locations across the state. Over eight hundred photos were submitted. A jury narrowed down the selections to one picture per Nebraska county.

Walking through the exhibit is like taking a visual tour of the state. My children and I enjoyed looking for familiar places and discovering new ones. Although there are some similarities in theme, such as several country churches, there is enough contrast to make it interesting. Each photograph includes a story written by the photographer as to why the place was chosen. This adds meaning to the photographs. Because I did not get to linger long enough to read all of the notes, I think I need to return again. With free admission, that is definitely a strong possibility.

This exhibit is currently at Lincoln’s Great Plains Art Museum. The entire collection will remain here through the end of March. Then the exhibit will split up and sent to several Nebraska communities. Over the 2017 holiday season, all ninety-three framed photographs will be reunited at the Durham Museum in Omaha. To learn more or to see the virtual exhibit, visit HildegardCenter.org

Todd Williams and the “Legacy of Nebraska”

I had the privilege of getting to interview Todd Williams for an L Magazine March 2017 article. I am impressed with the intentionality of his art. And his logo is one of the coolest ones I have ever seen. You will definitely want to visit his website to learn more about this fascinating artist. Todd Williams Fine Art

Artist Todd Williams grew up in Nebraska. One of his longtime goals was to paint a collection featuring his beloved state. He determined that to finish one painting featuring every Nebraska county would take him about five years. Interestingly enough, the timing worked out that his paintings would be completed in time for the start of the Nebraska Sesquicentennial celebration.

To determine which subjects to feature, Williams traveled the state. On his journey, he visited historical societies and museums. Because he wanted to include historical Nebraska for some of the paintings, sometimes photographs were used as reference points. For others, models helped him bring his vision to life. Some paintings were completed in plenair on location.

In the end, Williams ended up finishing 123 paintings for the “Legacy of Nebraska” exhibit. Starting March 1^st, all of them will be on display at the Nebraska History Museum. Later, the whole collection will also be on display in Grand Island, then in Omaha. After visiting these towns, the collection will be split up and sent to several Nebraska locations. Eventually the paintings will be available for purchase. Although some paintings have already been sponsored, some originals are still available. To learn more about the project or how to purchase a painting or reproduction, please visit Todd Williams Fine Art. At the website, NE150 website, you can find out about the many Nebraska sesquicentennial events. Both of these NE150 Art projects are definitely worth visiting!

Note: This post includes excerpts from an article that I wrote for the Buy Local, Buy Nebraska March/April 2017 edition.