THANK YOU

The day I left Nebraska City to head home to Berlin again - February 27-  I received this lovely note written by Elizabeth Stehling, the director of KHN Center for the arts. I opened it while sitting in the plane from Omaha to Chicago with the view on the wide Great Plains from a the bird's eye view.

Thanks to Elizabeth and her assistant Pat and all the nice people of Nebraska City I really felt at home in this place far away from my home in Berlin. Time slipped by so quickly and when I had to leave I barely could imagine that six weeks were already over. I loved my time at the KHN Center for the arts in Nebraska City! The participation in the Fernweh*goodlife project and the support of the local community was an unique and overwhelming experience to me. I only can say: THANK YOU & DANKE, dear Elisabeth & Pat, thank you Kimmel Foundation for making this project and this residency possible, and thanks to ALL OF YOU who sent me your postcards. They made every single day of my residency. My special thanks go to the Nebraska City post-office and the mailman Bill Witte. I already miss you all! The community of Nebraska City and the great people of the KHN Center for the arts have a special and beloved place in my heart.

Ben Watkins

A Fernweh drawing from BEN WATKINS, sent from Peru, Nebraska. Ben is a student at the Peru State College. Right, this Peru is not located in the Andes. It is just 20 min away from Nebraska City. No skyscrapers there, but the Missouri River and a lot of open land around it!

Ryan Christiansen

A Nebraska-Fernweh drawing from RYAN CHRISTENSEN sent from Peru, Nebraska. RYAN is a student at the Peru State College and he calls the city of Omaha his home.

Halsey Volkmer

A postcard from Halsey Volkmer, sent from Nebraska City, NE

Thank you, Halsey!

Kyle Berglund

A postcard-collage from KYLE BERGLUND, sent from Peru, Nebraska. Kyle is a student at the Peru State College. He compiled some Nebraska essentials: Cornfields, a Huskers game, an event with the Kool Aid Man involved, a big sky and and a wide landscape. There are some decent mountains in Nebraska, too!

Steve Snell

A postcard from STEVE SNELL sent from Hastings, Nebraska/USA. Steve is a visual artist and a performance artist: "I like to call my art practice adventure art.  I use the term to describe a performance-based action of adventure, in which I (or someone else) use creativity and imagination to have an exciting and remarkable experience.  These adventures are then transformed through various artistic and popular media in order to build a mythology and share the story with others. Adventure art is an attempt to live life as though it were a movie or at least present the image that it is one."

Steve's adventure art is currently on display at the KHN Center for the Arts in Nebraska City: "Welcome to Adventure Art" He created an immersive art installation for the KHN gallery: Video documentations of his adventures, paintings, watercolors, and various artifacts -  all installed on wood-covered exhibition walls. Steve worked on this complex and detailed installation for quite a while. I saw it growing during my time as a resident artist at KHN.  For the opening reception of this show Steve brought a some of his students of the Hastings College where he teaches painting, digital media, art history, and adventure-art.  Among his students are Jasmine Radetski, Pat Nelsen, Katherine Arias, Lauren Maystrick, Jessica Gonzalez, Lauren Shomaker, Ryann Swanson and Luke Ervin.  http://www.steve-snell.com/

Ryann Swanson

A postcard from RYANN SWANSON sent from Hastings, Nebraska/USA.
 Ryann is an Art Student at the Hastings College and lives in Grand Island, NE.

Luke Ervin

A postcard from LUKE ERVIN sent from Hastings, Nebraska/USA.

Luke is an Art Student at the Hastings College, NE.

Jessica Gonzalez

A postcard from JESSICA GONZALEZ sent from Hastings, Nebraska/USA.

Jessica is an Art Student at the Hastings College, NE.

Denise Davis

A postcard from DENISE DAVIS, sent from Nebraska City.

Nebraska City is the home of Arbour Day. It is all about trees: http://www.arborday.org/
Thank you, Denise, for your contribution to Fernweh*thegoodlife!

 

 

Pat Nelsen

A postcard from PAT NELSEN sent from Hastings, Nebraska/USA.

Pat lives in Ayr, Nebraska and is an Art Student at the Hastings College.

Jasmine Radetski

A postcard from JASMINE RADETSKI 
sent from Hastings, Nebraska/USA.

Jasmine is an Art Student at the Hastings College,NE.

Lauren Shomaker

A postcard from LAUREN SHOMAKER sent from Hastings, Nebraska/USA.

Lauren is an Art Student at Hastings College,NE.

Katherine Arias

A postcard from KATHERINE ARIAS sent from Hastings, Nebraska/USA.

Katherine is an Art Student at the Hastings College, NE

Lauren Maystrick

A postcard from LAUREN MAYSTRICK sent from Hastings, Nebraska/USA.

Lauren is an Art Student at the Hastings College.

Sarah Weinert

A postcard from Sarah Weinert, sent from Falls City, Nebraska / USA

Sarah is an art teacher at a public high school. I met her at the ArtCadre, a meeting of art teachers from rural Nebraska. It took place at the KHN Center for the Arts on February 18, 2015. In this context I had the chance to do a presentation of my work followed by a workshop. I handed out blank cardboard cards, asking all teachers to create their very own interpretation of the "good life". Thank you, Sarah for this lovely drawing of your farm and the lines about your good life.

Duncan Coe

A postcard from DUNCAN COE, sent from Nebraska City, NE / USA.

Duncan is an Art Student at the Nebraska City High School. Thank you for this laid-back postcard, Duncan!

Bill Witte

A postcard from BILL WITTE, Nebraska City, NE /USA. This the first very postcard in my life which was not only delivered by a mailman - it was actually written and sent by him! Bill is the Nebraska City mailman for quite some years now. And he made my days over here - with all the great postcards he dropped at the KHN Art Center, nearly every day - always round 11am. But only today I met him in person, finally.

What a nice encounter: Thank you Bill + Linda for driving me around Nebraska City in your car, along with the 3 cute dogs and music on the radio. I really enjoyed this great, unexpected midday break!  

Hannah Smith

A postcard from HANNAH SMITH, sent from Nebraska City, NE / USA.

Thank you Hannah, for your postcard & your thoughtful lines about your "good life"!

Jess Rice

A postcard from JESS RICE, sent from Nebraska City, Nebraska. Jess is an art instructor at the Nebraska City High School.