76 Nebraskaland • June 2026
EDUCATION THROUGH ART
M a g a z i n e c ove rs we re n't t h e o n l y p l a c e w h e re
traditional illustrations made a lasting impact. Subsequent
Nebraskaland illustrators also contributed to the plethora
of artwork the magazine and Commission required over
the years to inform and appeal to hunters, anglers and
other outdoor enthusiasts. Because accurate identification
of game, fish and flora species was a priority to the
Commission, illustrators were frequently called upon to
produce art that could show wildlife characteristics in
fine detail.
Jack Curran was — pun intended — a jack-of-all-trades,
producing artwork and photography wherever needed
during his tenure as art director and contributor during
the mid-1960s through mid-1980s. Under Curran, Roger
Meisenbach joined for a short period in 1968-1969 to offer
his perspective on history and the outdoors.
Michele Angle Farrar, whose work began appearing in the
late 1960s, was especially skilled in watercolors of native
plants, illustrating the "Notes on Nebraska's Flora" series.
She became Nebraskaland's art director in the early 1970s.
Appearing on the masthead as illustrator beginning in the
mid-1970s, Duane Westerholt took over as art director after
Angle Farrar's departure in 1981. He was best known for
his detailed line drawings, including comparative anatomy
sketches of young versus older turkeys, waterfowl profiles and
a portrait of the legendary conservation officer Loron Bunney.
Longtime staffer Steve O'Hare bounced between different
mediums, providing photography to the magazine beginning
JACK CURRAN
MICHELE ANGLE FARRAR
ROGER MEISENBACH
DUANE WESTERHOLT
STEVE O'HARE
DUANE WESTERHOLT
