Growing up in Alliance, Kyren figured she’d have to leave her hometown to build her dream career in the arts.
When Kyren met Nebraska Professor of Art Sandra Williams, she realized she had it all wrong.
Today, as executive director of the Carnegie Arts Center in Alliance, Kyren’s not leaving her hometown to seek the arts — she’s bringing the arts back to her community.
During my undergrad, Professor Sandra Williams really took me under her wing. She taught me that you can reinvest and utilize art to build community, and you can do that right here in small town Nebraska — you don’t have to go other places.
Over 15 years later, Kyren is holding this lesson closer than ever.
Under Kyren’s leadership, the 115-year-old community art space has expanded into schools, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and community programs for adults with developmental disabilities. More than 20 partner organizations now host programming that brings art directly into the daily lives of the people of Alliance.
“If people can’t come to us, we go to them. We want to make sure this is a space for everyone.”
That philosophy has extended into larger projects, including public mural projects across Box Butte County and the development of a creative district aimed at reshaping how Alliance sees itself — and how outsiders experience it.
In 2025, she helped organize the Carhenge Mural Festival, drawing nationally renowned artists and students to one of Nebraska’s most recognizable roadside landmarks. The teams developed and created large-scale public artworks at Carhenge and in the community, each meant to draw tourism and strengthen local identity.
The work, she says, isn’t just about art — it's about inspiring kids like her (and adults, too) to see the boundless opportunities for creating more beauty right outside their doors.
“The arts offer more than beauty,” Kyren states. “They offer possibility.”
