Robert Henri Museum and Art Gallery, (Courtesy)
COZAD — The Robert Henri Museum and Art Gallery, in Cozad is pleased to announce that it is about to embark on a chapter in its long and storied history.
It has just completed building a new three and a half million-dollar gallery that will increase its exhibition space by five times. The completion of the project will make it a national center for preserving and promoting the art and legacy of Robert Henri, who spent part of his boyhood in Cozad.
The new gallery will allow the museum to geometrically expand its collection from the current seventeen paintings to more than thirty paintings on display. This building will have state of the art climate control, fire protection, and security systems along with educational and exhibition space, an outdoor patio area, gift shop, office and a serving kitchen.
The project was paid for by grants, contributions and a very generous donation and matching commitment from patrons Larry and Tammy Paulsen of two million dollars. Larry and Tammy have also made the display of much of the artwork and exhibitions in our gallery possible through donations and loans. Larry’s mother, Shirley Paulsen, was one of the founders of our museum in the early 1980s.
The Robert Henri Museum and Art Gallery is a national treasure that is the result of the work of many volunteers, board members and professional staff who have toiled for more than forty years. The effort to preserve Robert Henri’s legacy in Cozad started with a small group of people who saw the opportunity to bring recognition to the town that was once home to the acclaimed artist and native son, Robert Henri (then Robert Henry Cozad). This group bought and restored the former Hendee Hotel, Henri’s boyhood home.
With local support and generous donations from Cozad and Henri family members, and donors from across the United States, the Robert Henri Museum and Art Gallery’s collection continues to grow.
The first Henri painting donated to the museum in 1988 was Portrait of Queen Mariana. Since then, numerous donations and loans of Henri works have been made. The museum has been making steady progress for almost forty years as it first preserved Henri’s boyhood home in the 1980s, and then constructed a nine-hundred square foot gallery to house its growing collection of his art in 2014.
In 2014, a climate-controlled art gallery was built to display the growing collection. Our former gallery will be converted into a new library and archives building as it is climate controlled and has a sophisticated security system.
To celebrate the opening of its new art gallery, the museum will begin its regular hours on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. Today, the gallery houses the largest display of Robert Henri works, or those attributed to him, in the United States. A new exhibition, Painter, Teacher and Pioneer: A Journey Through the Life of Robert Henri will explore Henri’s career as he traveled around the world as well as paintings from those places.
The museum will also look at the history of the American Legion building and the construction of the unique gallery building that reflects a classical design. A more formal ribbon cutting and grand opening will take place later in the summer and will be announced when a date is chosen. Donations can made by going to the museum’s website or mailing them to the museum directly and are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Our museum will continue to host visitors with its exhibits which will reveal the fascinating history of the Cozad family, the architectural history of the building, and Robert’s artistic beginnings here in Nebraska.
The museum and art gallery will also be hosting the statewide artist’s group, Impact Nebraska Artists from June 10 to August 30, 2025 in its Archives and Library building. They will be exhibiting their Tribute to Robert Henri Exhibition on this, his one hundred and sixtieth birthday. A reception to celebrate the work will take place on June 21, 2025, from 1:00-3:00 to celebrate Robert’s birthday.
The museum is located at 218 East 8th Street in Cozad and the new gallery is located at 207 East 9th Street. The complex will be open in the future from March 1 to December 15, on Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information about the museum call 308-784-4154 or visit the museum’s web page at www.roberthenrimuseum.org.
