Falls City Could Be First In Nebraska To Be Declared "A City of Arts"

FALLS CITY – The Falls City City Council could be the first in the state to declare their community “A City of Arts.”

The town proudly claims popular Saturday Evening Post Illustrator John Falter as a native son, as well as oil painter Alice Cleaver, photographer Doc Edgerton, artist Allan Tubach and jazz musician Pee Wee Erwin.

The historic Stone Street business district hosts the Falls City Area Artist Association’s storefront, the John Philip Falter Museum, and the Falls City Library and Art Center’s Stalder Gallery.

Stalder Gallery Curator Christina Wertenberger: “Well we’re looking at being one of the first cities in Nebraska to proclaim ourselves The City of Arts, so that’s kind of what we’re starting.”

Christina Wertenberger said the proclamation would encourage other cities and be  a step forward in increasing knowledge about the arts.

Wertenberger: “We have past, present and future musicians constantly, and artists, in our community that are growing and changing the way arts look in the world.”

Library Director Hope Schawang  said the library’s current collection of Western art is accompanied by a cowboy poet and musical history.

Schawang: “Each of the artists that I mentioned in our permanent collection that were local Falls Citians influenced like the next generation, so we’ve had people give us the history almost like stepping stones. That one person was there at the right time to influence the next artist.”

She said Falls City fits the description of a City of Arts because it has been collecting and preserving visual arts for over 100 years.
Schwawang: “But it isn’t just us. There are other communities in Nebraska that we feel are also doing the same thing but no one has just declared themselves that, an arts city, so we think once we do we can get them to join.”

Mayor Shawna Bindle said she likes the idea and welcomes the council’s agreement to go ahead with the proclamation at the October meeting.