Rustad's 'Expressions of Prairie Grasses' at Great Plains Art Museum
Released on 01/07/2008, at 12:00 AM
Office of University Communications
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
WHEN: Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2008, through Mar. 7, 2008
WHERE: Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q Street, Hewit Place
Nebraska artist Carol Rustad's paintings of prairie grasses will be featured in an exhibit, "Elegant Tangles: Expressions of Prairie Grasses," that runs Jan. 29 through March 7 at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Great Plains Art Museum.
"I draw a plant anatomically to discover its rhythm and line before painting it more loosely and emotionally," said Rustad, who paints in gouache and pastel. "Then I accentuate its details in order to simplify and exaggerate its core characteristics and environmental behaviors. The gouache medium accentuates the flat patterns and pastels bring the 'twinkle' out."
Rustad said she only paints plants she has personally encountered, and she hopes her paintings of virgin grasses will inspire more people to research prairie conservation.
"There is a beautiful energy within these paintings," said Amber Mohr, curator of the Great Plains Art Museum. "Rustad maintains a recognizable representation of these grasses in company with a quick, gestural stroke. She perfectly blends precision and artistry."
The Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q St., Hewit Place, is open to the public 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1:30-5 p.m. Sundays (closed Mondays, holiday weekends and between exhibitions). There is no admission charge. For more information, telephone (402) 472-6220, e-mail gpac2@unl.edu or visit www.unl.edu/plains/gallery/gallery.shtml. A First Friday reception in connection with "Elegant Tangles" is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Feb. 1.
The Great Plains Art Museum opened in 1981 after a gift from Dr. John and Elizabeth Christlieb of Bellevue. Since 1980, many people have helped enlarge the collection with additional gifts, including 20th century Native American paintings and photographs from Patricia J. and Stanley H. Broder, the Richard Lane collection of western fiction and history, and the Regina Collection of Canadian Plains literature.
The associated media file links below are to color JPEG images of two works in "Elegant Tangles." They are "Wintergrasses I" and "Sideoats Grama," both 3' x 4', gouache and pastel (2006).