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Nebraska: A State of the Arts

College Town Art in Lincoln

Home to the University of Nebraska and a growing city scene, Lincoln has emerged as one of the most hip and creative cities in the state. A case in point is the Sheldon Museum of Art.

The Sheldon Museum is a hybrid institution. It houses the collections of the Sheldon Art Association, which was founded in 1888, and the University of Nebraska, which began collecting art in 1929. In all, the museum has more than 12,000 works in a variety of media, including a collection of American art that focuses on 19th-century landscape and still life, as well as American impressionism, modernism and pop art. Outside, a sculpture garden has more than 30 large-scale pieces of art by sculptors such as Gaston Lachaise, Jacques Lipchitz, Michael Heizer and Richard Serra.

Art and craft lovers visiting Lincoln should also make time to visit the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, which has a collection of more than 4,000 quilts.

While you’re there: The Nebraska Capitol is both an anomaly and an architectural jewel. Referred to as a “skyscraper capitol,” the building towers 400 feet above the city and is one of only three capitols in the nation that eschew the traditional dome-and-rotunda design in favor of a more vertical approach.

www.lincoln.org

Nebraska Art in Kearney

About 130 miles east of Lincoln, Kearney is a small city with a lot of history and a vibrant cultural scene. Groups will enjoy a visit to Kearney’s Museum of Nebraska Art, which focuses on art and artists with some connection to the state. Most of the artists were born, lived or trained in Nebraska at some point.

Those artists include some well-known names, such as Ramsey Peale, Karl Bodmer, Robert Henri and George Catlin. Many of those artists created works depicting what they saw or remembered from their time in Nebraska. The museum’s collection features more than 6,000 works in painting, glass, fiber, wood and ceramic.

The museum is also noteworthy for the building that houses it. The Renaissance Revival structure was originally constructed in 1911 as the Kearney post office. Decorative elements inside and outside the museum reflect that architectural style.

While you’re there: The Great Platte River Road Archway is something of a museum in the sky. Resembling a covered bridge, it spans 308 feet across Interstate 80, suspended 30 feet above the road.

www.visitkearney.org

Brian Jewell

Brian Jewell is the executive editor of The Group Travel Leader. In more than a decade of travel journalism he has visited 48 states and 25 foreign countries.