Arts Afire Find Your Park this Fall Through the Arts at Homestead National Monument of America

Date: August 13, 2015

The arts will take center stage at Homestead National Monument of America this fall with a variety of programs by painters, photographers, writers, and a sculptor. Feed your inner artist and mark your calendar with these inspiring programs. All are Sundays, at the Education Center, and at 2 p.m.unless otherwise listed.

Sunday, September 13 –Carol Hartman, Artist-in-Residence –Carol's paintings reflect the early history of the land and the hardships and courage of the early settlers. "I believe that black and white forms the foundations of truths in life, therefore line, shape, and value are very important to me.I am fascinated by the dramatic transitions and the contrasts of the colors and compositions in my life but color relates to the moment, to the emotions found in one's existence.I strive to capture the soft nuances of colors as they blend into one another" Said Hartman. She will be at HomesteadSeptember 1 through 14.

Sunday, September 27,1 p.m.–Michael Cansfield, Artist-in-Residence –Michael is a performer planning on writing a multi-voice presentational piece while at Homestead.  "I look to focus my theatrical and public event experience on the development of a new multi-voice presentational piece celebrating the personal stories and national history of westward expansion," said Cansfield. He will be at Homestead fromSeptember 14 through 27.

Sunday, September 27 –Eric Fowler is an accomplished photographer and a regional editor for Nebraskaland Magazine. He will be the featured speaker at the Prairie Appreciation Photography Festival and talk about what makes for a great outdoor photograph and share stories about capturing unforgettable images.

Sunday, October 4 –Pamela Hill will discussThe Annotated Autobiography of Laura Ingalls Wilder.She edited this book which spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list last spring. Hill says she grew up on a steady diet of Bible stories and old TV westerns. "Maybe that's why I like to write about the past or maybe it was Jo March in Little Women. She was a tomboy and bookworm-just like me," explains Hill. In 2007 she published her first book for adults,Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer's Life.

Saturday,October 10–Lisa Jettone, Artist-in-Residence - Lisa is a sculptor. Her art explores issues relating to conservation biology and the histories of place and habitat. She works with a wide variety of materials including metals, fiber, wood, clay, wax, rubber and readymade objects and will be an Artist-in-Residence from September 28 to October 11.

Sunday, October 11–Gloria Hawkins will discuss the uses made of one-room schoolhouses once they are closed. She is a Country School Association of America board member. Park guides Paola Perez and Doris Martin will talk about the importance of preserving the school memories of family members to round out this Family History Month program.

Sunday, November 1 –Linda Stephen, a 2014 Artist-in-Residence, will talk about her Homestead inspired origami art.She is aself-taught artist, who once worked as a translator in Japan. "My origami bas relief landscapes are a new and unique approach to the ancient tradition of origami, the Japanese art of folding paper into representational shapes," said Stephen. Her work has recently been displayed in a solo show at the Governor's Mansion. A series of her pieces, inspired by her stay at Homestead, will be on display at Homestead's Education Center during November, 2015.

Remember, Homestead National Monument of America has an exciting schedule of events planned for 2015. Keep up with the latest information by following us on Twitter (HomesteadNM), and Facebook (HomesteadNM), and Instagram (HomesteadNPS).

Homestead National Monument of America is a unit of the National Park Service located four miles west of Beatrice, Nebraska and 45 miles south of Lincoln. Hours of operation are8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.daily. Admission is free of charge. For additional information, please call 402-223-3514 or visit https://www.nps.gov/home/.