Norfolk Arts Center Ladies Guild recently hosted a delightful Fall guild luncheon, featuring a unique and engaging event centered around the art of charcuterie board design. The highlight of the luncheon was Tammi Reeves, who presented her expertise and insights into creating beautiful and delicious charcuterie boards.
The event was not your typical luncheon; it encouraged hands-on participation and creativity. Each attendee was provided with a selection of meats, cheeses, and various accompaniments, allowing them to craft their own charcuterie boards during the presentation. It was a wonderful opportunity for the ladies to unleash their artistic talents and culinary skills, as they carefully arranged and composed their individual boards.
At the end of the luncheon one lucky person was selected to take home a charcuterie board crafted by Clare and Scott Orwig, which had served as the table centerpiece.
The Charcuterie board Fall guild luncheon, hosted by the Norfolk Arts Center Ladies Guild, provided a perfect blend of art, gastronomy, and camaraderie. It was an event that not only allowed the ladies to learn from an expert like Tammi Reeves but also gave them the opportunity to express themselves through their culinary creations. Additionally, the charming touch of awarding a handcrafted board to one lucky guest at each table made it a memorable and delightful gathering for all who attended.
Gale D. Jones of Nebraska has faced the challenge of going blind due to kidney disease since 1981. Despite his health struggles, he has channeled his artistic expression into creating unique woven watercolors. Jones’ process involves painting two watercolors of the same subject with varying hues and values. He then weaves them together using a magnifier, overcoming the limitations of his deteriorating vision.
Jones’ health issues, including diabetic retinopathy and multiple surgeries, left him legally blind from 1981 to 1982. During this period, he doubted if he could paint again. However, with his wife Carol’s support and magnification tools, he persevered and completed works like “The Survivor,” portraying a bison apart from its herd. The piece was featured in a traveling exhibit for visually impaired artists. Although his vision improved after cataract surgeries, Jones continues to manage differing vision capabilities in each eye. His artwork reflects his changed perspective on life and the value of time, urging viewers to appreciate the fleeting nature of things.
Tammy Marshall – I’m a longtime columnist and feature writer for the Norfolk Daily News out of Norfolk, Nebraska, and my column now runs in the Bristol Herald-Courier, out of Bristol, VA/TN, and the Columbus Telegram and the Fremont Tribune in Nebraska, too. I’ve published five books so far with more on the way. The current five, The Clearwater House, State of Georgia . . . And Other Writings, Ticker Tape, Twinges, and Trouble on Tybee are all available for purchase in the NAC Artist Corner. I’ve received Honorable Mention writing awards from “Writer’s Digest” and the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition (2018). I have done stand-up comedy and hope to get back into it now that I’ve officially retired from teaching. I taught secondary English and Spanish for thirty years. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, traveling, riding my Harley, watercolor painting, cross-stitching, walking my dog, swimming laps, or spending time with the people I love. I have two grown children, a wonderful boyfriend, loving parents, and strong connections with the seven exchange students I’ve hosted from Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the Czech Republic. I love to read fiction, and I have a collection of all the Pulitzer Prize winners in fiction. I’m working my way through them, and I write about the books I read in my column which is called “Novel Thoughts.” When I list my favorite novels, The Count of Monte Cristo always tops the list. Additionally, I love The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, To Kill a Mockingbird, Angle of Repose, The Shadow of the Wind, The Book Thief, Water for Elephants, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, The Weight of Ink, and An Unfinished Life.
1. At what point did you decide to be an author and what was your path to publication? I’ve always wanted to be an author. It’s been my dream since I was a child. I went to UNL and majored in English, but I also got a teaching certificate in English and Spanish to pay the bills while I pursued the writing dream. Over the years, I wrote whenever possible and tried to gain an agent so that I could follow the traditional route toward publication. I got a few nibbles, but I couldn’t manage to snag an agent. Meanwhile, my first novel was languishing in the figurative drawer. I’d begun writing a book column called “Novel Thoughts” for the Norfolk Daily News early in 2010 (and I’m still writing it to this day), so in 2014 I asked the editor if he’d consider serializing my first novel. He agreed to do that, and “The Clearwater House” ran one chapter a week in the online edition for an entire year. By the end of that year, so many people wanted their own copies of it that I had to find a way to get the book out there in paperback form. Thus, I ended up going the self-publication route via Amazon’s print-on-demand feature. Once I started down that path with the first book, it was easy to continue self-publishing the following books, and they are all available as eBooks, too. I have five out so far and a sixth novel is nearing completion. 2. Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding or your attention and detail as a writer? I have two favorites. First is Lillian Chase, the protagonist of “The Clearwater House,” because I devoted so much time to that first book that I felt like I really got to know her. My other favorite is Marvin Wineski, the veteran protagonist of “Ticker Tape” because he came to me one day fully formed and demanded I write his story. I spend a lot of time with veterans through my role as an American Legion Rider and as the daughter of an Air Force veteran, so veterans have a special place in my heart. 3. Do you have any odd (writing) habits? Some people think that it’s odd that I handwrite the first drafts of my novels. I love to handwrite things even though typing on the laptop is much faster. Handwriting brings the magic of writing to life in front of my eyes, and it slows the process so that I focus more on the story I’m telling. 4. Tell us what you enjoy most about writing? Now that I’ve left teaching behind to focus solely on my writing career, I love everything about my writing life. I probably most enjoy the quiet solitude of working on it alone in my house, but I also really enjoy doing readings and appearances at libraries and other literary events. Meeting my readers fuels my drive to create even more stories. 5. Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in your jobs/education in your writing? Once a teacher, always a teacher. Georgia, the protagonist of “State of Georgia . . . and Other Writings” is a retired teacher. “Twinges” is completely about an elementary teacher and her student who grows up to be evil. The novel I’m currently writing has a high school principal who is also a motorcyclist (like I am) as the protagonist. Additionally, I write a weekly piece called “Cognate Cognizance ” in which I incorporate my 30 years of experience as a Spanish teacher to share insights that help my subscribers improve their English and Spanish vocabularies. “Cognate Cognizance” is found at cognatecognizance.substack.com. 6. What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers? My column that appears twice a month in the Norfolk Daily News is all about books that I recommend, but when people ask me what my favorite book is, the answer will always be “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas. In more contemporary literature, I absolutely adore “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows and “The Weight of Ink” by Rachel Kadish. There’s not enough space here for me to recommend all the books that I love. 7. If you had one text, no more than 160 characters to send to everyone on earth, what would it say? Travel the world, read great books, learn another language, find your passion, stretch your body and your mind, and be kind to animals and to each other.
On Saturday, April 1st, the 16th Annual Juried Show Opening Reception was held from 12 – 2 pm. Artists and enthusiasts alike enjoyed a range of art styles and mediums chosen by our juror Eddie Dominguez and art pieces submitted by UNL Faculty for the Faculty show. A statement about the winning art pieces by Eddie was read by NAC staff and certificates were handed out for Best in Show, 1st and 2nd place. Mike Trotter won Best in Show with his piece Fisherman’s Dilemma. Mary Mancuso received 1st place with Ancestral Voices. 2nd place went to Zoe Nielsen with Scale Studies and Honorable Mention was awarded to Butch Rohrschneider for Tornado Impression Number 1. Read The official statement and all of the artist statements
We encourage artists of all expertise to apply to the 16th Annual Juried Show in 2023! Approximately 20-30 fine art works encompassing all mediums, styles, and genres will be exhibited in the NAC gallery.
WIN $250 Best of show | $150 1st Place | $100 2nd Place
Featuring local and regional artists.
Zoe Nielsen Jeanette Johnson Francine Fox Butch Rohrschneider Tom Schultz Diana Jo Tweedy Victoria Harper Greg Brown Rodney Beyke Wendy Ketelsen Janna Harsch Katy Edmisten Rachel Vogel Katie Wilson Karen Voborny
Frank Taylor Mike Trotter Denise Kraft Barb Gustafsson Sue Morfeld Jerene Kruse Bonnie Mercer Erin Spencer Mary Mancuso Steve Elliot Danika Rowe Leroy Von Glan Kathleen Lohr Clark Koppelmann Bobbie Leesley
Thanks to our sponsors for believing in the arts and supporting our gallery which is always free and open to the public!
**Sponsorship ensures the gallery is ALWAYS free and open to the public!
Hundreds of elementary students visited the Johnny Carson Theatre On Tuesday, January 17th to watch “Pete the Cat’s Big Hollywood Adventure.” Performer’s from TheaterWorks USA transformed into characters from pirate, dinosaur, dancing and robot movies as Pete and Callie the cat explore a Hollywood movie studio and avoid the security guard. Lessons are learned along the way about friendship and responsibility. Kids were encouraged to dance and sing from their seats which they were more than happy to do.
Thank You!
We would like to thank all of the volunteers that helped us keep everything organized and fun for the students and the performers.
John McCaughey – “In my work, I draw inspiration from the distressed buildings and defaced walls of the inner city. I am attracted to these structures for their visual and textural properties, the cracks, chipping paint, poorly removed graffiti, overgrowth, and flashy advertisements. I love how cities age, how they evolve… embracing their past while also looking to their future. It is a parallel to how I develop work in the studio. I enjoy recreating the ephemeral qualities of these spaces through acts of painting, sanding, screen-printing, collage’ and decollage’. These processes combine to produce a mass of colorful and texturally diverse materials that I can quickly layer into my compositions. I juxtapose the results against more modern, digitally produced information as well as feed the in-progress work into photoshop to tinker with saturation, pixilation, and other digital effects. The entire process is a formal exploration of color, texture, space, and time. These works are abstracted portraits of the world I inhabit and the nostalgic value I place upon it.”
Lisa Wicka –
“We live in the spaces… between past and present, between empty and occupied, between mind and body, between physical and virtual, between tangible and lost, between loneliness and love, between exposed and hidden. Through the breakdown and rebuilding of the in between, my work mimics the everyday navigation of these realms. Temporary moments of clarity come together and fall apart creating a self in motion, evolving through experience, place, failures and successes. My work is a surface where this dialogue becomes visible explorations of my surroundings and my identity, a surrogate self with limitless possibilities. Often referencing architectural spaces, wallpapers, and raw materials, my work brings into question the solidity and accuracy of things we hold true. Printmaking, drawing and mixed media methods allow me to acknowledge my experiences, dissect them, and reconstruct them into something concrete; if only for a moment.”
KLAIRE LOCKHEART – Atrium Artist
Flipping the binary doesn’t solve all the problems related to the objectification of women in art, but it does provide an entertaining start. I use humor to inspire viewers to consider that passive representations of women for the heteronormative male gaze are neither natural nor universal.
In response to the abundance of dehumanizing imagery I am expected to appreciate for art’s sake, I invented the brodalisque. These oil paintings feature masculine men who recreate the poses and passivity of historic odalisques. Western Orientalist painters typically portrayed odalisques within the harem, a place where unrelated men were not allowed to enter. To update the trope of creating a “realistic” painting in a prohibited space, I place my subjects within the hidden mysteries known as the man cave. I render these forbidden environments representationally to persuade viewers that these compositions are factual and not at all fictitious. If the excessive depictions of nude women in art are really truly about form and aesthetics, not power and ownership, then my paintings should be completely serious and not remotely silly. (The newest paintings in this series were created with a generous grant from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation.)
Thanks to our sponsors for believing in the arts and supporting our gallery which is always free and open to the public!
**Sponsorship ensures the gallery is ALWAYS free and open to the public!
Rodney Bode is an American painter and sculptor whose life and art have remained outside the boundaries of culture. Born in 1941, and having lived most of his adult life in rural Idaho and South Dakota, Bode is an outsider artist whose vast collection of paintings and sculpture were only recently discovered after his institutionalization in the South Dakota state psychiatric hospital where he is being treated for schizoaffective disorder and vascular dementia.
“The work is very sophisticated, very competent,” says Lynn Verschoor, retired director of the South Dakota Art Museum. “These are really just exciting paintings; they’re good paintings. They’re nothing like you see in South Dakota. People here just don’t paint like this. And the sculptures are fabulous, well balanced. Of course,” she adds, “people are interested in the story, too.”
The label ‘Outsider Art’ created by Jean Dubuffet in the 1940s, certainly describes Rod Bode’s prolific collections of paintings and sculpture. Created in the sparse rural areas in Idaho and the plains of western South Dakota, unseen by the public, Bode’s “self-taught” creations were certainly “produced beyond the boundaries of the mainstream art world.”
Rodney Bode – 1069
Thanks to our sponsors for believing in the arts and supporting our gallery which is always free and open to the public!
2022 Nebraska Art Teachers Association Juried Exhibition – Atrium
September 1 – October 8
In conjunction with the Nebraska Art Teachers Association Fall Conference held at the Norfolk Arts Center, members submitted their artwork to be selected for the juried exhibition. Elley Coffin is this year’s juror and will be selecting art pieces to show in the Atrium. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Fall Conference.
Kansas City painter Jason Needham finds inspiration in the overlooked corners of the Midwest. As the sun rose one recent morning, he was concentrating on a tangle of overgrown vines surrounding a stand of cottonwood trees at Kessler Park in the the city’s Historic Northeast neighborhood. (Photo/ Julie Denesha)
I’ve had a long-standing interest in impressionism, post-impressionism, and early American modernists like Marsden Hartley. All the other obvious influences apply: David Hockney, Neil Welliver, Alex Katz, Lois Dodd, among others. I’m drawing and painting scenes that are very familiar to me: forest scenes just off the beaten path, a pocket of woods with an interstate, parking lot or air-conditioned retreat just behind me. The trick is to see these mundane moments as majestic while allowing the mistakes of hand and misconceptions of eye be as present as the purposeful. I like the paintings to coalesce from a distance but upon close inspection fall apart into marks and the process of making, with the underlaying scaffolding of the image still visible. Each brushstroke becomes a single particle and the painting a wave of time-space. Whether I’m standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon or staring into the corner of a room, the investment in looking is the same. On one end, I’m working areas of my brain that lie deeper than the surface stream of thoughts, the self-narrating voice. On the other end, I’m pondering the fundamental structure of reality.
Join us for an enchanting evening of holiday magic at the Omaha Symphony Christmas Pops Concert! Get ready to be swept away by the joyful sounds of the symphony as they perform beloved Christmas classics and seasonal favorites.... Read More
7 weeks Of Improv Comedy lessons Tuesday nights 6-7:30 pm Nov 7th through Dec 19th Must join in first three weeks. Learn the art of being in the moment and playing the truth of a scene with long-form improv. It’s... Read More
We are thrilled to host the Opening Artist Reception featuring the remarkable works of Ron Nordyke and Nick Gadbois. Join us for an evening filled with art, conversation, and celebration on December 14th from 5 to 7 pm.... Read More
We are thrilled to host the Opening Artist Reception featuring the remarkable works of Ron Nordyke and Nick Gadbois. Join us for an evening filled with art, conversation, and celebration on December 14th from 5 to 7 pm.... Read More
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Last Updated: November 6, 2023 by webmaster
Charcuterie Fall Guild Luncheon
Norfolk Arts Center Ladies Guild recently hosted a delightful Fall guild luncheon, featuring a unique and engaging event centered around the art of charcuterie board design. The highlight of the luncheon was Tammi Reeves, who presented her expertise and insights into creating beautiful and delicious charcuterie boards.
The event was not your typical luncheon; it encouraged hands-on participation and creativity. Each attendee was provided with a selection of meats, cheeses, and various accompaniments, allowing them to craft their own charcuterie boards during the presentation. It was a wonderful opportunity for the ladies to unleash their artistic talents and culinary skills, as they carefully arranged and composed their individual boards.
At the end of the luncheon one lucky person was selected to take home a charcuterie board crafted by Clare and Scott Orwig, which had served as the table centerpiece.
The Charcuterie board Fall guild luncheon, hosted by the Norfolk Arts Center Ladies Guild, provided a perfect blend of art, gastronomy, and camaraderie. It was an event that not only allowed the ladies to learn from an expert like Tammi Reeves but also gave them the opportunity to express themselves through their culinary creations. Additionally, the charming touch of awarding a handcrafted board to one lucky guest at each table made it a memorable and delightful gathering for all who attended.
Posted: August 30, 2023 by webmaster
Sketches From Life – Gale D Jones.
Summarized version of Article
Gale D. Jones of Nebraska has faced the challenge of going blind due to kidney disease since 1981. Despite his health struggles, he has channeled his artistic expression into creating unique woven watercolors. Jones’ process involves painting two watercolors of the same subject with varying hues and values. He then weaves them together using a magnifier, overcoming the limitations of his deteriorating vision.
Jones’ health issues, including diabetic retinopathy and multiple surgeries, left him legally blind from 1981 to 1982. During this period, he doubted if he could paint again. However, with his wife Carol’s support and magnification tools, he persevered and completed works like “The Survivor,” portraying a bison apart from its herd. The piece was featured in a traveling exhibit for visually impaired artists. Although his vision improved after cataract surgeries, Jones continues to manage differing vision capabilities in each eye. His artwork reflects his changed perspective on life and the value of time, urging viewers to appreciate the fleeting nature of things.
Posted: August 23, 2023 by webmaster
Literary Artistan in the NAC Artist Corner
Tammy Marshall – I’m a longtime columnist and feature writer for the Norfolk Daily News out of Norfolk, Nebraska, and my column now runs in the Bristol Herald-Courier, out of Bristol, VA/TN, and the Columbus Telegram and the Fremont Tribune in Nebraska, too. I’ve published five books so far with more on the way. The current five, The Clearwater House, State of Georgia . . . And Other Writings, Ticker Tape, Twinges, and Trouble on Tybee are all available for purchase in the NAC Artist Corner.
I’ve received Honorable Mention writing awards from “Writer’s Digest” and the Lorian Hemingway Short Story Competition (2018). I have done stand-up comedy and hope to get back into it now that I’ve officially retired from teaching. I taught secondary English and Spanish for thirty years. When I’m not writing, I’m reading, traveling, riding my Harley, watercolor painting, cross-stitching, walking my dog, swimming laps, or spending time with the people I love. I have two grown children, a wonderful boyfriend, loving parents, and strong connections with the seven exchange students I’ve hosted from Mexico, Spain, Italy, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
I love to read fiction, and I have a collection of all the Pulitzer Prize winners in fiction. I’m working my way through them, and I write about the books I read in my column which is called “Novel Thoughts.” When I list my favorite novels, The Count of Monte Cristo always tops the list. Additionally, I love The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, To Kill a Mockingbird, Angle of Repose, The Shadow of the Wind, The Book Thief, Water for Elephants, The Elegance of the Hedgehog, The Weight of Ink, and An Unfinished Life.
1. At what point did you decide to be an author and what was your path to publication?
I’ve always wanted to be an author. It’s been my dream since I was a child. I went to UNL and majored in English, but I also got a teaching certificate in English and Spanish to pay the bills while I pursued the writing dream. Over the years, I wrote whenever possible and tried to gain an agent so that I could follow the traditional route toward publication. I got a few nibbles, but I couldn’t manage to snag an agent. Meanwhile, my first novel was languishing in the figurative drawer. I’d begun writing a book column called “Novel Thoughts” for the Norfolk Daily News early in 2010 (and I’m still writing it to this day), so in 2014 I asked the editor if he’d consider serializing my first novel. He agreed to do that, and “The Clearwater House” ran one chapter a week in the online edition for an entire year. By the end of that year, so many people wanted their own copies of it that I had to find a way to get the book out there in paperback form. Thus, I ended up going the self-publication route via Amazon’s print-on-demand feature. Once I started down that path with the first book, it was easy to continue self-publishing the following books, and they are all available as eBooks, too. I have five out so far and a sixth novel is nearing completion.
2. Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding or your attention and detail as a writer?
I have two favorites. First is Lillian Chase, the protagonist of “The Clearwater House,” because I devoted so much time to that first book that I felt like I really got to know her. My other favorite is Marvin Wineski, the veteran protagonist of “Ticker Tape” because he came to me one day fully formed and demanded I write his story. I spend a lot of time with veterans through my role as an American Legion Rider and as the daughter of an Air Force veteran, so veterans have a special place in my heart.
3. Do you have any odd (writing) habits?
Some people think that it’s odd that I handwrite the first drafts of my novels. I love to handwrite things even though typing on the laptop is much faster. Handwriting brings the magic of writing to life in front of my eyes, and it slows the process so that I focus more on the story I’m telling.
4. Tell us what you enjoy most about writing?
Now that I’ve left teaching behind to focus solely on my writing career, I love everything about my writing life. I probably most enjoy the quiet solitude of working on it alone in my house, but I also really enjoy doing readings and appearances at libraries and other literary events. Meeting my readers fuels my drive to create even more stories.
5. Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in your jobs/education in your writing?
Once a teacher, always a teacher. Georgia, the protagonist of “State of Georgia . . . and Other Writings” is a retired teacher. “Twinges” is completely about an elementary teacher and her student who grows up to be evil. The novel I’m currently writing has a high school principal who is also a motorcyclist (like I am) as the protagonist. Additionally, I write a weekly piece called “Cognate Cognizance ” in which I incorporate my 30 years of experience as a Spanish teacher to share insights that help my subscribers improve their English and Spanish vocabularies. “Cognate Cognizance” is found at cognatecognizance.substack.com.
6. What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
My column that appears twice a month in the Norfolk Daily News is all about books that I recommend, but when people ask me what my favorite book is, the answer will always be “The Count of Monte Cristo” by Alexandre Dumas. In more contemporary literature, I absolutely adore “The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society” by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows and “The Weight of Ink” by Rachel Kadish. There’s not enough space here for me to recommend all the books that I love.
7. If you had one text, no more than 160 characters to send to everyone on earth, what would it say?
Travel the world, read great books, learn another language, find your passion, stretch your body and your mind, and be kind to animals and to each other.
Posted: April 6, 2023 by webmaster
Top Juried Show Artists Announced
On Saturday, April 1st, the 16th Annual Juried Show Opening Reception was held from 12 – 2 pm. Artists and enthusiasts alike enjoyed a range of art styles and mediums chosen by our juror Eddie Dominguez and art pieces submitted by UNL Faculty for the Faculty show. A statement about the winning art pieces by Eddie was read by NAC staff and certificates were handed out for Best in Show, 1st and 2nd place. Mike Trotter won Best in Show with his piece Fisherman’s Dilemma. Mary Mancuso received 1st place with Ancestral Voices. 2nd place went to Zoe Nielsen with Scale Studies and Honorable Mention was awarded to Butch Rohrschneider for Tornado Impression Number 1. Read The official statement and all of the artist statements
Posted: March 31, 2023 by webmaster
16th Annual Juried Show
March 30 – May 24, 2023
We encourage artists of all expertise to apply to the 16th Annual Juried Show in 2023! Approximately 20-30 fine art works encompassing all mediums, styles, and genres will be exhibited in the NAC gallery.
WIN
$250 Best of show | $150 1st Place | $100 2nd Place
Featuring local and regional artists.
Zoe Nielsen
Jeanette Johnson
Francine Fox
Butch Rohrschneider
Tom Schultz
Diana Jo Tweedy
Victoria Harper
Greg Brown
Rodney Beyke
Wendy Ketelsen
Janna Harsch
Katy Edmisten
Rachel Vogel
Katie Wilson
Karen Voborny
Frank Taylor
Mike Trotter
Denise Kraft
Barb Gustafsson
Sue Morfeld
Jerene Kruse
Bonnie Mercer
Erin Spencer
Mary Mancuso
Steve Elliot
Danika Rowe
Leroy Von Glan
Kathleen Lohr
Clark Koppelmann
Bobbie Leesley
Thanks to our sponsors for believing in the arts and supporting our gallery which is always free and open to the public!
**Sponsorship ensures the gallery is ALWAYS free and open to the public!
Last Updated: February 14, 2023 by webmaster
Hollywood Adventure At The Johnny Carson
Students Attend Performance
Hundreds of elementary students visited the Johnny Carson Theatre On Tuesday, January 17th to watch “Pete the Cat’s Big Hollywood Adventure.” Performer’s from TheaterWorks USA transformed into characters from pirate, dinosaur, dancing and robot movies as Pete and Callie the cat explore a Hollywood movie studio and avoid the security guard. Lessons are learned along the way about friendship and responsibility. Kids were encouraged to dance and sing from their seats which they were more than happy to do.
Thank You!
We would like to thank all of the volunteers that helped us keep everything organized and fun for the students and the performers.
Sponsored By
Norfolk Arts Center Ladies Guild
Posted: December 2, 2022 by webmaster
John McCaughey, Lisa Wicka and Klaire Lockheart Winter Exhibitions
JOHN McCAUGHEY & LISA WICKA – Gallery Artists
December 1, 2022 – February 22, 2023
John McCaughey – “In my work, I draw inspiration from the distressed buildings and defaced walls of the inner city. I am attracted to these structures for their visual and textural properties, the cracks, chipping paint, poorly removed graffiti, overgrowth, and flashy advertisements. I love how cities age, how they evolve… embracing their past while also looking to their future. It is a parallel to how I develop work in the studio. I enjoy recreating the ephemeral qualities of these spaces through acts of painting, sanding, screen-printing, collage’ and decollage’. These processes combine to produce a mass of colorful and texturally diverse materials that I can quickly layer into my compositions. I juxtapose the results against more modern, digitally produced information as well as feed the in-progress work into photoshop to tinker with saturation, pixilation, and other digital effects. The entire process is a formal exploration of color, texture, space, and time. These works are abstracted portraits of the world I inhabit and the nostalgic value I place upon it.”
Lisa Wicka –
“We live in the spaces…
between past and present,
between empty and occupied,
between mind and body,
between physical and virtual,
between tangible and lost,
between loneliness and love,
between exposed and hidden.
Through the breakdown and rebuilding of the in between, my work mimics the everyday navigation of these realms. Temporary moments of clarity come together and fall apart creating a self in motion, evolving through experience, place, failures and successes. My work is a surface where this dialogue becomes visible explorations of my surroundings and my identity, a surrogate self with limitless possibilities.
Often referencing architectural spaces, wallpapers, and raw materials, my work brings into question the solidity and accuracy of things we hold true. Printmaking, drawing and mixed media methods allow me to acknowledge my experiences, dissect them, and reconstruct them into something concrete; if only for a moment.”
KLAIRE LOCKHEART – Atrium Artist
Flipping the binary doesn’t solve all the problems related to the objectification of women in art, but it does provide an entertaining start. I use humor to inspire viewers to consider that passive representations of women for the heteronormative male gaze are neither natural nor universal.
In response to the abundance of dehumanizing imagery I am expected to appreciate for art’s sake, I invented the brodalisque. These oil paintings feature masculine men who recreate the poses and passivity of historic odalisques. Western Orientalist painters typically portrayed odalisques within the harem, a place where unrelated men were not allowed to enter. To update the trope of creating a “realistic” painting in a prohibited space, I place my subjects within the hidden mysteries known as the man cave. I render these forbidden environments representationally to persuade viewers that these compositions are factual and not at all fictitious. If the excessive depictions of nude women in art are really truly about form and aesthetics, not power and ownership, then my paintings should be completely serious and not remotely silly. (The newest paintings in this series were created with a generous grant from the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation.)
Thanks to our sponsors for believing in the arts and supporting our gallery which is always free and open to the public!
**Sponsorship ensures the gallery is ALWAYS free and open to the public!
Posted: October 20, 2022 by webmaster
Rodney Bode Exhibition
October 21 – November 23
Rodney Bode is an American painter and sculptor whose life and art have remained outside the boundaries of culture. Born in 1941, and having lived most of his adult life in rural Idaho and South Dakota, Bode is an outsider artist whose vast collection of paintings and sculpture were only recently discovered after his institutionalization in the South Dakota state psychiatric hospital where he is being treated for schizoaffective disorder and vascular dementia.
“The work is very sophisticated, very competent,” says Lynn Verschoor, retired director of the South Dakota Art Museum. “These are really just exciting paintings; they’re good paintings. They’re nothing like you see in South Dakota. People here just don’t paint like this. And the sculptures are fabulous, well balanced. Of course,” she adds, “people are interested in the story, too.”
The label ‘Outsider Art’ created by Jean Dubuffet in the 1940s, certainly describes Rod Bode’s prolific collections of paintings and sculpture. Created in the sparse rural areas in Idaho and the plains of western South Dakota, unseen by the public, Bode’s “self-taught” creations were certainly “produced beyond the boundaries of the mainstream art world.”
Thanks to our sponsors for believing in the arts and supporting our gallery which is always free and open to the public!
**Sponsorship ensures the gallery is ALWAYS free and open to the public! View Sponsorship Brochure 2022 – 2023
Posted: September 9, 2022 by webmaster
Nebraska Art Teachers Association (NATA) Juried Exhibition
2022 Nebraska Art Teachers Association Juried Exhibition – Atrium
September 1 – October 8
In conjunction with the Nebraska Art Teachers Association Fall Conference held at the Norfolk Arts Center, members submitted their artwork to be selected for the juried exhibition. Elley Coffin is this year’s juror and will be selecting art pieces to show in the Atrium. Winners will be announced at the conclusion of the Fall Conference.
Posted: September 7, 2022 by webmaster
Jason Needham Gallery Exhibition
Jason Needham – Gallery Artist
Understory – Landscape Paintings
September 1 – November 23
I’ve had a long-standing interest in impressionism, post-impressionism, and early American modernists like Marsden Hartley. All the other obvious influences apply: David Hockney, Neil Welliver, Alex Katz, Lois Dodd, among others. I’m drawing and painting scenes that are very familiar to me: forest scenes just off the beaten path, a pocket of woods with an interstate, parking lot or air-conditioned retreat just behind me. The trick is to see these mundane moments as majestic while allowing the mistakes of hand and misconceptions of eye be as present as the purposeful. I like the paintings to coalesce from a distance but upon close inspection fall apart into marks and the process of making, with the underlaying scaffolding of the image still visible. Each brushstroke becomes a single particle and the painting a wave of time-space. Whether I’m standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon or staring into the corner of a room, the investment in looking is the same. On one end, I’m working areas of my brain that lie deeper than the surface stream of thoughts, the self-narrating voice. On the other end, I’m pondering the fundamental structure of reality.
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