MONA

See…art representing the work of artist-explorers like George Catlin; early Nebraskans Robert Henri and J. Laurie Wallace; modern era artists Grant Reynard and John Falter, and artists of today.

Robert Henri
Portrait of Miss Eulabee Dix (Becker)
in Wedding Gown
oil on canvas, 1910
The Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) celebrates the history of Nebraska’s visual art for diverse audiences. MONA collects, preserves, researches, exhibits, and interprets the work of artists who were born, lived, trained, or worked in Nebraska or who created artworks that reflect the culture of Nebraska.

Barbara Takenaga
Red and Pink
acrylic on dried roses on wood panel, 2005
MONA’s permanent collection reflects nearly 200 years of history through works by artists of local, national, and international acclaim.

John James Audubon
Hooping Crane-Young (Sandhill Crane)
handcolored lithograph
double elephant folio size, 1835
Dedicated to telling the story of Nebraska through the art of Nebraska, enjoy a close encounter with art that reflects and enhances the Nebraska experience.

Ernest Ochsner
Lincoln Creek, Summer Storm
oil on linen, 1996
The permanent collection contains over 6,000 works by artists of regional, national, and international importance. MONA is housed in a 1911 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Travel through time, take in all of the beautiful sights, immerse yourself in history, and become a part of the art.

Thomas Worthington Whittredge
Cattle Grazing Along the Platte
oil on canvas, 1871
Celebrating Nebraska’s artistic culture and heritage by collecting and preserving, exhibiting and interpreting the art of Nebraska.

John Falter
Threshing Crew
oil on canvas, 1980

Discover the story behind the Art of Nebraska

MUSEUM OF NEBRASKA ART

DISCOVER THE STORY BEHIND THE ART OF NEBRASKA

VISIT

Housed in a 1911 NeoClassical building and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, MONA’s permanent collection numbers nearly 6,000 works by artists of regional, national, and international acclaim. Whether you are online or on our doorstep, there is always something new to do and see. HOURS

EXHIBITIONS

The Museum of Nebraska Art is the only museum exclusively dedicated to telling the story of Nebraska through the art of Nebraska and by extension the story of America. We welcome you to explore the rotating exhibitions in our 11 galleries throughout the year. CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

PROGRAMS

MONA serves as a catalyst for visitor learning and enjoyment through its exhibitions, docent-led tours, hands-on workshops, and artist talks bringing the art of Nebraska to life. Our ARTreach program provides traveling exhibitions to communities all over the state. CURRENT PROGRAMS

Feature Exhibitions

NEBRASKA: Its Land, Its People

Posted on March 15, 2016June 12, 2017 by Gina Garden

The year 2017 marks Nebraska’s 150th anniversary of statehood. The Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) is uniquely positioned to observe this milestone, since MONA’s mission is to showcase the art and cultural history of the state. The Museum is proud to feature, through a series of exhibitions, its permanent collection in a visual festival of Read More

Nebraska Now: Mallory Wetherell, Ceramics

Posted on March 1, 2016July 24, 2017 by Gina Garden

July 8 – October 1, 2017 South Carolina native and University of Nebraska at Kearney Assistant Professor of Art Mallory Wetherell unflinchingly uses her body as subject in her most recent drawings and ceramics. Wetherell’s work compels viewers to consider the female form: wives, mothers, sisters, friends, companions, or self in light of contemporary societal Read More

NEBRASKA: Jean Thiessen – The MONA Collection

Posted on February 28, 2016July 25, 2017 by Gina Garden

NEBRASKA: Solomon Butcher – The MONA Collection

Posted on February 25, 2016August 15, 2017 by Gina Garden

	August 2017
Sun	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat
		1 MONA's Not Just a Book Club MONA's Not Just a Book Club Starts: 10:30 am Ends: August 1, 2017 - 11:30 am Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: MONA’S Not Just a Book Club Avid readers whose interests lie in authors from Nebraska or reading about Nebraska or art are welcome to these sessions, and may join at any time. 1st Tuesdays • 10:30-11:30 a.m. MONA’s Gary E. Zaruba Library & Research Center August 1 – The Muralist: A Novel, by B.A. Shapiro September 5 – Claude & Camille: A Novel of Monet, by Stephanie Cowell More details... •	2	3	4	5 Untutored Life Drawing Class for Adults Untutored Life Drawing Class for Adults Starts: 10:00 am Ends: August 5, 2017 - 12:00 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: SATURDAY UNTUTORED LIFE DRAWING CLASS This untutored life drawing class offers access to experienced models in a relaxed atmosphere. No instruction is offered at these sessions, which are aimed at anyone wishing to develop his or her life drawing skills. Poses are timed and moderated. Easels and drawing boards are provided. Students bring their own paper and drawing supplies. Saturdays: July 15, 22, Aug 5, 12 Time: 10:00 a.m.-noon Ages: 18+ Cost: $48 per session (members), $58 per session (non-members) Register by: Friday, July 14 (session 2) More details... •
6	7 Closed Mondays Closed Mondays Starts: 12:00 am Ends: August 7, 2017 - 11:59 pm More details... •	8 "Optical Chronicle II" Opens Today "Optical Chronicle II" Opens Today Starts: 12:00 am Ends: August 8, 2017 - 11:59 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: Optical Chronicle II August 8, 2017 – April 15, 2018 Author Henry M. Sayre in his book A World of Art discusses the various roles of the artist in society. He identifies four roles; the second one is how artists give form to the immaterial – hidden or universal truths, spiritual forces, and personal feelings. These roles provide viewers with a touchstone through which they can then begin to interpret the work. This exhibition is the second in a series of four exhibitions, each dedicated alternatively to one of Sayre’s four guiding principles. More details... •	9	10	11	12 Untutored Life Drawing Class for Adults Untutored Life Drawing Class for Adults Starts: 10:00 am Ends: August 12, 2017 - 12:00 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: SATURDAY UNTUTORED LIFE DRAWING CLASS This untutored life drawing class offers access to experienced models in a relaxed atmosphere. No instruction is offered at these sessions, which are aimed at anyone wishing to develop his or her life drawing skills. Poses are timed and moderated. Easels and drawing boards are provided. Students bring their own paper and drawing supplies. Saturdays: July 15, 22, Aug 5, 12 Time: 10:00 a.m.-noon Ages: 18+ Cost: $48 per session (members), $58 per session (non-members) Register by: Friday, July 14 (session 2) More details... •
13 "National Geographic Photo Ark ‒ Joel Sartore" Closes Today "National Geographic Photo Ark ‒ Joel Sartore" Closes Today Starts: 12:00 am Ends: August 13, 2017 - 11:59 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: National Geographic Photo Ark ‒ Joel Sartore On view through August 13, 2017 In 1995, National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore started the Photo Ark, an archive of intimate and stunning photographic portraits of birds, fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates. To date, Sartore has visited over 40 countries and photographed more than 6,000 species to “inspire people to care and help protect these animals.” This is the first major art museum exhibition of the Photo Ark in the Midwest concentrating on North American and Prairie animals. Exhibition sponsored by Cottonwood Veterinary Clinic, Kearney, and Anne Thorne Weaver. More details... •	14 Closed Mondays Closed Mondays Starts: 12:00 am Ends: August 14, 2017 - 11:59 pm More details... •	15	16	17	18	19
20 "Nebraska Arts Council 2016 Visual Artist Fellowships" Closes Today "Nebraska Arts Council 2016 Visual Artist Fellowships" Closes Today Starts: 12:00 am Ends: August 20, 2017 - 11:59 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: Nebraska Arts Council 2016 Visual Artist Fellowships May 19 – August 20, 2017 In 2016, the Nebraska Arts Council (NAC) awarded its Individual Artist Fellowships to 10 Nebraska visual artists. The artists recognized with the Distinguished Achievement Award were Sarah Berkeley, Nancy Friedemann-Sánchez, Josh Johnson, Bradley Peters, and Angie Seykora. Those who received the Merit Awards were James Bockelman, Charley Friedman, David Gracie, Neil Griess, and Matthew Sontheimer. These artists, who work in a variety of media including photography, painting, performance, drawing, installation, collage, video, and sculpture, are featured in this exhibition of the 2016 Fellowship Artists. More details... SUNday Sounds at MONA - Outdoor Concert SUNday Sounds at MONA - Outdoor Concert Starts: 6:00 pm Ends: August 20, 2017 - 9:00 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: SUNday Sounds at MONA Gather your friends and join us for a special SUNday concert in MONA’s Outdoor Sculpture Garden to celebrate the Solar Eclipse. We provide the music along with tables and chairs, and you are welcome to bring a picnic including beverages of your choice! Sunday, August 20, 2017 Music by Formerly Three Gates open at 6:00 p.m., Concert 7:00-9:00 p.m. Free and open to the public – Pass-the-Hat at intermission All seating is on a first come, first serve basis Museum of Nebraska Art - MONA 2401 Central Ave., Downtown on the Bricks Sponsored in part by the Kearney Visitors Bureau More details... • •	21 Closed Mondays Closed Mondays Starts: 12:00 am Ends: August 21, 2017 - 11:59 pm More details... •	22 "NEBRASKA: Thomas Hart Benton – The MONA Collection" Opens Today "NEBRASKA: Thomas Hart Benton – The MONA Collection" Opens Today Starts: 12:00 am Ends: August 22, 2017 - 11:59 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: NEBRASKA: Thomas Hart Benton – The MONA Collection August 22, 2017 – February 25, 2018 Francis Parkman’s novel, The Oregon Trail, was first published in 1849 after magazine serialization between 1847 and 1849. Each generation of publishers chose a different artist to illustrate the ever-popular Parkman text. The 1945 edition featured Thomas Hart Benton’s renditions. MONA’s collection of all 28 of Benton’s gouache paintings, including the 16 chosen for the 1945 edition, represent the only complete set known to exist. More details... "NEBRASKA: Wright Morris – The MONA Collection" Opens Today "NEBRASKA: Wright Morris – The MONA Collection" Opens Today Starts: 12:00 am Ends: August 22, 2017 - 11:59 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: NEBRASKA: Wright Morris – The MONA Collection August 22, 2017 – February 25, 2018 Nebraska native son Wright Morris (1910-1998) is represented at MONA with 131 black and white photographs, likely the largest collection in a public institution. During a cross-country car trip in 1938, he became enthralled with the visual beauty of the Nebraska landscape and rural life that he remembered from his youth. He bought a camera and began to document the mid-century structures and artifacts of rural America. More details... • •	23 Collection Connection Collection Connection Starts: 2:00 am Ends: August 23, 2017 - 3:00 am Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: Learn more about art in one-hour presentations by regional experts. FREE and open to the public. David Seay: Nebraska Territory Stories Wednesday, August 23 • 2:00 p.m. Musician, composer, and storyteller David Seay has been a presenter through Humanities Nebraska since 1997. In this upbeat presentation, David performs folk music from 1867, the year Nebraska became a state. Instruments featured are the banjo, harmonica, whistles, and mountain dulcimer. Songs are interspersed with stories that provide a glimpse into the everyday lives of Nebraska pioneers. Seay will also conduct a brief harmonica workshop, and invites members of the audience to participate. Harmonicas will be provided! The presentation is made possible by Humanities Nebraska and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. More details... •	24 Home School Art Class Home School Art Class Starts: 11:00 am Ends: August 24, 2017 - 12:30 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: HOME SCHOOL PROGRAM The fall Home School Program consists of one 1-1/2 hour class once a month. Classes, taking place in MONA’s galleries and Program Room, are designed to be interactive lessons that encourage students to examine objects and ideas. Through the weeks, students develop a theme for a project through a variety of sequential activities including discussion, drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Thursdays: August 24, September 28, October 26, November 16, and December 21. Age: 8 – 18, with possible exceptions for younger children Time: Choose one of the classes from the list below: (A) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (B) 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Cost: $40 per child (members), $50 per child (non-members) for all five classes Pre-registration and payment for all five classes is due Monday, August 21. To register, call (308) 865 8559 Scholarships are available through the generous support of The Arram Family Foundation. The scholarship application form is available on MONA's website, mona.unk.edu > Education & Events > Classes. Class size is limited to 15 students in each class. Though not required, one chaperone per family is welcome; they are not required to pay, but must register. Because of space limitations, only registered students and chaperones may be in the Program Room. Fees are non-refundable after classes begin. More details... Home School Program Home School Program Starts: 1:30 pm Ends: August 24, 2017 - 3:00 pm Location: MONA, 2401 Central Ave, Kearney, NE 68847, USA Description: HOME SCHOOL PROGRAM The fall Home School Program consists of one 1-1/2 hour class once a month. Classes, taking place in MONA’s galleries and Program Room, are designed to be interactive lessons that encourage students to examine objects and ideas. Through the weeks, students develop a theme for a project through a variety of sequential activities including discussion, drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Thursdays: August 24, September 28, October 26, November 16, and December 21. Age: 8 – 18, with possible exceptions for younger children Time: Choose one of the classes from the list below: (A) 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. (B) 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Cost: $40 per child (members), $50 per child (non-members) for all five classes Pre-registration and payment for all five classes is due Monday, August 21. To register, call (308) 865 8559 Scholarships are available through the generous support of The Arram Family Foundation. The scholarship application form is available on MONA's website, mona.unk.edu > Education & Events > Classes. Class size is limited to 15 students in each class. Though not required, one chaperone per family is welcome; they are not required to pay, but must register. Because of space limitations, only registered students and chaperones may be in the Program Room. Fees are non-refundable after classes begin. More details... • •	25	26
27	28 Closed Mondays Closed Mondays Starts: 12:00 am Ends: August 28, 2017 - 11:59 pm More details... •	29	30	31