McCOOK – In a 100-year-old building in downtown McCook, push the round number six and an elevator ride takes you up, up, up to the highest floor in this railroad town’s tallest building.

The elevator lurches stopped. The doors slide open.

And here it is – an open concrete floor covered in hundreds of glittering metal sculptures, carved wooden figures, “outsider art” paintings by artists who have shown work in New York, Washington D.C., London.

The space is an explosion of color and texture. It’s a global contemporary art tour. It’s a four-hour drive from the closest major ci...