 As the
evening was being planned by Mayor Keith Snyder and Kathy Vinyard, Vinyard -- who works at City Hall for the mayor and the
building and safety office -- was reminded of something she saw
while visiting friends.
"We were visiting some friends in Kentucky, and while there, they
said they were going to go to City Hall for an art show," Vinyard
said. "I thought, what a neat idea."
Vinyard said that when word got out that there would be a show;
she was really surprised by the number of really good artists in the
area who were willing to bring in their work for display.
Local artists who participated were Eric Burton, Ruth Fredericks,
Jason Hoffman, Meghann Kindred, Toby Prang, Kerry Rolewicz, Michelle
Schneider and Renee Sisk.
Work from the various artists lined the hallways downstairs,
filled the city clerk's office, one bay of the fire department and
the council chambers on the second floor.
Pieces included wood sculpture, oil and acrylic paintings,
watercolors, multimedia and much more.
It is said the sign of good art is that it stirs an emotional
reaction. Whether it is peace and tranquility or unrest, if the
viewer reacts, the art has done its job.
In the art show there were several pieces of whimsy that brought
a smile to those gazing on it, and there were several
thought-provoking pieces.
Among some of those thought-provokers was the sculpture work of
Jason Hoffman. Hoffman has done a full collection depicting the
suffering of the critically ill. His works ranged from a
larger-than-life pill dispenser, to a hospital bed complete with IVs
and medical equipment, to a stirring piece depicting death.
Hoffman said the pieces were not something he really wanted to
discuss, except to say that they were based on personal experiences
with a loved one.
In addition to art, those who visited on Thursday evening also
got a chance to tour the city building, going into areas such as the
mayor's office, the offices of the city clerk and several parts of
the Lincoln Fire Department.
One bay of the fire department was opened for people to look
around, and there was also art on display in that area.
Upstairs on any day of the week, the hallway of the fire
department is decorated with historical items and photos from the
fire department.
In addition, there has been a recent addition: a wall of photos
of the current department. A recently taken photo in the center of
the display shows all the firefighters together and is surrounded by
individual portraits of each one.
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Another interesting display came from the work of Alderwoman Joni
Tibbs. Tibbs, who has a sound respect for our city's history, had
brought out of storage several old journals from the earlier days of
the Lincoln City Council.
The old books were placed on display in the council chamber.
Included in the items were records of transfers in the city, tax
records, and rules or ordinances, handwritten and signed by the
council members on the date of origin. The books ranged from the
mid-1800s to the very early 1900s.
Interestingly, Tibbs found a page where a letter had been written
in 1915 to a local resident, explaining that it was not acceptable
for the resident to dispose of their "slop" and trash by throwing it
out in the city alley. Some things never change.
In addition to all this, there was also some excellent food
catered by Ed and Ronda Malkowski of the Owl's Roost in Lincoln, and
the Lincoln Area Music Society provided a string trio that played
some lovely vintage pieces, offering a sophisticated backdrop for
the entire event.
The event was also very well attended, as many people unfamiliar
with City Hall came in for a tour and to look at the art. Also on
hand were several city officials. The mayor was there all evening,
along with Denise Martinek, city clerk; Susan Gehlbach, deputy
clerk; and Chuck Conzo, city treasurer. City aldermen including
Melody Anderson, Marty Neitzel, Jeff Hoinacki, Joni Tibbs, Kathy
Horn, Tom O'Donohue and others dropped in for visits as well.
Fire Chief Mark Miller stationed himself in the upstairs hallway
and visited with several who came through, talking about the history
of the station and the items on display.
As the evening progressed, Vinyard said she felt like it was a
great success, and everyone was pleased with the turnout of artists
as well as the large number of people who paid a visit.
[By NILA SMITH]
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