Great Plains Art Museum

06/18/2026

We're participating in this year's Field Trip Across Lincoln! Several Lincoln area sites have joined forces to encourage families to get out and explore art, nature, and history by visiting local museums and outdoor spaces. Throughout the summer, participants can visit locations and complete activities provided in the official passport. In exchange for visiting five or more locations, participants can complete an online form to be entered into a giveaway for a chance to win prizes. Prizes include classes, family museum memberships, and more!
Pick up passports and participate at these locations:
📍 Great Plains Art Museum
📍 Nebraska State Historical Society
📍 Lincoln Children's Zoo
📍 University of Nebraska State Museum - Morrill Hall
📍 Pioneers Park Nature Center
📍 International Quilt Museum
📍 LUX Center for the Arts
📍 Lincoln Children's Museum
📍 Proyecto Cultural
📍 Lower Platte South NRD's Marsh Wren Saline Wetland

Prize entry form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScLGCLkiDA_LOKgNdpCA03aW_tW9TcnRNzGl7RKlGrlNwK6Tw/viewform

06/17/2026

About the exhibition: "With a Little Help from Our Friends"
Organized in honor of the Center's 50th anniversary, this exhibition highlights the important interdisciplinary focus of the Center and its core intellectual community, the Great Plains Fellows. The Fellows as a group are scholars and community members who are concerned with the past, present, and future of the Great Plains, and they support the Center and its mission in myriad ways. For this exhibition, 20 Fellows representing diverse disciplines and all four University of Nebraska campuses were invited to select an artwork from the museum’s permanent collection and respond to it in any way they chose.

20 Great Plains Fellows chose the works in the "With a Little Help from Our Friends: New Perspectives on the Collection" exhibition, on view through Aug. 8 at the Great Plains Art Museum.

06/04/2026

The Great Plains Art Museum will be at several upcoming free events in June. Stop by to make your own bird kite!

Hub Cafe Farmer's Market
Wednesday, June 10, from 5-7 p.m.

East Campus Discovery Days and Farmers Market
Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at the East Campus Mall

Downtown Lincoln Association Family Day
Saturday, June 27, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., at the Lincoln Children's Museum, 1420 P St.

06/03/2026

As a result of an Institute of Museum and Library Services Museums for America Grant, we are celebrating the completion of a new compacting storage system at the Great Plains Art Museum. This new system will store framed paintings, sculptures, and works on paper. Because of this, we're planning on future growth of our collection. Thanks to Midwest Storage Solutions for their help with this project.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Institute of Museum and Library Services

05/29/2026

We'd like to thank everyone who supported the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Great Plains Art Museum during Give to Lincoln Day. We appreciate everyone who supports by donating, taking part in programming, or visiting the museum. Thank you!

05/28/2026

TODAY is Give to Lincoln Day! A chance for our community to support organizations that make an impact in our city. Consider a donation today to help support our free public programming at the Center for Great Plains Studies and Great Plains Art Museum. Your donation supports a unique institution that cultivates awareness of and engagement with the diverse people, cultures, and natural environments of the Great Plains.
https://givetolincoln.com/nonprofits/center-for-great-plains-studies-and-great-plains-art-museum

Since 1976, the Center has connected our community to the Great Plains through free public programming and scholarship, and our Great Plains Art Museum serves as a gathering place for education and artistic expression.

Every donation you make as part of Give to Lincoln Day makes a bigger impact because nonprofits also get a proportional share of a $650,000 match fund provided by the Lincoln Community Foundation and generous sponsors.
We appreciate your support!

05/26/2026

May 28 is Give to Lincoln Day!
Give to Lincoln Day is a chance for our community to support organizations that make an impact in our city. Every donation you make now through May 28 in support of the Great Plains Art Museum and Center for Great Plains Studies makes a bigger impact because nonprofits also get a proportional share of a $650,000 match fund provided by the Lincoln Community Foundation and generous sponsors.
But you don't have to wait! Donate today at: https://givetolincoln.com/nonprofits/center-for-great-plains-studies-and-great-plains-art-museum

05/15/2026

20 Great Plains Fellows chose the works in the "With a Little Help from Our Friends: New Perspectives on the Collection" exhibition, on view through Aug. 8 at the Great Plains Art Museum.

04/14/2026

Have you ever wanted to wear a map of the Great Plains? Here's your chance! In celebration of the Center for Great Plains Studies' 50th year, these tri-blend map shirts are only available at the Great Plains Art Museum store.
Open Tue-Sat, 10am-5pm

04/08/2026

Hear from our upcoming Artist in Residence Elizabeth Burden and her co creators:

Three artists are connected by one thing, deep Nebraskan roots that stretch over generations and are now being displayed at the Center for Great Plain Studies.