Kimmel Gallery presents "Just Nita"

NEBRASKA CITY - The Kimmel Gallery at the Morton-James Public Library is exhibiting “Just Nita” through Aug. 29.

Nita Whitney was born in Germany to American parents and spent her first birthday aboard ship coming to the United States. She moved to Nebraska with her husband Jim, who works at Cooper Nuclear Station.

She earned her degree in art from Peru State.

An artist talk is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12.

https://rivercountry.newschannelnebraska.com/story/49037062/auburn-woman-presents-painting-to-gov-pillen

 

Here is the library's press release

Art by “Just Nita” Exhibit and Artist Talk Scheduled

“Just Nita” art exhibit runs through August 29 in Morton-James Public Library’s Kimmel Gallery with an Artist Talk scheduled for Saturday, August 12 from 5-7 pm.

 Nita Whitney was born in Germany to American parents, and spent her first birthday aboard ship coming to the US. She lived in Colorado, Japan, Massachusetts and California before she was 12 years of age. She has always loved to draw and paint, mostly horses. Her aspirations in high school were to be a rider on the US Olympic team and be an equine artist. Instead the family moved again, this time to Texas, and Nita attended Texas State University, majoring in agriculture.

Nita met Jim Whitney in high school, but life took them down different paths for over 40 years. Paths crossed and they married and moved from Alabama to Nebraska where Jim works in the nuclear power industry as an engineer at Cooper Nuclear Station. Jim also enjoys painting and plans to return to it after retirement. 

Nita attended Peru State College in Nebraska, and obtained her degree in Art. Shortly afterward, she fell on ice and had a serious head injury that nearly took her life. It took several years for her to return to creativity.  It was while visiting with Artist Rich Hayek in Brownville, Nebraska in July 2022, that Nita picked up dry pastels for the first time. At Rich’s encouragement, Nita produced her first small, dry pastel painting. It was like her voice came alive again, and she’s been at it ever since.

One of Nita’s paintings, “A New Dawn, A New Day” is in the private collection of Governor Jim Pillen.  A giclee of this painting appears in this show and there is a very limited edition of prints available. 

Inspired by cloud formations, and how they can impact the scene, Nita takes photos while her husband is driving, and marvels at the changes that can occur as they drive just a few miles. Recently, the couple was surprised to find out that some of the most beautiful cloud formations were spawning tornadoes in their upper elevations. 

Whitney enjoys depicting the same scene in different ways; sometimes reversing a favorite barn, or changing its colors. The pair has traveled to Clearwater, Florida several times in the last several years. Taking photographs of the beaches there as well as the countryside between Nebraska and Florida. Nita frequently paints her small paintings while riding in the car. Since her artist apron tends to catch a lot of the dust from my paintings and she uses a lot of reds in some of her paintings, when we make  stops along the way, she gets some interesting looks! 

Creativity is a passion of Nita Whitney and having worked with individuals with disabilities, she is confident that determination is a key factor in a person’s artistic ability. 

Nita Whitney currently lives in Auburn, Nebraska with her husband Jim and their two dogs, Lillie and Boo.

Exhibit is available during regular Library hours: Monday-Thursday, 9-6; Friday 9-5 and Saturday 9-1.

MJPL is located at 923 1^st Corso, Nebraska City 68410  402-873-5609