"Up/Over" by Linda Howard, 1974
Ogallala Rest Area Westbound - I-80 Nebraska
Part of the I-80 Bicentennial Sculpture Project and the 500 Mile Sculpture Garden collection.
Splat captured by Edgeworks, the production team at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Johnny Carson Center for Emerging Media Arts.
In the 1970s, Nebraska did something bold: it turned Interstate 80 into a 500-mile outdoor sculpture garden.
Created for the United States Bicentennial, the project brought contemporary sculpture out from behind museum walls and placed it directly in the path of travelers crossing the state. More than 100 artists competed for a place along the interstate, but only eight were chosen.
Dedicated on July 4, 1976, the sculptures were meant to spark curiosity, reflection, and conversation about the nation’s past and future. Decades later, they still do.