Cranes & Cather: Migration in Life & Literature

Cranes & Cather: Migration in Life & Literature

6am to 8pm: In-person & virtual
March 19, 2021

Join the Willa Cather Foundation Friday, March 19, 2021, at the National Willa Cather Center as we partner with the Willa Cather Archive and the Great Plains Art Museum for a day of Cranes and Cather! This year, we'll feature a cafeteria-style itinerary, with guests joining from near and far!

Willa Cather knew the beauty of her central Nebraska home and depicted this landscape in six of her novels  and many short stories. Our Cranes & Cather event ties the best of today’s Great Plains writing with the historic and unique landscape of Cather’s written world, and for many, the quintessential Nebraska experience is a trip to the Platte to witness the ancient migration of the Sandhill cranes. This year, our readings will focus on migration and its centrality to our Nebraska lives. Guests may choose virtual or socially distanced in-person experiences, according to their comfort levels, with the Red Cloud Opera House serving as a central way station. Weather permitting, we will travel by caravan to the Platte to experience the cranes live at one of the public viewing areas; the crane blind experience, offered both at dawn and dusk, will be conducted virtually.

We're pleased to feature a poetry reading by Twyla Hansen, former state poet of Nebraska and author of Rock • Tree • Bird, and a short lecture by biologist Larkin Powell, who will discuss his book Great Plains Birds; the readings will be followed by a live Q&A session over Zoom. This year, we're also partnering with the Center for Great Plains Studies and the Great Plains Art Museum, who will offer a virtual gallery experience of Jude Martindale's exhibit, The Great Migration: A Celebration of Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska.

Registrants for this event will receive digital access information by March 18, 2021. Registration must be received by March 15, 2021, for all in-person registrations. All times listed are Central time zone.

EVENT INFORMATION

Your $50 In-Person Registration Includes:

6:00 a.m. Dawn virtual crane viewing & blind tour (remote or in the Red Cloud Opera House)
9:00 a.m. Coffee & rolls to go
12:00 p.m.Boxed lunches to go
3:00 p.m. Readings with Twyla Hansen & Larkin Powell, followed by live Zoom discussion and Q&A
5:00 p.m. Weather permitting, caravan to the Platte for live crane viewing at public bridge
6:00 p.m. Dusk virtual crane viewing & blind tour (remote or in the Red Cloud Opera House)

Throughout the day:

  • Recorded readings by Twyla Hansen and Larkin Powell in the gallery
  • American Bittersweet and National Willa Cather Center shopping
  • Explore the Cather Prairie with a prairie backpack
  • View the regional artwork of the Art Connection in the Red Cloud Opera House gallery
  • Self-guided Cather Country tour map with selected readings
  • Try out our new mobile apps to explore Red Cloud
  • Curator-led virtual gallery experience with the Great Plains Art Museum, featuring Jude Martindale's exhibit The Great Migration: A Celebration of Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska, playing in our auditorium
  • Pick up a special crane-inspired treat from Riverwood Bakery 
  • On the Brix, our local tasting room, will open at 3:00 p.m.
  • At an additional charge, Willa Cather historic site tours are available as scheduled; please see our website to learn more and book in advance!

Your $35 Digital Access Registration Includes:

6:00 a.m. Dawn virtual crane viewing & blind tour 

3:00 p.m. Readings and live Zoom panel discussion and Q&A with Twyla Hansen & Larkin Powell

6:00 p.m. Dusk virtual crane viewing & blind tour

Throughout the day:

  • Recorded readings by Twyla Hansen and Larkin Powell in the gallery
  • View the regional artwork of the Art Connection in the Red Cloud Opera House gallery
  • Try out our new mobile apps to explore Red Cloud
  • Curator-led virtual gallery experience with the Great Plains Art Museum, featuring Jude Martindale's exhibit The Great Migration: A Celebration of Sandhill Cranes in Nebraska

 * All times listed are Central time zone.