‘Seen in Otoe County’ exhibit depicts Nebraska’s open spaces, honors its past
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – For 2½ years during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michael Farrell would get in his truck and drive along Highway 2 in Otoe County, ready to take pictures of the landscape that many Nebraskans find nostalgic.
These black-and-white photos were paired with poems written by Nebraska poet Twyla Hansen to create the “Seen in Otoe County” exhibition.
Farrell said each image reminds him of the rich history of Otoe County.
“I’ve done a lot of photography around Nebraska over the years, and I like these old out-of-the-way places that have a residue of the people who originally settled this land,” he said.
He’s talking about the Otoe-Missouria Native American tribe, who lived along the Platte River in southeast Nebraska.
Farrell said the Otoe left this part of Nebraska, foreshadowing the modern-day decrease in rural population.
“You get the sense that even though the people aren’t there anymore, you can see what they put together,” he said. “There’s still some remnant of it.”
Farrell said Hansen’s poems are meant to reflect the shared sentiments of those who have lived on the land.
The exhibit will be open through the rest of March at WallSpace-LNK. Gallery hours can be found on its website.
WallSpace-LNK is a recent addition to south Lincoln, located at 17 and Sumner Streets. Farrell uses the space to show the works of him and others in the community.
