Past Events

Fans of true crime will not want to miss author Debora Harding's talk about Dancing with the Octopus, her memoir detailing her 1978 abduction at the age of fourteen. Please join us for what promises to be a gripping conversation. We are proud to showcase this 2024 One Book One Nebraska selection!

Join us for a sesquicentennial celebration of Willa Cather, one of the most singular and treasured American writers of the 20th century. Cather’s groundbreaking fiction (including O Pioneers!, My Ántonia, One of Ours, The Professor’s House, and Death Comes for the Archbishop) set a new standard in American literature.

Join us for a celebration of Willa Cather! This reception will feature remarks by Ashley Olson, Executive Director of the National Willa Cather Center, as well as a talk by Cather scholar Steve Shively on Willa's connection to Lincoln. A dialogue with artist Littleton Alston, creator of the Cather sculpture recently installed at the National Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol Building, will precede the reveal of the Library's own Cather statuette that was donated by Lincoln residents Glenda Pierce and Jeff Kirkpatrick.

Get ready to take a musical tour through the regions of Mexico with Marimba Sol de Chiapas! These touring artists of the Mid-America Arts Alliance will be coming to our community to share their knowledge of the marimba, "the wood that sings" and will showcase their talent while four musicians play one instrument, together, at the same time! Admission is free for children and students through 12th grade!

“Life is best when there is a way to express myself without words. It was so satisfying when I discovered that paint, form, and content were all I needed to share the story of a life lived as a Chicana . . . . My art reflects a life-long quest exploring symbolism, indigenous tradition, and the use of materials and methods which I then interpret into contemporary forms of expression.” My themes reflect the memories of being a farm-girl, of being a person of color living, working, and raising a family in Nebraska. . . . .

The National Willa Cather Center is pleased to partner with The Mount, writer Edith Wharton's home in Lenox, Massachusetts, to launch a new series for the 2024 summer season! Join us at the Mount on the third Wednesday of June, July, and August for a sesquicentennial celebration of our beloved Willa Cather, who, along with Edith Wharton, is among the most treasured American writers of the 20th century.

View this award-winning film, loosely based on Willa Cather's texts and in celebration of her 150th birthday anniversary. Stay after the film to hear a pre-recorded conversation with Minari director Lee Isaac Chung!

Join us for a production of Peter and Wendy featuring local youth!

Join us for a production of Peter and Wendy featuring local youth!

For the second time in 2024, the Red Cloud Opera House and the Red Cloud Area Artists Club will be hosting the Association of Nebraska Art Clubs Award of Excellence traveling show, this time featuring winners of the 2024 ANAC conference competition. David Dorsey, with his acrylic painting, entitled "The Readers," was awarded Best of Show. The traveling show features artists from across the state, many different styles and mediums, and represents the best of Nebraska's thirty-five art clubs.