Things are Still Speaking at Sheldon—Go Now

The beautiful and interesting things the Office of the Capitol Commission provided for the “Things Speak: Storied Objects from Lincoln Collections” exhibit at Sheldon Museum of Art located at 12th and R street on the University of Nebraska Campus will be on display until February 8.  All Nebraska Capitol fans should get to Sheldon before the exhibit closes. This is your best last chance to have your picture taken with St. Louis as portrayed on the east facade of the Capitol tower or with one of the ten Native American warriors portrayed in the front tapestry in the East Chamber. Architecture fans will marvel at the ink wash presentation drawing of the front entrance of the Capitol included in Bertram Goodhue’s submission in the 1919-20 architectural competition for the Nebraska State Capitol. Erwin Barbour’s delightful pastel and pencil drawing of our state fossil the Wooly Mammoth will go back to the archive when this exhibit closes. The many varied items from the Capitol and other institutions in Lincoln including the American Historical Society of Germans from Russia, Frank H. Woods Telephone Pioneer Museum, Great Plains Art Museum, International Quilt Study Center and Museum, Kruger Collection, LUX Center for the Arts, Museum of American Speed Smith Collection, National Museum of Roller Skating,  Pioneers Park Nature Center, Sheldon Museum of Art, and University of Nebraska State Museum are worth a second look if you’ve already seen the exhibit. The items featured each have a special story to tell: who created the object, what did it mean, where did it come from, why it was created and when. The stories behind the objects are as interesting as the objects themselves and demonstrate how important storytelling is to understanding the world around us. Visitors to the Capitol will still hear stories about the objects, but this is a chance to see the objects behind the stories.