Whether it’s an opera, community theatre, concert or movie showing, the historic theatre in downtown Ord has served as a gathering space for the regional area since it was built in 1930.
The Golden Husk’s name is derived from the beautiful paneled walls made of cornhusks which provide excellent acoustical qualities. The space between those walls come alive when talent from across the globe share their arts and passions with other artists, community members and visitors.
Over the past five years The Golden Husk, which is owned and operated by Valley Performing Arts Theatre, Inc. (VPAT), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, has hosted live concerts, theatre productions, operas, movies and original films, artistic workshops, entrepreneurial and educational events, banquets, wedding receptions, and more. The VPAT Board of Directors holds a vision of The Golden Husk as a hub for engaging creative resources, empowering community connection and enriching quality of life.
Dahn Hagge, Artistic Director of The Golden Husk shares, “The Husk is a creative space where people of all ages are welcome to share their talents and passions, knowledge and skills, heritage and culture, dreams and ideas, and love for the arts and community to nurture the vitality of our creative culture.”
These sharings have presented themselves as the Nebraska Grown Art Festival, the Husk Community Theatre productions of A Christmas Carol and Christmas Cantata, the Valley County Success Story Forum, Missoula Children’s Theatre Musical productions, concerts by local talents and famous bands like the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Bar J Wranglers, artistic workshops led by The Main Street Gallery and the Artissimos Club, storytelling with Nashville songwriters, and much more. The Golden Husk is always evolving and seeking new ways to expand their season of events offerings and enhance the quality of life in rural Nebraska.
“We take pride in showcasing local talent, as well as talent from around the state, country and globe!” They welcome the opportunity to partner with individuals, families, businesses and organizations to host quality arts and cultural experiences and to offer rental space for diverse events. They also welcome volunteers to share their talents and help with hosting events.
When asked about the importance of supporting the local community, it was expressed that “We are blessed to live in a vibrant rural community and the more we work together the stronger we become! Everyone’s intentional contributions to the community through business ownership, professional services, shopping locally, serving in civic leadership roles and nonprofit work and volunteerism ensures our vitality and enhances our wonderful quality of life.”
During their closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic, VPAT got creative and pivoted from their live, in-person offerings and designed a unique virtual series of performances showcasing artists from across the state through the Ghost Light Performance Series. These performances were shared on a weekly basis on their website and Facebook page.
For their first official event since their COVID-19 closure, The Golden Husk will be hosting a Patriotic Concert on the Valley County Courthouse lawn on July 3, 2020 at 6:30 pm. The Golden Husk will also be hosting the annual Missoula Children’s Theatre residency during the week of August 3-8, 2020, featuring the musical production of Johnny Appleseed. Youth entering 1st grade through 12 grades are invited to participate in this special arts experience. Their 2020-2021 Season of Events will be announced in August.
You can also sign up for their monthly newsletter on their website to stay updated on happenings at The Golden Husk.
