About the Collection
In 1980, Dr. John and Elizabeth Christlieb donated their collection of art and literature to the Center for Great Plains Studies at the University of Nebraska. Reflecting the couple’s significant interest in the American West, this donation contained almost 400 fine art objects—bronzes, paintings, photographs, and other works on paper—as well as 4,000 literary volumes. The Christlieb Collection served as the foundation for what is today known as the Great Plains Art Museum. Since 1980, many other generous donors have contributed to the museum’s collection of approximately 8,200 objects, with notable named collections including: the Patricia J. and Stanley H. Broder Collection; the Charles W. Guildner “Lives of Tradition” Collection; the Dwight and John Kirsch Collection; the Mark and Carol Moseman Collection of Agrarian Art; and the Elizabeth Rubendall Artist-in-Residence Collection.
The museum continues to grow its collection with an expanded focus on Indigenous artists and other significant Great Plains themes. Interested in supporting the collection? Contact us at gpam@unl.edu to make an artwork donation, or make a financial contribution via our donation page.
Copyright Notice
The Great Plains Art Museum makes no representation that it is the owner of any copyright in the works of art in its collection. It is the user’s responsibility to obtain necessary permissions and pay required fees for the use of copyrighted material. To inquire about permissions or fees for image use please contact the museum at gpam@unl.edu. Users are held fully responsible for any infringement of copyright.
This online collections database has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Democracy Demands Wisdom. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this database, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Additional partners for the Great Plains Art Museum online collection database include the University of Nebraska–Lincoln University Libraries Image and Multimedia Commons.
Banner artwork: Harold D. Holoun (b. 1939, Ord, NE), Strange Victory, 1990, oil on canvas, gift of the Friends of the Center for Great Plains Studies