MONA

Dave Stewart
Dreams & Rhymes & Magical Times (1993)

Whimsical assemblages are the hallmark of artist Dave Stewart at the Museum of Nebraska Art. His assemblage art is full of memories...a dose of humor and often social commentary. Stewart never intended to embrace art. But his job as a custodian at Hastings College Art Department included collecting trash. And one day, he chanced upon an intriguing class assignment, find objects and make a sculpture. It sounded fun, and found items were abundant in his daily trash collections. Soon, Stewart, a lifelong collector of oddities, was gathering castoffs to construct imaginative miniature worlds encased in wooden boxes. What began as a whim became serious art with a message...and Stewart's creations are art treasures of Nebraska at the Museum of Nebraska Art.