Rushville, Nebraska

Mel Ziegler

Date: August 2, 2026
2:00 pm

Location: Modisett Park

Mel Ziegler’s Self-Evident, created in collaboration with the Sandhills Institute, invites participants from across all 50 states and U.S. territories to reflect on the Declaration of Independence on the 250th anniversary of its signing. A range of individuals, including Rushville residents and members of community and civic organizations from across the country, were invited to handwrite one word of the Declaration. Each participant’s first name, assigned word, and the word’s numerical position were then transferred onto a T-shirt, and all 1,332 shirts are installed in order on clotheslines in Rushville’s Modisett Park and the surrounding Sandhills landscape. Through a community reimagining of the foundational document, the work reframes the Declaration as a collective text and will culminate in a gathering featuring a barbecue, pie, and ice cream social, and opportunities for participants and community members to engage with the installation.

Individuals gathered to complete their signing documents in Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
Mockup of t-shirts in Modisett Park.
The main street of Rushville.
Rushville Land Sign created by the Sandhills Institute.
Rushville child signing her word for the Self-Evident project.
Mel Ziegler showcasing his t-shirt.
T-shirt installation during the signing gathering in Rushville.
Two Rushville residents fill out their forms and words.
A collection of completed t-shirts containing the word and name of each of the signers.

Additional Sponsors: Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation. Special thanks to Hinn’s Ace Hardware and the community of Rushville.

About the Artist

Mel Ziegler (b. 1956) is an artist, educator, and curator whose socially engaged practice examines art in public space, the socially constructed dimensions of the natural environment, manual labor, and collaboration between artists and communities. He founded the Sandhills Institute in 2014 and serves as its Founder and Executive Director, establishing a residency and art space in Rushville rooted in civically integrated art and rural cultural life.

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