Wild and Tangled: Foliage of the Plains

with artists Rod Bouc and Charlene Potter

March 23 – June 30, 2013

The opening reception is scheduled during David City’s high school alumni reunion weekend- Saturday, May 25, 2013, at 2pm.

Bouc (pronouced Boats) is a native Nebraskan who has been involved in the arts his entire life. He studied painting and drawing at UNL and Ohio State. He currently resides in Columbus, Ohio and is the deputy director at the Columbus Museum of Art. Bouc has gone through an evolutionary process but always feels that he comes back to Nebraska. Oil sticks give Bouc the expressive freedom that he loves about painting, while the technicality allows him to differentiate the details. Bouc gets excited about, “the way the sun seems to spark emotion and excitement in some of the most ordinary  things,” – even weeds.

“As we all know, wild nature will always take over if the cultivation is left alone for any length of time.” Bouc said.

Bouc is not an activist for prairie restoration but he does have a perspective that reminds us to take a moment and appreciate the natural beauty of Nebraska. “In the city nature is an annoyance. In the country it is much more humbling and inspiring,” Bouc said.

Omaha sculptor Charlene Potter considers herself an environmental artist. She is very intentional that her work inspires care for nature and has uplifting messages. This series of water flowers, made from ceramic porcelain, is meant to communicate the importance of preserving and restoring clean fresh water sources in Nebraska.

Birds Love Spring: An Avian Art Exhibition

On view now through May in the Collection Gallery is “Birds Love Spring” a tribute to the annual migration of Sandhill Cranes. Works on display are a group of museum and private collection paintings, photographs and sculpture. Nationally recognized wildlife artists in the show include Robert Bateman, Michael Forsberg, Thomas Mangelsen and Russ Duerksen.

“Birds Love Spring” pays tribute to the phenomenon of mass avian migration. Sandhill Cranes stop for four to six weeks in the wetlands and fields along the Platte River on their way to Canada. Not all artists have captured these dynamic animals in the same way. Several of the photographs by Michael Forsberg address aspects of conservation, with images about special tactics scientists are using to increase the populations of these birds. Other artworks in the exhibition are domesticated birds like ducks and chickens.

Wildlife plays an important role in the agrarian landscape. The return of birds to our landscapes is a hopeful sign that spring is on the way.