I was in Red Cloud, Nebraska for the 66th Annual Spring Conference of the National Willa Cather Center and discussed the impetus for my solo exhibit.  You can listen to my presentation here: https://vimeo.com/558860988.  You will see the gallery and hear me talk about some of my paintings inspired by the work of Willa Cather.

Being in Red Cloud where Willa Cather grew up and formed the memories that shaped her fiction was an exhilarating experience.  The last time I had visited was in 1974 when I was working on my dissertation on Cather.  Seeing the town again with the new Center and Opera House, I was happy to see its revitalization–the new B&Bs, one of which I stayed in, and the Center and Opera House which will keep Cather’s legacy alive in the future.

Here is a picture of the Willa Cather Memorial Prairie which I visited.  It has been restored to its original appearance–a mixed grass prairie with big and little bluestem, common sunflowers, Indian grass, blue gamma, purple poppy mallow, white sage, and prairie coneflower–the many perennials that have come back after the introduction of responsible grazing and controlled fires.   The only flowers in bloom in early June were the poppy mallow.  I am working on a painting of the prairie which I will share soon.