Medici Event Was a Great Success

calendar icon29 Jan 2014    

MEDICI, a friends group that supports the Department of Art and Art History at University of Nebraska–Lincoln held its annual fund-raiser event on Thursday, Feb. 27 in the Eisentrager-Howard Gallery.

Since its inception 21 years ago, MEDICI has raised more than $200,000 for the department. Donated funds have been used to bring visiting scholars to the campus and to purchase kilns, presses, papermaking equipment, catalogs and other amenities that contribute to the first-rate educational offerings for UNL students.

The artists for this year's event included Professor Emeritus James Eisentrager. Eisentrager's wife, Dorene, graciously donated "Arbee #3" from her private collection for the 2014 fund-raiser. "Arbee #3" was featured as a silent auction piece the night of the event.

Eisentrager was professor of art at UNL for 35 years from 1961-1996. The Eisentragers, along with fellow faculty member Dan Howard and his wife, Barbara, made significant donations to the University of Nebraska Foundation for the department and in 2001 the gallery in Richards Hall was dedicated in their honor. Eisentrager died in 2002.

Other participating artists included Jordan Buschur, Jim Butler, Nancy Childs, Marcia Goldenstein, Joan Hall, Nancy Nordstrom Heiser, Cliff Hollestelle, Gail Kendall, Thomas R. Kreager, Marcia Laging-Cummings, Maureen Mills, Phillip Perry, Martha Pettigrew, Susan Puelz, Tom Riesing, Patrick Rowan, David Stabley, Valery Wachter and Ronald G. Watson.