A magnificent structure

by Patty Beutler

Driving toward Lincoln from the west on I-80, a tiny but recognizable image in the distance rises above the Plains. Even from miles away, the State Capitol makes its presence known. After all, it is the people’s house for those who call Nebraska home, and it looms large over the landscape the nearer one gets. Plus, the sight of the
building from afar reminds Lincoln travelers that they are almost home.

The Capitol dominates the cityscape, measuring 400 feet in height, including the gold ceramic tile dome topped with a 191/2-foot bronze Sower on a 121/2-foot pedestal. It is the tallest building in town, on a 15-acre plot, fronted by Centennial Mall to its north. 

The Sower, erected in 1930, is the work of sculptor Lee Lawrie, who also did the statue of Atlas holding a heavenly sphere at Rockefeller Center in New York City, representing the timeless symbol of agriculture, a shoeless man dressed in work clothes spreading seeds. The sculpture is 3/8-inch thick and weighs nearly 91/2 tons.

The Capitol is a magnificent structure that many residents take for granted as they drive past on their way to work. But people worldwide admire the building’s beauty and venture inside to learn more. The building is open every day except Thanksgiving, the Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas and New Year’s Day. Free public tours are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and holidays, and 1-5 p.m. on Sunday. No ticket or sign-up is necessary; show up on the second floor of the north entrance. The number for the tour office is (402) 471-0448. The public is welcome.

Construction of the Capitol began in 1922 and was completed ten years later for $10 million, which is $200 million in today’s dollars. To replicate it today would cost more than $1 billion, according to a tour guide.

The building is Nebraska’s fifth Capitol; the first two were in Omaha, then two were built in Lincoln, where the state’s capital was moved from Omaha in 1867. The current Capitol was constructed in the same spot around the former Capitol.

Four primary players make up the design team: Bertran Grosvenor Goodhue, architect; Lewis Lawrie, sculptor; Hildreth Meiere, mosaicist; and Hartley Burr Alexander, thematic consultant. Of the four, only Alexander is a Nebraskan, whose bust sits in the Capitol’s Hall of Fame with 25 others. Originally from Omaha, Malcolm X joined the honorary group of statues in 2024.

And yet the building tells the story of Nebraska from its Great Plains agricultural roots and homesteaders to its Native heritage to the construction of railroads to modern times, a giant 3-dimensional history book. Even the schoolchildren’s blizzard of 1888 is depicted in a panel above in the Great Hall.

All the state’s lore is displayed within the context of world democracies from Hammurabi and Julius Caesar sculpted on the exterior of the building and inscriptions from Aristotle and Plato, among others, carved into the Indiana limestone. 

There are also exterior inscriptions representing Native lore from the Pawnee, Navaho, and Sioux. Nebraska themes are everywhere in decorative carvings and ornamentation representing bison, wheat, and corn, referred to as a “veritable cornucopia of corn” by a tour guide. Look for the cobs everywhere, from ceiling panels to chandeliers. And, of course, carvings of all 93 Nebraska counties ring the building’s exterior in no particular order beyond how the script fits.

Over the main entrance reads a timeless truism from Hartley Burr Alexander: “The salvation of the state is watchfulness in the citizen.”

It is often thought of as an art deco building, but it is only influenced by that style, Bob Ripley, retired administrator of the Capitol for more than four decades, told a Lincoln gathering. Instead, it is a singular building of various styles and periods all blended into one. You’ll see bits of Gothic revival and neo-Byzantine flair as well.

The Capitol is also the first, but not the only, state Capitol to feature a tower. Today, the building is the second tallest state Capitol, outranked only by Louisiana, which boasts a tower and total building height 50 feet taller.

Be sure to notice the 25-foot-tall columns of Italian marble on the second floor that weigh 30,000 pounds each.

And you won’t be able to miss Hildreth Meiere’s magnificent mosaics underfoot in the Great Hall and Rotunda. One, called the Genius of Creative Energy, is the background of the new Nebraska license plates. The mosaics feature old classical nudes surrounded by new-world symbols of tens of thousands of marble tiles. Just the belly button of one takes eight tiles, according to a tour guide.

The chandelier hanging above was refurbished with 48 LED lights, a modern touch. But to change a bulb requires lowering the suspended fixture, a task that takes 3,000 cranks! Also, the sun at the bottom of the chandelier is the model for the 2023 state Christmas ornament.

The Capitol is more than a pretty building; people conduct the state’s business there in executive, judiciary, and legislative branches. It houses Nebraska’s Unicameral, where 49 legislators pass the state’s laws, collection represents more than 60 countries with some pieces dating as far back as the 1700s. 

The IQM was initially established with a remarkable donation of more than 1,000 quilts from the private collection of Ardis and Robert James. Both born and raised in the Cornhusker State, the Jameses spent years traveling and collecting a broad selection of antique and studio art quilts from the world over, and ultimately opted to leave the collection to UNL after exploring several other organizations around the United States. 

“To Nebraskans, quilts are precious,” Ardis said in a 2005 interview, showing part of her reasoning behind why UNL was chosen to steward the prized collection.              

With so many objects, cultures and styles represented, you’ll never see the same exhibition twice. Though many of the exhibitions are sourced from the museum’s in-house collection, many highlight works held in private collections that travel from gallery to gallery. The exhibition department at the IQM is hard at work constantly developing, designing and installing new exhibits scheduled years in advance. 

Whether a layman or a quilt aficionado, everyone can find an interest and affinity for quilts at the IQM. 

Located at 1523 N. 33rd Street in Lincoln, the IQM is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit internationalquiltmuseum.org for more information.