The Robert Henri Museum and Gallery is a national treasure that is the result of the work of many volunteers, board members, and professional staff who have toiled for forty years. The organization’s mission is to promote the legacy of Robert Henri, one of America’s most important art instructors and artists. The museum and gallery serve as the center for Henri studies and accomplish this through exhibitions, programming, and publishing. The museum also preserves the history of the Cozad family and its role in the history of the community.
The effort started with a small group of people who saw the opportunity to bring recognition to the hometown of acclaimed artist Robert Henri (Robert Henry Cozad). Led by Shirley Paulsen, this group bought and restored the former Hendee Hotel, Henri’s boyhood home, in 1985.
Robert Henri Museum Building
With local support and generous donations from Cozad and Henri family members, as well as donors from across the United States, the Robert Henri Museum and Art Gallery’s collection continues to grow. The first Henri painting donated to the museum in 1988 was Portrait of Queen Mariana. Since then, numerous donations and loans of Henri’s works have been made. In 2014, a climate-controlled art gallery was built to house the collection.
Today, the Art Gallery houses the largest display of Robert Henri’s works, or those attributed to him, in the United States, including more than twenty paintings and forty sketches. In addition, there are works by several of his students, including Marjorie Organ, Marjory Ryerson, and Ernest Fiene.
The museum has many interesting stories and represents the Great Plains of Nebraska. These stories are best told in Nebraska Sign-posts: Robert Henri’s Years on the Great Plains by Peter Osborne, the Executive Director of the Robert Henri Museum, which the museum published in 2023.
The museum is supported by members from across the United States and is currently run by one full-time museum staff member with a large group of dedicated volunteers.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for the new expansion to the Robert Henri Museum
The Robert Henri Museum most recently opened a new 5,000-square-foot gallery that has allowed for a great expansion in programs.
You can visit the Robert Herni Museum at 218 E 8th St, and the art gallery at 207 E 9th St, Cozad, NE 69130, open from May 1 to November 1, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. During the off-season, we are only open by appointment. Please call 308-784-4154 or email rhenri@cozadtel.net. To contact the Gallery, please call 308-784-4343. You can also visit their website, www.roberthenrimuseum.org, or find them on Facebook.
– Robert Henri Museum and Gallery, December 2025
