Events

In 2007, photographer and Willa Cather Foundation executive director Betty Kort created forty intimate portraits of artifacts in the historic sites of Willa Cather’s home town, Red Cloud. In addition to being featured in our gallery as a part of our annual Spring Conference, the exhibition toured across the country as part of the National Endowment for the Arts "Big Read" project.

As part of National Willa Cather Center's efforts to commemorate acclaimed novelist Willa Cather’s 150th year, we are pleased to announce a special virtual event series with acclaimed writer and biographer Benjamin Taylor! Join us in honoring Cather’s prolific writing career and contributions to American letters by attending one or all of these special studies focusing on a selection of Cather's most famous and beloved novels.

Produced in association with the Willa Cather Foundation, filmmaker Ken Burns hosts this sesquicentennial celebration of Willa Cather, one of the most significant and treasured American writers of the 20th century. Cather crystallized the spirit of the American West with a singular voice in her body of poems, essays, short stories, and the critically acclaimed novels One of Ours, O Pioneers!, The Song of the Lark, and My Ántonia.

Tap your foot and sing along to some of the most iconic country music of the 20th century! Join us for a special performance by Nebraska's own, Melinda Ferree, and her homage to one of America's loved and influential female vocalists, Patsy Cline! With well remembered hits such as: "Crazy", "Walking After Midnight", and "Sweet Dreams", this night will be one to remember!

Special thanks to our sponsors Tru-Built Construction, Dennis and Sally Hansen, First National Bank of Omaha, and KHAS Radio for their support!

Help us welcome Tracy Daugherty as he discusses his book 148 Charles Street. This novel explores the friendship between Willa Cather and Elizabeth Shepley Sergeant. Two different writers with distinct styles. Cather was the novelist while Sergeant was the muckraking journalist. Their friendship becomes tested after Cather fictionalizes a war that Sergeant covered. This is a story of how friendship endures through disagreements and misunderstandings. 

 

Saturday or Sunday Packages Include:

• Brownville Village Theatre production of A Resurrection—a story based in Brownville, written by Willa Cather and adapted by Rachel Curtiss
• Dinner and music at the Brownville Concert Hall—Menu inspired by Willa Cather novels and life: Chef Paul will present an “amuse the mouth” meal with wine, barley soup with mushrooms, chiffonade salad with rosemary vinaigrette, Czechoslovak pepper steak with caraway noodles & steamed a

Discussion #4: Death Comes for the Archbishop

As part of National Willa Cather Center's efforts to commemorate acclaimed novelist Willa Cather’s 150th year, we are pleased to conclude a special virtual event series with acclaimed writer and biographer Benjamin Taylor! Join us in honoring Cather’s prolific writing career and contributions to American letters by attending this special study focusing on a selection of Cather's most famous and beloved novels.

Discussion #4: Death Comes for the Archbishop

As part of National Willa Cather Center's efforts to commemorate acclaimed novelist Willa Cather’s 150th year, we are pleased to conclude a special virtual event series with acclaimed writer and biographer Benjamin Taylor! Join us in honoring Cather’s prolific writing career and contributions to American letters by attending this special study focusing on a selection of Cather's most famous and beloved novels.

UNL Opera presents Tyler Goodrich White’s O Pioneers! based on Willa Cather’s 1913 novel--her first masterpiece and one of the most compelling tales of the Great Plains.  Presented in connection with the 2023 Cather Sesquicentennial, the production features student and alumni singers of UNL Opera, the UNL Chamber Singers, and a sextet of live musicians.  Conducted by the composer, this production's stage direction is by William Shomos. 

With a voice rising “out of the Nebraska plain like cool summer swell,” Rascal Martinez blends rockabilly, folk, country and Latin sounds into covers, standards and heartfelt originals. Although still in his mid-twenties, the young Martinez’ unique roots music awakens memories of early rock artists with a sound that has been described as “resonant and fresh, yet familiar.” Martinez‘ deep, raspy country twang is mixed with strong lead guitar licks, a pounding bass guitar, strong drum beats and backup vocals.