Medusa’s Ways of Seeing: Omaha 4: well technically Lincoln!

My other days in Nebraska were seeing art around Lincoln and Omaha! Here’s some stellar things I caught around Lincoln….

I went to undergrad at University of Lincoln-Nebraska for art, and it was some of the best years of my life. I hadn’t been for over a decade! Although the Sheldon Museum wasn’t open, I walked around campus to visit my favorite campus art, checked out the Great Plains Museum, Burkholder Project, Noyes Gallery and Gallery 9. My old haunts!

Highlights!:

sculpture

Sandy, In Defined Space, sculpture by Richard Miller on UNL campus. The UNL campus has some stellar public art. This has always been a favorite of mine, both aesthetically

(love the pairing of curvy body with straight edges)

and conceptually

(women often confined, breaking free).

I remember passing it several times with my art portfolio in hand!

Headed downtown and happened upon two fabulous exhibitions at the Great Plains Museum: Contemporary Indigeneity and Star Body, Star Breath, a solo show by Sarah Rowe. My faves in Contemporary Indigeneity, a group show:

art

The haunting dark skeletal figures of S. Deloria Black Wolf (left)

the excitingly fresh take on cornhusk art by Mona Cliff (left),

and the sensuous, simple, intimate nature photogram print by Jarica Walsh (left).

 

By far my favorite was Sarah Rowe‘s solo show–video, performance documentation, painting, even an interactive playful “commercial break”, flowers, photography, poetry…all just fabulously provocative, beautiful and so much Sarah, an artist I admire greatly.

Sarah, who I met years ago after hearing about her performance work, has a tremendous ability of making her concepts happen, and in so many different media–even and if especially, very serious ideas around identity, social justice and the relationship to nature-land–and with a sense of beauty and humor. Swoon!!

I next ventured down to the Haymarket, the sort of second downtown in Lincoln.

[FYI Lincoln and Omaha are VERY nice towns. Not only are they clean, organized and full of conveniences, but there are multiple arts areas around both towns. I applaud the middle of America towns for supporting the arts!]

Haymarket faves:

Burkholder Project: the fabulous, quirky

figurative paintings by Erin Cross (left and right)

 

 

 

 

 

and the uber fun nostalgic paintings (left) by Katrina Swanson

(though, on her website, she has some Peanuts characters…but no Sally Brown! :()

(also love her paintings around town).

 

 

 

 

Noyes Gallery:

 

the fun, kitchy line drawings and mixed media collages of Carol Hurd (left)

and the royal, Klimt-esque figure painting by Jane Chestnut (below).

[Noyes was special to me not only for my college nostalgia but because I exhibited there years back in a figurative group show, Femmes Qui Bercent (Women Who Rock) curated by sculptor Susan Woodford, which sadly, I cannot find any photographs of!]

Last Lincoln stop: Gallery 9.

Gallery 9 is also significant to me, because my college crush, one of the drawing graduate teaching assistants, had his work there. He was skinny and awkward and not traditionally “hot,” but the encouragement and modest way of teaching made me fall for lines, and crush him a bit :)…I remember trying to draw lettuce, and getting all close with my pencil and frustrated, and him saying, “you’re a long line lady, step back. Take a break, come back and use your arms.” Turk, if you’re out there, now you know! 🙂

I didn’t see Turk’s work in Gallery 9, but loved the work of Sharon Lacy Cech:

sc5.jpg

again, my faves:

figure + femininity

rich colors

narrative

calls to art + history

playful….swoon!

 

Thanks for reading ! If you appreciate the content and would like to support my work, please share with a friend and consider a tip!

Up next: art around Omaha!

~Sally