Students travel by foot and wagon across Central Nebraska

Tools

by Dara Newson

Story Created: Jan 20, 2013 at 10:38 PM CDT

Story Updated: Jan 20, 2013 at 11:20 PM CDT

A group of thirteen Hastings College students and their Professor embarked on an unusual journey Sunday morning.

They call themselves the "Prairie Art Pioneers", by foot and wagon they walked the distance from Hastings to Kearney to rediscover the Central Nebraskan landscape.

News 5's Dara Newson has the story.

On foot, pulling their own supplies and jams, "The Prairie Art Pioneers" walk 50 miles along county roads.

"Our overarching goal is just to use your own creativity and imagination to create an exciting experience for yourself," said Steve Snell.

Snell is the instructor for Adventure Art at Hastings College.
This is Snell's class of thirteen students enrolled in the course.

"Most times people come to Nebraska and they're just like okay it's flat, there are cows," said student Kara Geweke. "But for me it's just like experiencing more than that, it's doing the unordinary and challenging myself."

As they walk the distance between Hastings and Kearney they collect photographs of their findings along the trail.

"We're going to an exhibition of the 19th Century to explore art mostly Europeans that came through during the settlement of the plains of the West doing oil paintings and journal," Snell said. "We're kind of doing a 21st century version of that."

They will take their findings and reflections to the Museum of Nebraska Art and create dialogue about their own experiences and those pioneers and artist explorers from the past.

"Our hope is by slowing down the trip and taking this alternate, more scenic route that we kind of rediscover the beauty of Nebraska," said student Ben Dumas.

The Prairie Art Wagon Train is expected to arrive at the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney Tuesday afternoon on January 22nd.

On Demand

This content requires the latest Adobe Flash Player and a browser with JavaScript enabled. Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Local Gas Prices

Lowest Gas Prices in Tri-Cities
Nebraska Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

KHASTV on Facebook

Weather Closings