Comic Art in a Museum Setting The comic art community, and all those who love and appreciate the popular arts, were given a great gift in the waning days of 2001 with the donation of an impressive and historic collection of comic strip and comic book art to the University of Nebraska Foundation and the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden. The gift came from retired Professor Dan Howard and his gracious wife Barbara, and consists of over one hundred original works of comic art, as well as a significant research library. Nearly seventy pieces from the Dan F. and Barbara J. Howard Collection of American Popular Art were put on exhibition at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery from November 9th, 2001 until February 28, 2002. The event, entitled "Comics, Heroes, and American Visual Culture." provided an all-too-rare examination and appreciation of the place of comic art in American life, and attracted notice from the art community and even the New York Times. A banner featuring Glen Orbik's cover painting from Legends of The DC Universe #1 was hung over the front entrance of the nationally-known art museum, designed by world-renowned architect Philip Johnson, to proclaim the event. It would be the Gallery's last major exibition before temporarily closing for renovation of the building, which originally opened in 1963 and is dedicated to a comprehensive collection of American art. The gallery display was also supplemented with various events to publicize the collection, including an opening reception on November 9th featuring author and art critic David Carrier; a cartooning workshop for school-age children on January 19th hosted by renowned comic book artist Bob Hall; and a two-day symposium on February 1st and 2nd that was expected to bring the legendary Will Eisner to Lincoln along with award-winning creators Chris Ware, Bill Sienkiewicz and other prominent guests. Two large rooms of the Gallery's second-floor exhibition space were given over to the collection. One room was devoted to comic strip art, and the other to fantasy and comic book art. The Comic Strip Art Exhibit The Comic Book Art Exhibit The Gallery Opening, Children's Workshop and two-day Comic Art Symposium! Press releases and newspaper coverage of the collection, the events and the participants!

Thanks are extended to Prof. Dan J. and Barbara F. Howard; Curator Daniel Siedell, Director Janice Driesbach and the staff of the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and Sculpture Garden; and Ray Cuthbert.
The material on these pages was prepared by Scott Stewart, who is solely responsible for its content.

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