NEBRASKA CITY – Months after the Nebraska City Creative District released its strategic plan, the city is already experiencing a new wave of input from artists.

The Morton-James Public Library has hosted artist receptions at its Kimmel Gallery for 20 years, but is hosting its first live art exhibition through February.

Contemporary artist Katharine Bruce offered to do the live painting in place of the typical artists reception.  She has painted live at fundraising events in the past, where you packed up and left after a couple of hours, but this commitment is hours day-after-day over a month’s time.

Bruce: “I would hope that someone would just come in a say ‘what is she doing?’ I would like it just stop them and help them to sort of rethink. You know, what’s going on there.”

 

Her series title, Art is Evolution, signals how her painting changes as the days pass.

Bruce: “I have that sort of inner-trust, like, it doesn’t matter because I’ll just be adding to it. Unless you’re building layers there is no kind of

 depth to it. There’s no magic happening, so you have to let things just happen and eventually … eventually …”

Library Director Donna Kruse said the arts have been gaining in momentum in Nebraska City since the creative district was established last summer.

Bruce said the arts are an ongoing exploration.

Bruce: “Art belongs everywhere. Art belongs in every business office on earth. Real art. If you live with a painting that an artist has created in your home, that’s a life. It has a life. It has an energy.”

The library has added Sunday hours for its programs to fill a need in the district’s calendar and its focus on the third week of the month.

There are no set hours for Bruce at the gallery.