Vera Dulaney and Don Helberg are working with the crowd to sell paintings and other artwork created during the opening reception for the 2014 Oregon Trail Days Art Show. Dulaney ran the show for more than three decades before her passing and today’s art show bears her name, the True Dulaney Memorial Art Show & amp; For sale. The show will begin on Thursday, July 7, and run through Saturday, July 9.
For nearly 40 years, the works of artists from all over the region have been featured during Oregon Trail Days celebrations. This year, 19 artists will be exhibiting their works during the True Dulaney Memorial Art Show & amp; For sale.
Crystal Sandberg now leads the show, which Vera Dulaney led for more than three decades before her demise in 2019.
“I’m new to the band,” Sandberg said, saying she learned about organizing Dulaney’s show by working with her. She admits that she even makes decisions based on what she believes Dulaney would have done. “It was a great honor to spend some time with her. She was incredibly skilled in art.”
The art show is a sworn show, meaning artists are invited to submit for consideration. Artists who are contacted are past participants, artists who have shown at the West Nebraska Art Center or those about whom organizers have heard through word of mouth. The artists submit their works for consideration to a committee that decides whether they will be well suited for the show.
“Historically, it’s a western-themed art show,” Sandberg said. “In fact, 1983 was the first year and it was called a western nature show.
Art is not strictly western, but there is a large percentage of the show and art that does not yet generally fit the theme. Art in a wide variety of mediums, from glass to watercolors, will be on display. The majority of items displayed by artists must be original artwork, not prints or other reproductions.
All artwork is for sale. With artists from Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and even Arizona joining local artists, the art exhibition offers people a chance to support artists from across the region.
“We are very grateful to the artists who are coming,” Sandberg said, noting that there are other art exhibitions in the region during the same week.
The art exhibition begins on Thursday, with art on display from the 19th. until 9 p.m. at the Gering Civic Center. On Friday, July 8, the show takes place from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Saturday, the show will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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