Willa Cather Foundation Events

We are excited to announce Whispers of Home, a solo show featuring the abstract collage and mixed media works of Nebraska artist Susan Hart. 

We are excited to present All Aboard the Orphan Train, a special traveling exhibit curated by the National Orphan Train Complex in Concordia, Kansas! This mini-exhibit will be on view at the newly reopened Burlington Depot in Red Cloud in time for Street Car Days!

An open house will be held at the Burlington Depot from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., Saturday, August 1. Admission to the depot and the orphan train exhibit will be free during this time!

Join us for a production of The Little Mermaid featuring local youth! Deep in the salty water of the Sassafras Sea, there lived a Little Mermaid. In a new version of the age-old tale, lots of music, plot surprises, and humor await the audience.

Do you love art but don't make any yourself? Would you like to explore a new creative outlet with friends? In this program series hosted by the Red Cloud Opera House and National Willa Cather Center in conjunction with the Red Cloud Creative Arts District, adults learn the basics of drawing through sketchbook exercises. Under the guidance of professional artist and art educator Yelena Khanevskaya, participants will be introduced to drawing techniques and prompts that encourage observational and expressive drawing.

The evocative and impressionistic prairie landscapes of Yelena Khanevskaya will light up the Red Cloud Opera House gallery this autumn! Based out of her Wildcat Hills studio in western Nebraska, Khanevskaya uses her paints and canvases to translate commonplace occurrences into stunning glimpses of natural beauty. Whether it's a cloud formation, a long-abandoned homestead, or the outstretched shadows of a winter dawn, Khanevskaya both documents and elevates the subjects of her work.

Oglala Lakota and Navajo performer Garan Coons returns to the Red Cloud Opera House, this time with his Many Moccasins Dance Troupe! Join us for an unforgettable evening of dance and storytelling accompanied by beautiful music.

For the first time, this popular one-day tour is being offered on two dates—including a Saturday option!

For the first time, this popular one-day tour is being offered on two dates—including a Saturday option!

You voted, and we listened! 2026 Audience Choice winners Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal are performing their very first opera house show in what promises to be a foot-stomping Saturday night! Hoyer and his band leave it all on the stage, performing authentic funk, soul, and blues music across the country and the world.

Help us welcome two writers from our 2024 Willa Cather Residency for Writers cohort as they share recent publications! Margot Kahn and Hillary Behrman will read excerpts from their books as they reflect on their unique writers-in-residence experiences.