New Digs

Bone Creek Museum celebrates after a move into a historic building in Nebraska.

On April 12, after a four-month closure, the Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art reopened within its new location, a historic and renovated building in David City, Nebraska. More than 450 people were in attendance as the historic building, originally built in 1917, was dedicated. “We are so thankful to everyone who has helped make this possible,” Ruth Thoendel, the museum’s board president, told guests.

The Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art in David City, Nebraska.

The building concept first formed about a decade ago. During the $5 million renovation, aspects of the building’s history were preserved, including its use as a showroom for Ford Model Ts. The building was first used as a livery stable by the grandfather of Joyce C. Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards. It was later sold and used as a Ford assembly plant and dealership. The building eventually fell into disrepair before Bone Creek set its sights on it. As part of the renovation, a Ford Model T from 1923 will be on permanent display. The museum, the only agrarian art museum in the country, opened in 2008 and focuses on art of the land.

The Ford dealership and showroom, 1950. The building is now the home of the Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art.

While the museum hosts exhibitions of all types, core artists that sit at the center of the agrarian art movement include regionalists Grant Wood and Dale Nichols, who was from David City. Both artists have had works on display at the museum. The museum also looks for contemporary artists who celebrate agrarian themes. “Empowering artists by giving them a platform to display and speak about their work is one of my favorite aspects of the job,” says Amanda Mobley Guenther, Bone Creek Museum’s curator. “While we have a tight focus on art of the land, it’s a never-ending story. There is so much that we want to do to give voice to the beauty and emotional experience of being in nature and working the land.”