By Allison Peck
Listen to the full interview on our Kubota Podcast
The Prairie Arts Center in North Platte is gearing up for a busy stretch of community events, fundraisers and new classes aimed at bringing people together through art.
Executive Director Holly Carlini joined Allison Peck to highlight several upcoming opportunities, including a fundraiser this weekend to support those impacted by a recent fire.
Carlini said the fundraiser was organized alongside Keith and Holly Howe of Photographic Images after putting out a call for donated artwork from artists both locally and beyond.
“They decided to put together a fundraiser to help those affected by the fire,” Carlini said. “They put out a call to artists all over, not just here locally, for pieces to donate.”
The event will feature a wide variety of items, including wood carvings and other handmade pieces available through a silent auction. Attendees can also purchase lunch during the event, with proceeds going directly to fire victims.
“All of those funds will go directly to those affected by the fire,” Carlini said.
In addition to the fundraiser, the Prairie Arts Center is preparing for a family-friendly event with the return of its Royal Party.
“It’s a prince and princess party,” Carlini said. “We love doing kids events. We love kind of being over the top.”
The event is designed for both boys and girls and will include crafts, face painting, food, drinks and photo opportunities. Miss High Plains Teen will also be in attendance for photos.
“We’ll have all sorts of crafts, like swords and wands and crowns and drinks and all sorts of food, hair tinsel, face painting, all the fun things,” Carlini said.
The event will operate as an open-house format, allowing families to attend at their convenience.
“They can pop in and out. They don’t have to be there necessarily at open time. It’s kind of an open house thing,” she said.
Carlini also highlighted a wide range of new classes now available at the center, reflecting growing interest in hands-on creative activities.
“People are always searching out new creative classes that they can partake in,” she said. “It’s kind of a hot thing right now… to kind of just take a step back and slow down.”
New offerings include oil painting, colored pencil, barn quilt workshops, pottery, mosaics and textile-based projects. Some unique classes include a clay charcuterie board workshop and an upcycled flannel project.
Open ceramics sessions have also expanded and are now available three days a week, offering flexible opportunities for both adults and children to create.
“If you have a kid that is too young to go to art classes, you can always come into the open studio ceramics,” Carlini said. “We have little tiny $5 pieces that parents will buy for them and let them just kind of paint away.”
The Prairie Arts Center continues to feature local artwork in its gallery spaces, including current exhibits from Mid-Plains Community College students and ongoing themed displays.
“There’s beautiful, beautiful pieces,” Carlini said.
Carlini added that popular events like Downtown Tours and Brews have already sold out, highlighting strong community interest.
“While this one is sold out, I’m sure we’ll have another one in the future,” she said.
More information on events, tickets and classes can be found on the Prairie Arts Center website.