ANAC Conference in Ogallala
We recently enjoyed attending the annual conference of The Association of Nebraska Art Clubs in Ogallala, on the Oregon Trail near Lake McConaughy. With over 35 local clubs and over 500 artists, it was an impressive event that included wide-ranging workshops, demos, discussions, tours, an exhibit and a plein air event at Ash Hollow State Historical Park (shown here) that featured models in period costume.
One attendee, Erna Beach, shared an account of an art class at the University of Nebraska where the subject was abstract art. A visiting artist was going from student to student, commenting on their paintings. Erna was having some difficulty, and the visiting artist said, "Hey, it's not that hard...just hold the brush at arm's length, pick up a load of paint and step back...swoosh!" She later discovered that the visitor was none other than Norman Rockwell. (Do you suppose he was being sarcastic?)
You may know that Nebraska was the boyhood home of Robert Henri (aka Robert Henry Cozad) who went on to become an influential painter, portraitist and teacher. He was a founder of the Ashcan School which focused on gritty realism rather than polite or picturesque subject matter.
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