National Willa Cather Center News

As Cather fans around the world celebrate the publication centenary of The Song of the Lark, the Willa Cather Foundation is pleased to announce a student essay contest based on one of the novel’s major themes. Long-considered Cather’s most autobiographical work, The Song of the Lark portrays the struggle of a young singer, Thea Kronborg, as she discovers and develops her artistic talent. The Song of the Lark is a story of not only talent but one of self-determination and vision.

Thanks to a Learning Experiences grant of $111,479 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a new educational exhibit will be designed and installed within the National Willa Cather Center. The facility, expected to open in the fall of 2016, will serve as a vibrant arts and educational center for approximately 8,000 national and international visitors annually.

(RED CLOUD, NEB.)— Sarah Arneson is a Red Cloud native who has harnessed her astounding singing talents and followed her dreams. Arneson, accompanied by her husband pianist George Kern, will perform at the Red Cloud Opera House on Saturday, October 3, at 7:00 p.m. The show will be preceded by an artist reception for Patricia Sarborough, whose work is currently on display in the Art Gallery. After viewing the awe-inspiring paintings and hearing the breathtaking performance, guests are encouraged to attend a meet and greet with Arneson and Kern.

Beautiful impressionist style oil and pastel paintings of Nebraska landscapes by Patricia Scarborough make up a new exhibit in the Red Cloud Opera House Art Gallery. The exhibition will be available for viewing through October 30 during regular business hours. The public is invited to meet Scarborough and preview her exhibit at an artist’s reception on Saturday, October 3, from 5:00-6:30 p.m.

RED CLOUD, NEB. (August 12, 2015) — The Red Cloud Opera House invites you to suspend yourself in disbelief and come along with Earl Bates as “Will Rogers in the 21st Century.”

LINCOLN, Neb. (Sept. 2, 2015) – Nebraska author Willa Cather wrote some of the most unforgettable fiction of the 20th century including the novels My Ántonia and O Pioneers!. But the voice of the private Willa Cather tells a much more personal story. Until recently, many scholars believed that Cather burned most of her letters before her death. Not so. In the new NET Television documentary and NET Radio series, Yours, Willa Cather, the private person is revealed through letters that survived, hidden away in drawers, trunks and archives.

2015 was a very special year for the Willa Cather Foundation’s annual Spring Conference. As we celebrated our 60th Spring Conference in Red Cloud, we also welcomed the return of our International Seminar to Nebraska by combining the two events into a weeklong, Nebraska-wide celebration of Cather’s work. In all, we welcomed scholars and guests from 25 states and 5 countries to Red Cloud and Lincoln, with 289 taking part in the activities and paper sessions.