National Willa Cather Center News
Visit this page often for the latest Cather-related news as well as information about the Willa Cather Foundation's programs, collections, and events.
Spring Conference Line-Up Announced
The Willa Cather Foundation hosts their 61st annual Willa Cather Spring Conference, June 2–4, 2016! As the world remembers the sacrifices made during the Great War, the conference will explore the war’s impact not only on Willa Cather’s life and war-era writings but on those of her literary contemporaries, as well as the legacy of the war on American culture.
New Book in the bookstore!
You might spot a familiar landmark on the cover of Local Glories: Opera Houses on Main Street, Where Art and Community Meet, by Ann Satterthwaite. The book, which charts the histories of many opera houses across the country and their roles in the lives of small town Americans, features our own Red Cloud Opera House on its front cover, which is only appropriate, given the book's close look at how opera houses continue to play a vital economic and cultural role in their communities.
The Red Cloud Opera House is on the Nebraska Passport Program
The Nebraska Tourism Commission is pleased to announce the stops that will be on the summer 2016 Nebraska Passport. “The Passport Program encourages travelers to explore the state collecting stamps, while reconnecting with Nebraska and supporting small businesses and attractions,” Nebraska Tourism Commission executive director Kathy McKillip explained. “Year after year the program gains popularity. In 2015 more than 24,600 travelers collected stamps and we expect 2016’s participation to be even better.”
Nature as Muse flourishes at the Red Cloud Opera House
Eclectic and beautiful, the new exhibit at the Red Cloud Opera House Gallery is one-of-a-kind. Jack Sandeen, Amy Sandeen, and Mary Linnea Vaughan have collaborated to create the art exhibit Nature as Muse.
Acoustic rock & roll duo featuring Matt Whipkey
When singer and songwriter Matt Whipkey performs an acoustic show at an intimate venue, he still plays like there’s a band behind him. Having earned an Omaha Arts and Entertainment Award for artist and album of the year in 2013, Whipkey’s strong lyrical command and virtuoso guitar work is mesmerizing. Whipkey will be joined by Corey Anderson on Saturday, April 16, at 7:00 PM for an acoustic rock & roll show at the Red Cloud Opera House.
Save the Date: 16th International Cather Seminar, June 11-17, 2017
Mark your calendars for the next International Cather Seminar, scheduled for June 11-17, 2017, at Pittsburgh's Duquesne University. During Cather's ten years in Pittsburgh, she worked as an editor, teacher, reviewer, and freelance writer. As importantly, she collected friends and mixed with all sorts of Pittsburghers. She published extensively—not just hundreds of profiles and reviews, but more than thirty short stories, a collection of poetry, April Twilights (1903), and The Troll Garden, her first collection of stories.
Register by May 25 to attend the 61st annual Spring Conference
Join us in Red Cloud, for our 61st annual Spring Conference, June 2–4, 2016! As the world remembers the sacrifices made during the Great War, we gather to discuss the war’s impact not only on Cather’s life and war-era writings but on those of her literary contemporaries, as well as the legacy of the war on American culture.
Apply for an Educator Scholarship to Attend the Spring Conference
To further our educational mission, the Willa Cather Foundation has created the High School Educators Scholarship in 2016. Through this program, five high school educators will receive a Spring Conference registration scholarship, so that they may experience the historic sites, the cultural opportunities, and the Cather scholarship that Spring Conference offers. It is our sincere hope that these partnerships will facilitate a dynamic exchange of ideas between Cather scholars and high school educators, upon whom we rely for our next generation of Cather readers.
Association of Nebraska Art Clubs Exhibition
The Red Cloud Area Artists as a part of the Association of Nebraska Art Clubs and the Willa Cather Foundation are pleased to display the “Best of Nebraska,” a statewide traveling art exhibition, on display at the Red Cloud Opera House from February 23 – March 14. Every year the ANAC state competition selects 25 pieces out of 228 entries to be honored by traveling through Nebraska’s galleries. This year was the 51st annual show.
Inaugural Read Across Red Cloud to be held March 2
If you've ever shared a beloved book with another person, you know the joy and excitement this small but meaningful act can bring. To highlight the value of books and reading, the National Education Association holds an annual Read Across America day every year on March 2, Dr. Seuss’ birthday. This year, the Willa Cather Foundation, Red Cloud Community Schools, Auld Public Library, Cherry Corners Estates, and Heritage Care Center are partnering to celebrate our inaugural Read Across Red Cloud event – a day for all ages to celebrate the joy and importance of reading.