Nebraska’s Legacy: Sheldon Statewide Exhibit Returns to the Museum of the High Plains

McCook Neb. — The Museum of the High Plains is proud to once again host the Sheldon Statewide Exhibit, continuing a vital, long-standing partnership that has brought fine art from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Sheldon Museum of Art to McCook every year since 1987.

This year’s captivating traveling exhibition, titled Nebraska’s Legacy, celebrates more than a century of artistic growth, education, and innovation at the University of Nebraska. The exhibit highlights the profound contributions of past and present faculty members whose groundbreaking work has shaped the state’s creative landscape and influenced generations of students.

Spanning paintings, prints, sculptures, and photographs, Nebraska’s Legacy traces the evolution of artistic styles—from early realism to modern abstraction—while showcasing Nebraska’s unique and significant influence on American art. The exhibition was thoughtfully organized by Christian Wurst, Associate Curator for Exhibitions at the Sheldon Museum of Art.

A Local Connection: Dwight Kirsch

This year's exhibit features a special connection to McCook’s own art history: the work of featured artist Dwight Kirsch (1899–1981).

Kirsch, an artist, professor, and museum administrator, visited McCook in 1966 to teach a workshop for local artists. During that visit, he used and signed an easel built by local craftsman LaMoine Keene for his wife, Elaine, one of the McCook Art Guild’s founding members. That historic, signed easel remains on display at the Museum of the High Plains today, beautifully linking McCook’s creative past with Nebraska’s broader artistic legacy.

Kirsch served as director of the Nebraska Art Association (later the Sheldon Museum of Art) and helped acquire some of the museum’s most prestigious works, including Edward Hopper’s Room in New York. His own 1936 painting, Aries, is included in this year’s statewide exhibition.

See the Exhibit

Nebraska’s Legacy will remain on display through December 2, 2025. Several area students will have the exciting opportunity to see the exhibit and learn firsthand about Nebraska’s enduring impact on the arts.

Support for the statewide exhibition is provided by FMNE Insurance, Rhonda Seacrest, the Nebraska Arts Council, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. Local presentation support is provided by the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation, the McCook Educational Foundation, and the McCook Historical Society.