publications

Women Artists of Nebraska

Nebraska’s women artists between 1880 and 1950 left a huge legacy. Twelve of the most influential were: Sarah Wool Moore, Cora Parker, Sarah Sewell Hayden, Elizabeth Tuttle Holsman, Alice Righter Edmiston, Angel DeCora Dietz, Elizabeth Honor Dolan, Marion Canfield Smith, Alice Cleaver, Gladys M. Lux, Katherine “Kady” Burnap Faulkner, and Myra Biggerstaff. The Fall 2007 issue of Nebraska History in an article by Sharon L. Kennedy discusses the contributions these women made to Nebraska art and reproduces some of their most noted works.



The influence of these women was widespread. Through involvement with local artists’ guilds and the development of sketch clubs they encouraged participation in the arts within their communities. By establishing art organizations they helped to develop art collections and host exhibitions that included notable artists from centers of artistic achievement throughout the country. Under their leadership, as instructors and administrators, the art department became a viable, independent entity of colleges and universities across the state.



The establishment of a state-supported normal school at Peru in 1867 and the State University in Lincoln in 1871, followed by the Nebraska Normal School at Kearney in 1903, the University of Omaha in 1908, and the Nebraska State Normal School in Chadron in 1911, offered opportunities for women to instruct and practice art in institutions of higher education. The fact that women took advantage of these openings is demonstrated by the predominance of women in the art department at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for many of its early years.



Many of the students of the state’s women artists went on to contribute their own work to art collections. In addition to exhibiting their works in museums, salons, expositions, and world’s fairs, they accepted national and international commissions and, during the Great Depression of the 1930s, participated in the Public Works of Art Project that gave the nation a priceless endowment of public art.



Although these enterprising pioneers have received relatively little attention, they have had a great influence on art and art education in Nebraska. As women gained more rights and more independence, their art moved away from portraiture and became increasingly varied and individualized, ranging from impressionism and regionalism to cubism and geometric abstraction. They paved the way for today’s women artists who are entering an art world where gender equality seems to be a more reachable goal than ever before.

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

Other Publications

The Bachelors’ Protective Union of Kearney

When the Bachelors' Protective Union gave a gala reception for two of its newly married, former members and their brides in March of 1890, the social club for young, ...

U.S. Weather Bureau in 1890s Nebraska

The U.S. Weather Bureau was established by an act of Congress on October 1, 1890. It took over the weather service that had been established in the office of the Chief ...

Canning the Way to Victory

During American participation in World War I the U.S. Food Administration, under the direction of Herbert Hoover, launched a massive campaign to persuade Americans to ...

The Shoemaker’s Ashes

"Edward Kuehl, one of the most peculiar characters that ever lived in Omaha, or anywhere else, was found dead in his bed last night in the back room of his place of ...

Crazy Horse Surrender Ledger Foreward

Red Dog, an Oglala Lakota who lived at the Red Cloud Agency, Nebraska, 1876-77 (Nebraska State Historical Society RG2955.ph).   In the summer of 1876, following the ...

Darryl F. Zanuck

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl F. Zanuck (1902-1979), a native Nebraskan, produced some of Hollywood's most important and controversial films. He helped found 20th Century Fox ...

The Burlington’s Profitable Pork Special

Nebraska railroads were much concerned with developing an adequate economy in the areas they served. The Burlington, for example, had a long history of caring for the ...

Bungalow Filling Stations

After the giant Standard Oil Company was broken into thirty-four separate companies in 1911, the newly independent Standard Oil of Nebraska dominated the state's market ...

The Bull Fight

This is the perfect time of year for a visit to the old fishin' hole. But a group of fisherfolk from Plainview discovered that this bucolic pastime sometimes has ...

Buffalo Soldiers West

African-American soldiers on the western frontier are the focus of an exhibit at the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln. Buffalo Soldiers West, on loan from the Colorado ...

Protection for Buffalo

The extermination of the buffalo on the Plains occurred largely between 1870 and 1885. The Nebraska State Journal of Lincoln on February 1, 1874, editorialized in vain ...

Buffalo Hunting

In late October 1877 young Rolf Johnson and three friends left their homes in Phelps County, Nebraska, for a buffalo hunt in northeastern Colorado. The hunt was not very ...
About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast.

Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.