In an effort to enhance the educational value of Impact exhibits and further involve the viewer, each artwork includes a brief descriptor.
Descriptors may describe an unusual artistic technique, tell a story, give insight into the artist's thinking, or provide other educational background material. Following are examples from each show.
Impact Willa Cather Exhibit
PATRICIA COSLOR
Sargent, Nebraska
As If They Were Persons
Acrylic
From: Book 1 Chapter 4
My Àntonia
by Willa Cather
"Trees were so rare in that country, and they had such a hard fight to grow that we used to feel anxious about them, and visit them as if they were persons."
Impact Willa Cather Exhibit
BEN DARLING
Sidney, Nebraska
Floor of the Sky
Oil on Canvas
From: Book VII Chapter 4
Death Comes for the Archbishop
by Willa Cather
“Elsewhere the sky is the roof of the world; but here the earth was the floor of the sky. The landscape one longed for when one was away, the thing all about one, the world one actually lived in, was the sky, the sky!”
Color of Music - Rhythm of Art
KEN HOSMER
North Platte, Nebraska
Symphonic Connection
Watercolor
This special painting captures the spiritual essence of connection—between musician, instrument, and the rhythmic flow of music.
The shifting passages of watercolor further enhance this sensation.
In this painting, I portray the double bass which is the largest of the string instruments in the symphony orchestra. Its low tones often provide a rhythmic and harmonic foundation which makes the whole orchestra sound richer and more resonant.
Spirit of Robert Henri Exhibit
This exhibit is our tribute to Robert Henri, one of America’s most renowned artists and teachers.
DAVID DORSEY
Valentine, Nebraska
Ode to Mary Conomora
Acrylic
I love the many portraits by Robert Henri, their vibrant colors and wonderful compositions. The models in his paintings gaze out from the canvas and transport us to a past era, yet they still resonate with us today. My piece is a tribute to his painting titled “Mary of Conomora”, painted on one of his trips to Ireland. I have Irish immigrants in my family, and this is a thread connecting me to that distant land.
Spirit of Robert Henri Exhibit
BETH JASNOCH
Kearney, Nebraska
Altered History
Metal Sculpture
"We have our choice of living in the past or the future—the present being but for an instant. In the future, there is the reality. The past is the history of our failure in attaining it." ..Quote from Robert Henri
The bits and pieces in this rusty landscape vary in age. Some are new and smooth, others are over a hundred years old—weathered and timeworn—collected from fields, tracks, dusty roads, byways, and places untold. Imagine the stories they could tell. Discarded and cast aside with little thought, scraps of history, now rearranged and reconfigured into a new vista, chained together in this present time for a journey through another hundred years.
Waters of Life Exhibit
JERENE KRUSE
Albion, Nebraska
Splish, Splash, Drip, Drop
Hand-built Clay
“In one drop of water are found all the secrets of all the oceans.” --Kahlil Gibran
When I saw a slow-motion video of a water droplet, I was fascinated by what happens to that simple drop of water. I was in awe of the action of the drop of water. There is so much power and movement in the splash and drip. I decided to create a sculptural piece of clay that portrays the idea of a water drop combined with the idea of a splash. I started with a simple pinch pot, then shaped the clay into a splashing drop and wave. Water is life-sustaining and refreshing, but can also be cruel and cause devastation. Water is an intriguing force of nature.
Waters of Life Exhibit
TIM O'NEILL
North Platte, Nebraska
Aqua Vitae and the Ancient Observer
Mixed Media
Sandhill cranes are among Earth's most ancient bird species, with fossils dating back 2.5 million years. Each spring, over 650,000 cranes converge along Nebraska's Platte River—a critical "hourglass" in their migration pathway. This mixed media painting captures a solitary crane in quiet contemplation, symbolizing the timeless relationship between these prehistoric travelers and the life-sustaining waters they depend upon.
The fractured, layered technique mirrors the complex interplay between water, wildlife, and human influence. Just as water transforms landscapes over millennia, these ancient birds have witnessed vast changes while remaining essentially unchanged themselves. In this moment of stillness, the crane stands as both guardian and beneficiary of these sacred waters—an ancient observer of life's continuous flow.
Pollinators Exhibit
MARCIA BAUERLE
imperial, Nebraska
Everything Connects
Mixed media
This painting was inspired by a 500-year-old quote from Leonardo DaVinci. The mandala is formed by Sacred Geometry and depicts Earth from space, surrounded by plants, animals, and insects. It shows the intricate and interconnected web of life where all living beings depend on each other. For instance, plants rely on pollinators for their survival, and the health and nutrition of humans rely on the well-being of the plants and creatures we share this planet with. Science is dependent on art. Art is dependent on science. Everything Connects.
Pollinators Exhibit
DEBRA JOY GROESSER
Ralston, Nebraska
Tiger Swallowtail and Phlox
Oil on Linen Panel
Spring is a time of rebirth, renewal and new life. No living creature embodies this more than the butterfly. It’s always such a joy when they emerge and return to my perennial garden in our backyard. This piece is the second in what will be a series focusing on butterflies found here in Nebraska, and particularly in my flower garden.