Drawings from Sheldon's permanent collection on display starting April 7

Known best as a painter of light and space of Nebraska plains, Keith Jacobshagen has curated an exhibition of drawings selected from the permanent collection of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This free exhibition opens at the Sheldon April 7, with a public reception beginning at 5 p.m. Visitors may view the selections through June 4.

"This is a nonacademic look," Jacobshagen said. "There is no chronological order, no historical perspective. I'm being as selfish as possible. I want students and visitors to see a large overview of the collection. It's purely an artist's perspective."

The connections between the art in the exhibition are: All are on paper; all are from the permanent collection; and all speak to Jacobshagen, a member of the UNL Department of Art and Art History faculty since 1968. The exhibition will feature 40 to 60 drawings from the 900 in the collection.

Jacobshagen said that years ago he visited Sheldon's drawings and drew inspiration from the works. He said he had the exhibition in mind for some time and mentioned the concept to Sheldon director Jan Driesbach over coffee. He chose drawings for the exhibition because drawing "is a fundamental way of seeing. It's art at its best, without guile. A drawing is a germ of an idea, and not always thought of as something the public will see. The act of drawing is pure pleasure."

Jacobshagen, a native of Wichita, Kan., trained as a graphic designer and illustrator at the Kansas City Art Institute. He worked in the Contemporary Design Department of Hallmark Cards in Kansas City after graduation. In 1966 he was accepted into the master of fine arts program at the University of Kansas and began painting landscapes.

His paintings, which define the vastness and light of flat plains, have been shown in galleries and museums throughout the United States. Since 1968 he has had 63 one-person exhibitions, including shows in New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

He said the Sheldon played a serendipitous role in the direction of his career. "I came here in 1968 after my MFA. Most of my friends were going to New York. It was only a one-year appointment and I wasn't sure about it, but I decided to interview. This place (Sheldon) is why I took the job. I had two hours to kill during the interview and I wandered over there. The collection sold me." After Jacobshagen came to UNL, former Sheldon director Norman Geske often arranged for him to escort artists visiting the gallery. "It was wonderful to talk and learn from them. My friends in New York couldn't get close to them."

The exhibition, which is made possible by generous support from the Nebraska Arts Council and Bahr Vermeer Haecker Architects, opens during Sheldon's First Friday reception April 7 from 5-7 p.m. Art lovers seeking a stimulating exhibition are invited.

The Philip Johnson-designed Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery houses a permanent collection of more than 12,000 objects focusing on American art. The Sheldon, 12th and R streets on the UNL City Campus, is open to the public Tuesday through Sunday. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. For information or to arrange a tour, call (402) 472-2461. Additional information is available on the Sheldon Web site, www.sheldon.unl.edu.

CONTACT: Tom White, Public Relations Manager, Sheldon Art Gallery, (402) 472-1197