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Karen Blessen Journals

UNL Alumni Award Journal

Open scrapbook featuring a 1972 black and white photo of a woman in an art studio and a 2018 colored photo of a woman in a living room.

1972, in my painting and drawing studio, 2 floor of the Woods Art Building and just outside Professor Jim Eisenstadt’s office. — Photo is either by Debby Knorr or Andy Shields.

April 2018, at the store (705 'Y' St.) in Lincoln. — Photo by Jody Shields.

Open book with red and white text list on left page and group photo on right page.

SANDRA JOHNSON
KIRBY LITTLE
GRETCHEN DYKSTRA
NATHANIEL LUGINBILL
DEBBY KNOTTS
JANE JOHNSON
JIHAN NAJJAR
CANDY DICKENSON BECHER
KAREN BLESSEN
PHOEBE LITTLE
KELLY NASH
JODY SHIELDS
SHELLEY THORNTON

— Photo by David Dale.

An open book with a polka dot pattern on the left and the word "FRIENDS" in red on a striped background on the right.

Friends

 

Open scrapbook showing a collage about a gun violence project and a classroom photo.

Prior to Alumni Achievement Award Weekend, I presented the Piece of Peace to hundreds... peaceful lives.

FOR TODAY: A PROJECT ON GUN VIOLENCE

Use the power of IF. If You Were a Great Peacemaker, what message would you have about gun violence today? You will make art that 'makes something out of nothing.

 

A scrapbook open to two pages featuring event photos and accompanying text.

Valerie Wachter nominated me for an Alumni Achievement Award in 2018." "The celebration of the awards weekend took place at the University of Nebraska Lincoln in April of 2018.

HONORS DAY

Left to right: Mathew Miller (Theatre and Film), A. Kevin Kaisershot (Music), Karen Beeken (Art, Art History & Design), Liana K. Sandin (Award of Merit), Dean Charles O'Connor

Open scrapbook with text on the left page and a group photo on the right.

I invited friends to join Kelly and I for the weekend.

Jody Shields and Gretchen Dykstra came from New York City.

Debby Knotts flew in from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Sandra Johnson, Shelley Thornton, & Jane Johnson live in Lincoln.

Candy Dickenson Becher drove in from Columbus.

Shelley’s children and their significant others at that time were with us: Phoebe Little and Nate Luginbill and Kirby Little and Jihan Najar.

Due to the highly unlikely chance that we’d ever gather again in this group, I hired photographer David Dale to document us.

Left to right: Jane Johnson, Sandra Johnson, Jody Shields, Karen Blessen, Candy Becher, Gretchen Dykstra, Debby Knotts, Kelly Nash, Shelley Thornton.