2021

Creative Solutions to Sustain Connection

Nebraska • Arts, Civic Engagement, Culture, Education, Fine Arts, Performing Arts, Uncategorized

Lincoln Community Playhouse has been known for their transformative programming prior to and throughout the pandemic with The Penguin Project and the Parking Lot Plays.  Prior to Covid, The Penguin Project offered participants with special needs, ages 10- to 22-years old, the opportunity to learn roles and put on plays. Participants were partnered with peer mentors and worked together on lines, staging and all aspects of learning the production.   “People […]

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The Show Must Go On

Nebraska • Arts, Civic Engagement, Community Vitality, Culture, Humanities, Performing Arts, Statewide, Uncategorized, Visual Arts

Ending 2019 on a high note, the Kearney Community Theatre was eager to kickoff its 2020 season. After selling out shows and engaging several new volunteers and actors, the world was struck by the Coronavirus pandemic. Like many venues, they shut their doors to ensure the safety of the more than 1000 patrons coming from miles away.  […]

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Inclusion & Accessibility – Changing Lives Through Art

Nebraska • Uncategorized

Inclusivity and Accessibility have taken on a renewed importance in recent months. At the heart of the Carnegie Arts Center is the drive to make art meaningful – regardless of a family’s income, access to transportation, or any physical, mental, or developmental disabilities.   Modeling this value, the Carnegie cultivated its educational outreach by partnering with groups that serve seniors, children, and families to offer accessible art classes.  “Our educational outreach absolutely would not be possible without generous grant support,” said Kyren Conley, Executive Director. With […]

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Still Learning From Lewis and Clark Today

Nebraska • Uncategorized

Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center sits on a scenic wooded bluff overlooking the Missouri River near Nebraska City. “I have been involved with the Center since it was just a vision and dream,” said Doug Friedli, Executive Director of the Missouri River Basin Lewis & Clark Visitor Center. “Education is our primary mission, for students of all ages and […]

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A Legacy for Family & Community

Nebraska • Access, Arts, Community Vitality, Culture, Donor Story, Humanities, Uncategorized

Jacquelyn E. “Jackie” Rosenlof was a champion for many causes during her lifetime. She also cared deeply for her children and grandchildren, and she left a legacy of values by sharing this love of community with them. Jackie’s four children and 14 grandchildren would often visit her in Kearney. They would go to the Archway, Kearney […]

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State Budget for Cultural Endowment Doubles

Nebraska • Access, Arts, Culture, Economic Development, Government, Humanities, Statewide

New legislation increases annual commitment to Nebraska Cultural Endowment   We’re honored to work with passionate Nebraskans statewide to double their impact through our nationally unique public private partnership. The State has acknowledged the effectiveness of this model and has granted NCE the ability to double our impact in Nebraska over the next decade… This […]

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NAC Secures New Funding for Creative Aging

Nebraska • Access, Arts, Education, Statewide

The Nebraska Arts Council recently secured new funding from a national grant program to advance creative aging programs for older adults in Nebraska. Recognizing that older adults have many contributions to make to their communities—but that they often face ageism and isolation and have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19— The Nebraska Arts Council sought funding […]

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Locally and Statewide, the Cooper Foundation Provides Support

Arts, Culture, Donor Story, Government, Humanities, Statewide

“The Cooper Foundation was involved in the Nebraska Cultural Endowment from the very beginning,” said Victoria Grasso, President of The Cooper Foundation. “In fact, my predecessor, Art Thompson, facilitated the task force meeting back in 1998 to discuss the creation of a cultural endowment for Nebraska.” Founded in 1934, The Cooper Foundation has since granted […]

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Woods Charitable Fund Provides Long-Standing Support for Nebraska  

Nebraska • Arts, Culture, Donor Story, Government, Humanities, Statewide

For close to 80 years, Woods Charitable Fund (WCF) has been able to respond to the issues, possibilities, and creative direction in the Nebraska community.  “My father, Chip Woods, was Woods Charitable Fund’s board chair and an avid supporter of the arts and humanities,” said Tom Woods, President & Board Secretary of Woods Charitable Fund. “WCF first got involved with […]

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Arts Provide Hope for Omaha Community

Nebraska • Access, Arts, Civic Engagement, Community Vitality, Education, Visual Arts

In 2020, the importance of our relationships and sense of community became paramount. The Union for Contemporary Art (The Union) fosters this sense of community with every fiber of their organization and in the programs they create. The North Omaha community that The Union serves has been disproportionately impacted by the health and economic effects […]

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