Chadron State College Art professors Laura Bentz and Mary Donahue will exhibit black and white photographs and paintings, respectively, in “Quiet Witness of the High Plains” July 14 through Sept. 19 at Fred Simon Gallery in Omaha. The show is co-sponsored by the Nebraska Arts Council and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. An opening reception will be July 14 from 5-7 p.m.
Bentz and Donahue, in their artists’ statement, say living in and responding to the landscape is an integral element in their lives. They say the endless skies, silent buttes, solitary trees, enduring rocks, undulating grasslands, twisted roots, rustling pines, and their corresponding forms, light, colors, shapes, and lines echo the voices of past human stories and struggles. The theme of the show is taken from the foreword of Lovesong to the Plains by Mari Sandoz, “…stories we could all hear so long as we kept silent.”
When describing the sounds of western Nebraska, Bentz said the wind is a major factor.
“The sound (wind) makes as it escalates from a murmur to a roar. The way the wind skims across the tall prairie grasses in the early summer or rustles through the dry cornstalks in the fall seems to be distant echoes of waves from prehistoric seaway that once covered the plains. Or, just before sunset, a settling breeze passes over the prairie; it seems to be the earth saying farewell to the day past,” Bentz said.
Donahue said she hears the wind through the trees and tall grasses, the call of meadowlarks, the screech of red tail hawks, and the wail of coyotes at night.
“These sounds connect me to the larger universe—that idea that looking at the stars makes one feel small but in a good way—that we belong to a continuum of life past, present, and future. It causes me to think about the life that traversed this land so many years ago—mammoths, bison, Native Americans, fur traders, early settlers, ranchers. I try to imagine what their everyday life was like, the details, and, yes, the sounds. Maybe those same sounds I am hearing now in the wind and the birds,” Donahue said.
Bentz said her photographs in the show are tangential to screen prints and mix media imagery she has developed.
Donahue’s work is landscape-based, though she said a few pieces may feel a bit abstract. Regarding how landscape inspires her work, Donahue said she is always marveling at landforms and horizons when driving, running, hiking, or biking.
“It’s a wonder I get to work on time because I see something in the sky and the hills and I want to stop to take a photo for future reference. The locations for most of my work are in northwest Nebraska, along the highways I am driving, along the ridges I hike or run. A few are from just over the border in South Dakota. I found I have a particular fascination for trees and roots. They seem to say ‘survival’ to me,” Donahue said.
Donahue also finds the seasons present interesting and beautiful colors, shapes, and lines.
“Winter creates stunning shadows and blues, our grasslands in the fall have as rich and wonderful colors as fall leaves in other places. And the light and color of our skies and clouds create magic any time of the day or year,” Donahue said.
About six years ago, Bentz began to photograph a field near her home.
“I wanted to document the field as a practice of observation; to watch the subtle, or not so subtle changes that occurred day-to-day and season-to-season. Gradually, over time this practice of observing and documenting expanded to include a radius of two miles from my home, then, to include areas like Toadstool Geological Park and the Metcalf Wildlife Management Area, and then, to include the larger Great Plains Region,” Bentz said.
The show came about after Donahue applied to the gallery’s call for artists in 2019, unaware Bentz had also applied. The gallery committee thought it would work well to have a combined show since both are keenly interested in the high plains landscape. Initially, the show was scheduled in 2021, but was postponed due to the pandemic.
“I am a strong believer that humans need the natural world and landscape to survive. I feel the current rise in mental health issues in our world is partly due to a lack of quiet time outside in nature. Author and naturalist, John Muir, had some good thoughts on this. ‘Wilderness is a necessity … there must be places for human beings to satisfy their soul,’” Donahue said.