In 1976, the Nebraska Art Collection Board of Directors began with fewer than 30 pieces of art and a dream to create a collection and a showplace with which to celebrate Nebraska’s unique artistic heritage. Statewide support of this endeavor was acknowledged in 1979 when the Nebraska Legislature passed LB116, recognizing the fledgling collection as the official collection of the state. A national endorsement came later that year when the National Endowment for the Arts provided funds to broaden the collection to include the work of contemporary artists. A locally initiated effort to provide a home for the collection culminated in 1986, in the purchase and renovation of the building that had served as the Kearney Post Office since 1911. The Museum of Nebraska Art (MONA) was dedicated and opened to the public in October, 1986. In 1993, after successfully fulfilling the terms of a $1 million challenge grant from the Peter Kiewit Foundation, the renovated and enlarged Museum building was opened.

Cranes: Taking Flight
February 16 – May 1, 2016

Every year the natural phenomenon of the Sandhill Crane migration takes place in Central Nebraska. It is also the time when the Museum of Nebraska Art showcases works featuring these impressive birds. Spanning over 150 years from John J. Audubon’s engravings to Michael Forsberg’s photography, artists have used different media to record the crane.

Ways To Give

Membership – With a yearly gift of as little as $20, you can become a MONA Member. MONA Members provide vital support to our mission to tell the story of Nebraska through the art of Nebraska. Take advantage of everything that MONA has to offer and help keep MONA admission free for everyone. Become a MONA member today.

MONA’s Annual Fund – Many current MONA Members choose to make additional donations to MONA’s Annual Fund. The Annual Fund gift that you make at this time will help MONA maintain our exhibition schedule and educational programs in the coming year and help us continue to build a museum of national significance that enriches the lives of Nebraskans and Nebraska visitors for generations to come. Find more information CLICK HERE.