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Anoiience or not, street musicians play on
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Dy Scott Schiefelbcin
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owtown Lincoln streetcorners offer musi
cians a chance to showcase their talent and
pick up some extra cash.
According to the County Clerk's office, as long a3
the musician does not interfere with the flow of
pedestrian traffic or ask for money, street perfor
mances are legal. Although petitioning for money is
not allowed, the musicians do accept donations.
On most days, people walking by can see and hear
several performers plying their trades on various
corners throughout downtown Lincoln.
During lunch hour, many people stop and listen to
the music and sometimes toss a coin into the open
instrument cases the musicians set near them. The
listeners don't usually stay long, but with or without
an audience, the musicians play their songs.
Jerry Rau said he has been playing his guitar and
singing in Lincoln on and off for two years. He trav
els across the country playing at bars and coffee
houses wherever Rau finds himself, he plays street
corners to pick up some money and keep his skills
sharp. He said a musician should play music and not
be tied to a job with a time clock to support himself.
He figures that he earns near the minimum wage
playing his songs and he's happier playing music for
a low wage than working at a job he wouldn't like.
"If you're doing something positive, that you enjoy,
then it can't be bad," he said.
Rau has released three albums on a cooperative
record label based in Minnesota.
Wanda, a fiddler, said she also has performed
downtown Lincoln for about two years. She said her
main reason for playing corners is money. On most
days, she said, she makes enough to pay for lunch,
but occasionally she earns enough extra for an even
ing at a bar.
Downtown Lincoln offers a chance to enjoy and
help support local musical talent. These musicians
play their songs to an audience that flows with traf
fic, but the music continues even after the light,
turns green and the listeners move on to their
destinations.
:ie!cf oil's exhibits "helD cool summer
hesit
Ey Greg Gregsrson
If you enjoy art and want to learn
more about it or just want to get in out
of the heat and humidity, this is the
time to step into the Sheldon Memorial
Art Gallery and see what's new for
summer.
For those with an eye for landscape
photography there is a showing of
Nebraska landscapes by Grand Island
painterphotographer Hal Holoun in
the art shop.
Holoun, the former exhibition direc
tor of the Stuhr Museum in Grand
Island, has had numerous exhibits
throughout the Midwest, including the
Sheldon in 1981.
Koloun's work reflects his fascina
tion for the special character of Neb
raska terrain." He emphasizes his im
mediate response to the outdoors in
his work, and the important feeling he
has for being "a part of the flow of
things."
For those interested in contempor
ary three-dimensional art the art shop
also has a showing by sculptor Dan
Paragine of Unadilla. The Sheldon ex
hibit consists of five works two in
bronze, two in alabaster and one in
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Jean Mitchell's "Plowed Field,' cue of t& works in the Blaffer Collection of
American Abstract Expressionism. '
painted plywood. The artist also used
steel and painted steel to create his
impressions. Besides the Sheldon show
ing, people can see Paragine's work on
a larger scale at several Lincoln and
Omaha locations.
The largest of the three summer
exhibits at the Sheldon is the Sara
Blaffer Foundation collection of Amer
ican abstract expressionism. For peo
ple unfamiliar with abstract expres
sionism, this is one of the best times to
find out about it first hand. -
Donald Doe, assistant director of
:he Sheldon said of Blaffer's work, "The
collection is one of the best finest pri
vate collections of this art form in the
country."
The 28 works by different artists of
which 24 ire currently at the Sheldon,
were assembled in 1975 by Blaffer
heiress to the Texaco Oil fortune.
Abstract expressionism is art in
which artists attempt to convey their
attitudes and emotions through non
representational means..
Most of the paintings are large-scale,
using a wide range'of colors. The styles
vary a great deal as well, while main
taining the abstract, non-realistic feel
ing. .
Nebraska art scene in full
. Artyfacts ... '.
TJte spring semester may have ended4
'but Nebraska's art scene is in full
bloom. Some of the highlights: .
Omaha's Joslyn Art Museum has
opened its 18th biennial show. UNL art
and graphics professor Keith Jacob-
Billy
Shaffer
shagen was selected as grand prize
winner by judges and Sheldon Memor
ial Art Gallery Director George Neu
bert. The show runs through June 24.
Lincoln's newest showspace, the
Eleventh Street Gallery, currenty is
displaying "Three on the Figure." The
show features the watercolors of Jim
Jacob! and Brad Krieger and the pho
tos of Carol Dobrovolny.
This new artist-operated place is a
wonderful idea for Lincoln art and
artists and its sorely needed if the
Capitol City is to develop its cultural
scope. It is at 11th and M streets and
deserves your patronage. Congrats to
all involved at the new place and good
luck.
There's a wonderful series run
ning on public television at 10 p.m. on
Tuesdays. "Strokes of Genius" chroni
cles the lives of six abstract Expres
sionists. .
Friday, May 25. 1934
The first three shows have biographed
Jackson Pollock, Arshile Gorky and
Franz Kline and Willem De Kooning.
The shows are introduced by Dustin
Hoffman (who adds a nice self
depredating plebian air to the produc
tion) and consist of interviews with
fellow artists and spoken excerpts from
the featured artist's memoirs. Much
insight is given into the baffling pro
cess known as the "creative process."
The show is both inspiring and sadly
touching as the viewer faces the life of
an artist like Pollock in utter poverty
through fame and success, ending with
discouragement and self-destruction.
Luckily the series never stoops into
cheap romanticism and steers clear of
any editorial comments. Suggestion: if
you don't have a color TV, go to a
friend's house.
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Speaking of abstract expresionists,
or "A-E" in art circles, the Sheldon cur
rently is showing the Sarah Blaffer col
lection,. Its high-quality work overall is
in keeping with the Sheldon tradition.
The gallery is the real jewel around
these parts and is probably the best
way I can think of to spend a hot
Nebraskan summer afternoon. It's
relaxing, it's free and it's running
through July 29.
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