Ten American artists were commissioned in 1975 to produce sculptures as rest stops along the Nebraska stretch of Interstate-80 in celebration of the American Bicentennial. The ten commissioned sculptures were selected through a national juried competition that drew 121 initial entries at a cost of $500,000. Despite initial controversy centering chiefly on the abstract, non-representational nature of the sculpture designs, and the fact that none of the artists were Nebraskans, eventual acceptance in the various communities involved suggests a number of things about the elements of a "hidden curriculum" in these small Midwestern towns. Part of a three-year study of the role of the arts in smaller towns, the Nebraska project is described in seven sections. The first, "History of Nebraska I-80 Bicentennial Project," precedes background information on the study and a description of the project's logistics. Information on the sculpture titles, locations, and artists' homes is followed by short summaries of conversations with local residents--art instructors, chamber of commerce members, shop owners, gallary directors and others--recorded in notes and/or audiotapes in seven communities. Observations of the hidden arts curriculum and principles upon which a conceptual framework of the public arts curricula can be constructed are examined in the next section. Conclusions in the final section suggest reasons for the project's success and elements of a "hidden arts curriculum" in small Midwestern towns. (LH)