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Additional Artworks

From Public Art Omaha

  1. Angel of Hope by Jared Fairbanks, Ortho Fairbanks, Image 1.

    Jared Fairbanks, Ortho Fairbanks

    Angel of Hope

    Bronze

  2. aha-MO by Paul Konchagulian, Image 4.

    Paul Konchagulian

    aha-MO

    powder-coated steel

    72 x 192 x 33 in

  3. Saints Matthew and Mark by Timothy Schmalz, Image 1.

    Timothy Schmalz

    Saints Matthew and Mark

    Bronze

  4. St. John by Timothy Schmalz, Image 1.

    Timothy Schmalz

    St. John

    Bronze

  5. Devolution by Rebecca Hermann, Jim Moser, Image 1.

    Rebecca Hermann, Jim Moser

    Devolution

    Steel & Aluminum

    48 x 192 x 84 in

  6. Glamotto II by Leslie Bruning, Image 1.

    Leslie Bruning

    Glamotto II

    Metal, Stainless Steel, Glass

    126 x 27 x 27 in

  7. Bernini Ribbon by Catherine Ferguson, Image 1.

    Catherine Ferguson

    Bernini Ribbon

    Stainless Steel, Wood, Paint

  8. Folded Square Alphabet F by Fletcher Benton, Image 1.

    Fletcher Benton

    Folded Square Alphabet F

    powder-coated steel

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About the artist

Littleton Alston

Littleton Alston grew up in Washington, D.C. He and his brothers explored nearby neighborhoods and the National Mall on their bicycles, splashing through reflecting pools, eavesdropping on tours in the U.S. Capitol, and subconsciously absorbing the monumental landscape and its public art. Alston was intrigued by sculpture as a young child, and his mother, recognizing his artistic talent, took him to apply to the then-new high school Duke Ellington School of the Arts. Despite long cross-town commutes, Alston thrived and concluded his high school years by winning a senior art prize. He earned a scholarship and attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where he majored in sculpture. Alston completed an M.F.A. at the Maryland Institute College of Arts Rinehart Graduate School of Sculpture and then worked under several experienced sculptors. In 1989, he had a residency at the Bemis Center of Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska. In later years Alston studied in Italy and France, where he further explored the sculpting practices that underpin his work in figurative representation; he also studied anatomy at the Creighton University College of Medicine.

Alston joined the faculty of Creighton University in 1990 and is now a full professor of sculpture. He maintains a private studio in addition to teaching. Alston exhibits work regularly and has completed dozens of public commissions. He was selected from more than 70 applicants to sculpt this statue of Cather. In reflecting on his childhood in Washington and his adulthood based in Nebraska, Alston observed that people in the Midwest, like coastal people, have a way of looking far off. He noted that he started life with a sense of denseness and verticality, but that years in Omaha and the vast spaces around it have shifted his awareness to the horizontal. After more than 40 years living and working in the state, he considers himself a Nebraskan.

Image of artist