Shakespeare Is My Livelihood
Mike’s Story In my time as the managing director of the Nebraska Shakespeare Festival, I was fortunate to witness countless examples of how the arts transcend the creative experience to touch and affect the rest of our lives—and, how public funding for the arts makes that possible. Each night, I witnessed three to five thousand […]
Read MoreStorytelling through Theater Is My Livelihood
Marty’s Story When I was about twelve years old, my parents enrolled me in a drama class on Saturday mornings at the Joslyn Art Museum. For our class recital, our teacher, Mrs. Marx, took us through the galleries to select a painting to use as the topic for our final play, which we would author […]
Read MoreCulture Is My Livelihood
Mary’s Story When I was thirteen my mother gave me a paperback copy of Bess Streeter Aldrich’s A Lantern in Her Hand. The book told the story of a girl who grows up in the Nebraska Territory in the late 1800s.We had just moved from Nebraska to California, and the gift may have been my mother’s […]
Read MoreArts Management Is My Livelihood
Marjorie’s Story Though I was majoring in art history as an undergraduate, I knew I didn’t want to apply my passion for the arts towards a curatorial or teaching career. When it came time to do my practicum for my major, my professors suggested (since I was also getting an emphasis in business administration) that […]
Read MoreLifelong Learning Is My Livelihood
Chris’ Story I did not fully discover the powerful draw of the humanities until college. I started out at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln as an engineering major, thinking that was the professional path I wanted to pursue. As I slogged through calculus, chemistry, and other engineering-related courses, I realized that history, literature, and […]
Read MoreCommunity Theater Is My Livelihood
Nicole’s Story As a child, I was blessed to have access to live professional theater in my small hometown in Iowa. I was also blessed to have a mother with Community Theater in her background and who recognized the importance of exposing her daughters to theater and art opportunities.
Read MoreGlass Blowing Is My Livelihood
Kathy’s Story As an analytical person who loves numbers, I never thought of myself as an artist until I attended a retreat hosted by NASAA at Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina several years ago. As part of the retreat we had to sign up for two art classes. I chose glass blowing and paper […]
Read MoreModern Dance Is My Livelihood
Kathy’s Story I was a shy student who enjoyed playing in the band, being a small part of the whole sound. I didn’t want to stand out by playing the wrong note or by playing a solo. I was afraid of speaking up in class or bringing attention to myself. The modern dance curriculum at my […]
Read MoreMusic Is My Livelihood
Verna’s Story When my grandfather moved our family from South Dakota to Missouri, it was a piano that separated the horses from the cattle in the stock car of the train. I think that’s symbolic; music has always been a part of my family’s heritage. Growing up, our house was always full of music. My talented mother […]
Read MoreWhat does “livelihood” mean to Nebraskans?
We created this blog to help answer that question. Nebraskans from all walks of life join us in embracing culture by sharing how the arts and humanities have played an essential role in inspiring their livelihoods. At the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, our mission is to cultivate a legacy of stability, advocacy and leadership for the […]
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