Terence Romaine Duren, one of Nebraska's most noted artists, was born in Shelby, Nebraska in l904. He began to paint at the age of six, after he had been ill with polio.
He was graduated from the Art Institute in Chicago in l929 and later studied in France, Germany, and Austria. From l93l to l94l he was an instructor at the Cleveland Museum of Art, Case Western Reserve University. His paintings vary in style from surrealism to romantic and are found in permanent collections of museums in Cleveland, Springfield, Omaha, Chicago, and Los Angeles. The recipient of many awards in art, he has had exhibitions in Nebraska, California, New York, Washington, D.C. and in Europe.
After returning to Nebraska, he continued to paint, and his paintings of pioneer Nebraska became well-known. His paintings are found in many Nebraska art collections. His works have appeared on covers of the World-Herald Sunday magazine and on covers of Nebraska History, the quarterly magazine of the Nebraska State Historical Society. Duren resided in Shelby, except for his years of study and teaching. He died September 28, l968 at Columbus, Nebraska.