Great Plains Art Museum opens three exhibitions to kick off anniversaries

“Drive-In Church” by Steve C. LaRance (Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians) — a 2022 oil painting of a young man and young woman standing on either side of a brown car with a prairie and mountains in the background.

Courtesy | Steve C. LaRance

Excerpt of “Drive-In Church” by Steve C. LaRance (Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians) (2022), oil on canvas.

The Great Plains Art Museum at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln will open three exhibitions Jan. 20 that celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Center for Great Plains Studies and the 45th anniversary of the museum’s opening.

In the main and south galleries, “Collection Connections: Art in Conversation” highlights artworks from the collection that span the museum’s history, from the founding donation to recent acquisitions. Rather than presenting these selections in a chronological arrangement, artworks are paired or grouped to focus on formal and thematic connections and emphasize the diverse perspectives that tell the multifaceted stories of the Great Plains.

In the west gallery, “‘All the Beauty You Can See’: Dwight Kirsch in Nature” features native Nebraskan artist Dwight Kirsch. Kirsch was an important figure in the Lincoln arts community in the early-to-mid 20th century, serving as chair of the University of Nebraska Art Department and playing an integral role in the Nebraska Art Association. The Great Plains Art Museum’s extensive collection of Kirsch’s work spans his time teaching in Nebraska through his last years at the Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home. The exhibition presents a small sampling of those holdings, each selected to demonstrate Kirsch’s deep and lifelong fascination with conveying the nuances and beauty of the natural world through art.

“Indigenous Ceramics from the Collection,” in the museum’s mezzanine gallery, spotlights diverse ceramic works by Indigenous artists of the Great Plains and nearby Southwest region.

The three exhibitions are on view through July 25. A First Friday opening reception is 5 to 7 p.m. Feb. 6. The center and museum will celebrate the dual anniversaries throughout 2026 through additional exhibitions, special programming, video stories and more.

Support for “Collection Connections” is provided by the Charles W. Guildner Great Plains Art Museum Excellence Fund. The Kirsch exhibition was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q St., is open to the public 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. Learn more.