Joslyn Art Museum's 2006 Annual Report

75TH ANNIVERSARY KICK-OFF EVENTS
The opening of the Joslyn Memorial on November 29, 1931, gave Omaha a sensational cultural
building that, 75 years later, remains an exceptional educational and community resource and a
gathering place at the heart of Omaha's cultural life. In November, the Museum began its diamond
jubilee year with the extraordinary events detailed on this page. In 2007, the anniversary
celebration will continue with special programs centered around quarterly themes: Celebrate Our
Collections (January-March); Celebrate Special Exhibitions (April-June); Celebrate Our Building and
Campus (July-September); and Celebrate Community Partnerships (October-December).
Gala Concert - November 11
Over 850 guests attended this anniversary kick-off
celebration that included buffet dining, open house
programs, viewing of the special exhibition Legends of
the West: The Foxley Collection on its opening day, and a
spectacular entertainment
event — a concert by
Grammy® award-winning
producer and songwriter
David Foster and his special
friends, gifted and acclaimed
Senator Ben Nelson and his wife, Joslyn
Board member Diane Nelson, with gala
chairman and Joslyn Board member
Barbara Call (second from right) and
gala honorary chairman and Joslyn
Board member Suzanne Scott (right)
big band singer Michael
Bublé and all-time great soul
singer Gladys Knight. Event
honorary chairmen were
Suzanne and Walter Scott.
Chairman was Barbara Call.
Members Event - November 18
Celebrating Joslyn's 75th anniversary and the exhibition
Legends of the West: The Foxley Collection, this Membersonly
event began with the airing of a video interview
between collector Bill Foxley and Joslyn Director J.
Brooks Joyner. Then, Neil
Harris, Ph.D., Preston and
Sterling Morton Professor in
the Department of History at
the University of Chicago,
presented the lecture
Expansive Influences: American Art Museums as
Community Institutions.
Neil Harris, Ph.D. (above) delivers a slideillustrated
lecture featuring images of Joslyn;
Members view the Legends of the West
exhibition (left)
Michael Bublé (left) chats with guests,
including Warren Buffett (right), before
the anniversary gala concert
Guests enjoy the food and
festivities in the Storz
Fountain Court (right)
Dr. Robert Singer (left) with
David Foster
Susie Severson, Joslyn's Assistant
Curator of Education – Adult and
Special Programs, talks with a gala guest
at an open house display of educational
materials in the Lauritzen Gallery of Art
of the American West
Family Festival - November 25
This family-friendly focus on
Joslyn's building and rich
history of art collecting
included guided tours,
art-making projects, and
complimentary birthday cake.
Museum founder Sarah Joslyn, portrayed by
Sonia Keffer (left), greets visitors in the galleries
Public Concert - November 29
On November 29, Joslyn Art Museum hosted a free
public concert in its 1,000-seat Witherspoon Concert
Hall, just as it did 75 years
earlier to the day, on the
occasion of the Museum's
opening to the public. The
evening featured three
performers: Russian pianist
Stanislav Ioudenitch and two
American opera singers —
mezzo soprano Jennifer
Rivera and coloratura
soprano Alison Trainer.
Alison Trainer (left) and Jennifer
Rivera (right), both of New York
City, perform
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