March 31 – July 26, 2009 —

Each year, the Association of Nebraska Art Clubs (ANAC) invites the Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) to select an artwork from its annual exhibition to receive the respected Purchase Award. The chosen piece becomes part of the Museum’s collection. This arrangement has continued for over thirty years, and East to West: ANAC’s Best features MONA’s Purchase Award Collection in its entirety.

The Association of Nebraska Art Clubs, founded in the 1960s, is an organization unique in its size and stamina – no other state has an arts organization quite like it. Today over 40 clubs belong to the ANAC community, with membership exceeding 1,000 members.

Nebraska’s art clubs thrive on diversity. Located in cities and small towns statewide, clubs are comprised of every category of artist. From the part-time hobbyist to the professional artist, and from the sculptor to the painter to the photographer, Nebraska art clubs are inclusive. ANAC brings these groups together to share and showcase.

A key feature of ANAC is its yearly conference. Artists gather for workshops and fellowship, and each club brings only the finest juried selections from their collective. These artworks are then showcased in an exhibition featuring over 400 pieces. A professional judge, always a nationally known artist, selects the best works from the exhibition and makes awards based on various merits. In addition, a year-long traveling exhibition, selected by the juror, is drawn from among the displayed artworks.

East to West: ANAC’s Best includes 39 works representing the history of a vital, unique Midwestern art alliance.