Gwen Kay Meister (1947 – 2023)

Gwen Meister, Folklorist and Director of Nebraska Folklife, died October 16, 2023.

Gwen Meister had an MA in cultural anthropology and an MBA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her specialty was public folklore. Gwen served as folk arts coordinator for the Nebraska Arts Council from 1991 to1995. Gwen was passionate about ensuring a bright future for the traditions of Nebraska’s unique variety of cultural groups. With help from other Nebraskans who recognized this need and with financial support from the Nebraska Arts Council, Humanities Nebraska and the National Endowment for the Arts, Gwen founded the Nebraska Folklife Network in 2003.

Read the obituary on the Lincoln Journal Star and on Humanities Nebraska. Check back for an updated reflection from AFS colleagues.