Nebraska Artists Showcase Science and Art at Morrill Hall
Morrill Hall, located on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus, recently underwent the largest renovation in its 98-year history. As part of the work, the museum opened new exhibits celebrating two famous Nebraskans and their contributions to the public understanding of science through their art. The first, National Geographic Photo Ark by Joel Sartore, highlights his efforts to photograph endangered species from around the world. The second, Elizabeth H. Dolan: Rediscovering a Nebraska Artist, celebrates the career and impact of the woman who created the large landscape murals in Morrill Hall. Both exhibits enable the visitor to be awed and inspired by their work.
Understand Endangered Species
Guests will enjoy digital displays of Sartore’s exquisite photos and videos – highlighting the beauty and uniqueness of each endangered species while discussing challenges faced by them. The exhibit presents international conservation efforts and shares behind-the-scenes photo shoots. In a dedicated seating area, visitors can view wildlife photos and videos and listen to Joel Sartore explain his mission to save these species from extinction. There are light-hearted moments too. Joel shares the effort needed to get an animal to stay in one place long enough to photograph.“Typically, the Photo Ark is exhibited as printed photographs, but our version is mostly on screen,” said Angie Fox, head of exhibits
“This approach lets us refresh the exhibit with new photos and stories on a regular basis.”
Located on the first floor of Morrill Hall, the National Geographic Photo Ark project was the idea and vision of Del Lienemann, Jr. He and his wife, Mary, are the sole benefactors of the project. Accompanying the permanent exhibit is a section about Joel Sartore – his professional journey to become a wildlife photographer and his passion to tell the stories of endangered life on Earth. It’s the hope of the donors and the artist that this stunning photographic exhibit will spur others to become biodiversity champions and conservation heroes.
Illustrating the Grand Hall
While Joel Sartore is celebrated for his work internationally, the story of another Nebraskan artist has been lost over time. Yet during her life, Elizabeth H. Dolan also had an international reputation as a large format muralist. She was sought out for her portraits and still life here in Nebraska and beyond. She is forever connected to Morrill Hall, and now, her contributions will be recognized in the first-floor exhibit: Elizabeth H. Dolan: Rediscovering a Nebraska Artist.
For years, visitors to Morrill Hall have stood in awe of Elizabeth Dolan’s floor-to-ceiling landscape backdrops. These murals – painted in 1927 – frame nearly a dozen elephant relatives (mastodons, four-tuskers, and other proboscideans) in parade around the grand hall. Attention here is often dominated by Archie, a 14-foot-tall Columbian mammoth fossil, which is replicated in a massive sculpture outside Morrill Hall. The Museum’s director, E. H. Barbour, commissioned her to provide the artistic “atmosphere” needed for the public to appreciate the fossils and bring to life the very different surroundings they lived in. Dolan traveled to fossil sites around Nebraska, creating reference sketches and working closely with Dr.Barbour and other museum scientists to accurately depict the plants and animals from Nebraska’s past. For almost 100 years the Dolan murals and scientific mounts have created a unique visitor experience at Morrill Hall.
“Elizabeth was instrumental in executing Dr. Barbour’s plan for a grand hall of science,” said museum director Dr. Susan Weller. “Her landscapes convey the other-worldliness of ancient Nebraska with her signature fresco-like style in muted tones.”
The exhibit was made possible by the generosity of the Friends of the State Museum. The Friends contributed funding and donated their time to help research Dolan’s life story and participate in creating the exhibit. The exhibit includes examples of Dolan’s art and where the art is located in Nebraska. There's also a section on the artist’s approach and materials used in creating her artworks.
Whether a person has an interest in art, in science, or both, these two new exhibits at Morrill Hall provide an opportunity to explore natural history and the local artists behind them.
Morrill Hall Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday: Noon - 5 p.m.
Learn more at museum.unl.edu
