Rhea Landholm, brand marketing and communications manager, rheal@cfra.org or 402.687.2100 ext. 1025
Lyons, Nebraska - Two Northeast Nebraska communities in Burt County will unveil separate public artworks on Sunday, Nov. 1 and Monday, Nov. 2. The projects, part of the Byway of Art project, are a collaborative effort by the Center for Rural Affairs, artist Matthew Mazzotta, and the communities of Decatur and Lyons and made possible by ArtPlace America.
On Sunday, Nov. 1 in Decatur, NE “Rural Legends” a new public artwork in the form of a trolley and station for telling the legends of small town Decatur will open at 3:00 pm Downtown on Broadway.
The idea for “Rural Legends” came from an historical promotional postcard with a trolley pasted into a photo of downtown Decatur. It came about as a means of encouraging tourism to the town.
On Monday, Nov. 2 in Lyons, NE the Grand Opening of the Lyons Storefront Theater will take place from 6:30 - 8 p.m. at 214 Main. What looks like an ordinary storefront facade, actually opens up and folds down over the sidewalk onto Main Street. Cushioned bleacher seats pull out from inside the structure for people to sit and watch a performance or a movie on the other side of the street, making Main Street into an outdoor Storefront Theater.
Internationally recognized songwriter Josephine Foster will give a special performance at the grand opening. Local filmmaker Bill Hedges will debut his film "Decades," a documentary film about the history of Lyons since the 1860s. The film will feature re-enactments of different events and time periods and was shot in Lyons earlier this summer.
Who:
The Communities of Decatur and Lyons, the Center for Rural Affairs, ArtPlace, Decatur Museum and artist Matthew Mazzotta
What:
Unveiling of Public Artworks part of the Byway of Art Project
When:
Sunday, Nov. 1 at 3pm, Downtown Broadway, Decatur, NE
Monday, Nov. 2 at 6:30pm, 214 Main Street, Lyons, NE
Rural Legends and the Storytelling Theater are part of the Byway of Art project, a network of four community-specific artworks in northeastern Nebraska. The regional project is a collaborative effort between the communities of Decatur, Lyons, Macy and Oakland; artist Matthew Mazzotta and the Center for Rural Affairs, and is made possible with funding from ArtPlace America.
