“The Soft Cruelty of Time” by Bart Vargas to be Featured at GIPL

Grand Island, Neb. — The Grand Island Public Library is pleased to announce the upcoming arrival “The Soft Cruelty of Time,” a collage art exhibition by Omaha-based visual artist Bart Vargas. The exhibition will be on display from Monday, February 9 through Friday, March 6, 2026.

“The Soft Cruelty of Time” features a collection of collage works that transform preexisting imagery from magazines, posters and used books into layered visual narratives. Drawing from materials spanning the past five decades, Vargas’ work reflects on cultural memory, identity and the evolving visual language of the early 21st century.

“Collage is simply making new images from preexisting images,” Vargas said. “The amalgamations are as old as ancient petroglyphs and cave paintings.”

His work explores themes of value, experience and identity at individual, national and global levels, using found materials gathered from both local communities and international travel. Vargas is a visual artist, educator and arts advocate from Bellevue and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities.

His work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally and is included in collections around the world. Vargas is based in Omaha and currently serves as Professor and Chair of the Visual Arts and Graphic Arts program at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs. He is also actively involved in the regional arts community. The exhibition is free and open to the public during regular library hours.

Anyone who lives in or owns property within Hall County may apply for a library card at no cost. Patrons can also access their library accounts, search the catalog and explore digital collections at www.gilibrary.org.

For more information, please contact Reference & Collections Services Librarian Shaun Klee at [email protected] or by calling (308) 385-5333.