HOLDREGE – Pop-up art, a mural, and a new all-day art and music festival will bring downtown Holdrege to life this summer as part of the new Iron Horse Arts District.
Cassie Ehrenberg, project manager for the district, said one of the long-term goals of the arts district is to operate a permanent art gallery or center. But for now, the Iron Horse team will highlight area artists through pop-up displays.
Ehrenberg spoke with KRVN’s Jon Willis about the upcoming busy summer.
In June, Bertrand Native Taylor (Nation) Majerus will lead ESU 11 Summer Honors students in chalk art drawings in front of the Holdrege Public Library and other downtown locations.
Majerus will be teaching 14 students in her summer honors class June 10-21. Her students will learn about illusions in art and focus on anamorphic chalk art.
“These chalk images are illustrated in a way that they appear to be popping out, caving in, or standing on the sidewalk right in front of you, when viewed through a camera lens,” Majerus said. “Soft pastels are used to create the artwork, which gives it a bright high-contrast color and allows us to create more realistic fine details.”
Majerus said this type of artwork is sometimes referred to as “street painting” and has roots that date back to 15th-century Italy.
She said the students will create their own designs for the chalk art around town, but they will be encouraged to plan designs for the library that relate to book characters and the importance of reading.
Majerus hopes to have the library drawings done in time for Swedish Days, but it will depend on the weather. With no rain, the drawings will remain crisp and bright for several days. A heavy rain will wash away a lot of the color, but faded images could remain on the sidewalk for several weeks.
Businesses interested in hosting chalk art creations in front of their business should contact Majerus at .
The second pop-up will be in July when the artwork of 2023 Holdrege High School graduate Jillian Bailey and the late Brad Pearson will be displayed at the Spirit of Grace Church, 413 West Ave. The
church will be open for viewing the art from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Fridays in July. A Meet and Greet reception is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. Thursday, July 11.
Bailey is pursuing a career in digital illustration through the CG Spectrum Art Academy. She has loved art since she was a young child and fostered that talent through high school where she was a member of the National Art Honor Society. The art on display is part of the portfolio she is developing through her classes.
Pearson was a 1963 HHS graduate who started loving art from an early age. He practiced his skills on classmates’ papers and notebooks and then on ivory soap as a Boy Scout. In 1983, he moved on to bronze sculptures. One of his sculptures is displayed at St. Andrew’s Museum in Scotland. In 1984, Brad drew 11 pictures for the First National Bank’s Calendar for their 100th anniversary. Besides bronze, he also created art with watercolors and pastels. Pearson died in 2019.
In August, Iron Horse Arts District volunteers are planning a Community Talent Show at the Holdrege Public Library. The event will be from 5-7:45 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 8.
The deadline to register for the talent show is July 30. Register to participate in the talent show at www.ironhorsedistrict.org/events/community-talent-show. A piano and music stand will be available. Contact Chelsea Feusner () or Ashley Brock () with questions about the talent show.
The Iron Horse Art District’s first mural will be painted on the east wall of the Riteway Milk building at 815 4th Ave. A Wyoming artist was selected from an applicant pool of more than 130 muralists from around the country and world to paint the mural.
More details will be announced soon on the timing and content of the mural.
The district will host its first Iron Horse Festival on Saturday, Sept. 14. The all-day event will include artisans and vendors from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Some of the artists/demonstrators already signed up are current Nebraska State Poet Matt Mason, a pop-up gallery from the Museum of Nebraska Art, Artistic Innovations (barn quilt demonstration), and MomenTum Dance Academy. The event will culminate with a concert in front of the Iron Horse Station featuring Logan Mize, Luke Mills and Savanna Chestnut.
The day portion of the event is free. Tickets are available for the evening concert at ironhorseartsdistrict/iron-horse-festival-info.
For more information about the Iron Horse Arts District or to be involved, please contact project manager Cassie Ehrenberg at .
