You don’t have to be a longtime resident of Omaha to see that there’s plenty of creativity around the city. Whether you’re interested in contemporary art, historical museums, or public art installations — there’s a little something for everybody around town. Omaha is home to a respectable selection of galleries and performing art theaters, as well as creative districts where residents can enjoy easy access to striking architecture, walkable art tours, and more.
Omaha Performing Arts
1200 Douglas Street
Omaha Performing Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing culture to the city in the form of Broadway-style shows, live music concerts, comedy, and more. With three venues, the community can engage with a range of productions at Holland Performing Arts Center, Orpheum Theatre, and Steelhouse Omaha. Recent and upcoming events include Disney’s The Lion King musical, Grammy award winner Peter Frampton’s Never Ever Say Never tour, and Marcos Eduardo’s Latino Music Explosion featuring some of South Omaha’s finest musicians — Marcos Eduardo, Victor Cebrero, Alexis Arai, and more! Anybody interested in helping to support the arts and supporting Omaha Performing Arts as they provide high-quality entertainment, arts education, and community engagement initiatives is invited to become a donor or simply a loyal supporter!
Bemis Center for Contemporary Art
724 South 12th Street
Bemis Center for Contemporary Art is located in Omaha’s Old Market and offers a range of programs, performances, and exhibitions that are free to the public. The mission of the center is to facilitate the creation, presentation, and understanding of contemporary art via exhibitions, educational initiatives, and even an international residency program. This artist-centric nonprofit understands the role that artists play in not only Omaha but society as a whole, which is why the center is passionate about showcasing artwork and inciting dialogue within the community. Upcoming exhibitions include Raven Halfmoon: Flags of Our Mothers, Paul Stephen Benjamin: Black of Night, and Paolo Arao: Reverberations which showcases sewn paintings and weavings, as well as site-specific installations at the Bemis Center.
The Durham Museum
801 South 10th Street
Omaha’s Durham Museum is home to an array of permanent exhibits, including restored train cars, historical artifacts, and even storefronts from nearly a century ago. Throughout the year, traveling exhibits rotate through the museum to keep Omahans coming back for more. Current and upcoming exhibits include Toytopia, Becoming Jane: The Evolution of Dr. Jane Goodall, the Byron Reed Exhibit: Expressions in Writing, and a photo exhibit of Mulehead Ranch. Visitors can do a deep dive into the history of the region, as well as pick up new and interesting facts about science, industry and so much more. The Durham Museum has ties to the Smithsonian Institution and the Library of Congress, allowing locals to garner access to world-class research. Family memberships to the museum begin as low as $5 a month, so consider joining to enjoy unlimited admission and special invitations!
Hillmer Art Gallery
7000 Mercy Road
Hillmer Art Gallery can be found on the College of Saint Mary campus and is well known for their exhibits that feature both local work, as well as national pieces. You’ll find paintings, drawings, ceramics, photography, sculptures, and more within the walls of this striking gallery, and the best news? Admission is always free! Not only does this encourage frequent visits, but it also allows families to explore the boundless creativity of Omaha’s art scene. Keep an eye on the calendar to stay updated on student art shows and more.
Hot Shops Art Center
1301 Nicholas Street
The four “hot shops” in Hot Shops Art Center include the glass studio, metal foundry, ceramics studio, and the iron forge. Hot Shops also hosts a range of classes throughout the year for students of all ages and skill levels. Check out demonstrations, jewelry and fiber classes, and even group workshops to enjoy hands-on projects! If you’re interested in becoming a member of Hot Shops Art Center, you’ll have access to the community studio, as well as discounts on educational programs and free tickets to the fall fundraiser depending on the membership level. Upcoming events feature glass blowing experiences, watercolor classes, a youth art course, and a metalworking class where you’ll create a silver ring.
The Union for Contemporary Art
2423 North 24th Street
The Union for Contemporary Art was founded to strengthen the Omaha community through collaborations with partners around the city. The Union has been able to connect with vibrant artists and create accessible programs for individuals of all ethnicities, identities, expressions, and abilities. Upcoming exhibitions include “Let the Monster Sleep” which is a series of drawings and sculptures by Amaryllis R. Flowers and “Meet me at the fence ok bye,” which is a series of thrifted artifacts that serve as a material memory that borders the transition between childhood and adulthood. In congruence with their exhibits, The Union for Contemporary Art has recently found a home for their performing arts program at The Shirley Tyree Theatre.
El Museo Latino
4701 South 25th Street
El Museo Latino is an Omaha-based nonprofit that is on a mission to collect, exhibit, and interpret Latino arts within America. Not only does this provide direct support for local artists, it helps to increase the visibility of these Latino art forms. The museum also offers cultural educational programming throughout the year, with specific programs geared towards children, teens, and adults. Patrons can delve into art classes, scholarly lectures, workshops, dance classes, and artists-in-residency. Frida Kahlo and the Blue House is an upcoming exhibit set to open on April 5th, 2024, and will feature a selection of 60+ photographs. There will be a gallery talk hosted by Cristina Kahlo (the great-niece of Frida Kahlo) during the opening reception.
Modern Arts Midtown
3615 Dodge Street
Modern Arts Midtown (MAM) was created to showcase artists who are delving into provocative subject matter across diverse mediums. The gallery boasts a wide array of abstract and traditional art, across painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, and more. “Visual Remedy: Please the eye — feed the mind” is showing at Modern Arts Midtown until the end of July. The artists’ collection at MAM includes names such as Kenneth Adkins, Dan Boylan, Judith Burton, Shannon Hanson, and many more. Subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date on what’s going on at the gallery and upcoming exhibits.
Gallery 1516
1516 Leavenworth Street
Gallery 1516 recognizes how important the arts are to the culture of Omaha, so the gallery strives to provide a welcoming venue for regional artists. Through working with museums, performing art groups, and other educational and professional organizations — Gallery 1516 can support the arts without charging artists commission fees. The one-of-a-kind venue features exhibits spanning visual arts, music, literature, and architecture. The building itself was originally a livery stable in 1883, with horses occupying stalls on the ground floor. The industrial design is part of the overall vibe of the gallery and creates a truly unique exhibition space and atmosphere. Consider becoming a member of Gallery 1516 to receive invitations to members-only events, as well as priority tickets and special admissions throughout the year.
Omaha Community Playhouse
6915 Cass Street
The Omaha Community Playhouse is one of the largest non-profit community theaters in the nation, hosting tens of thousands of patrons each year. Between two theater spaces, a multitude of storylines are brought to life during the season. Through educational outreach programs, the Omaha Community Playhouse provides theatrical programming and workshops to children and adults — which is a great way to incite a passion for the arts and inspire individuals to perhaps take up an artistic avenue of their own. Productions in this season’s lineup include Cabaret, Ken Ludwig’s Baskerville Sherlock Holmes Mystery, Disney’s Finding Nemo Jr., and A Christmas Carol.
Omaha’s Public Art Displays
Various Locations
Public art displays can be found all over Omaha, with sculptures such as the Spirit of Nebraska’s Wilderness and Pioneer Courage Park that consist of over 100 bronze pieces that span six city blocks. There’s also the 32,500 square foot “Fertile Ground” mural by Meg Saligman, which hails as one of the largest public murals in the United States. In downtown Omaha, you’ll find contemporary sculptures peppering the landscape. Check out the Reading Garden at Millard Library or the Wind Organ at Standing Bear Lake. Whether you’ve lived in Omaha for your entire life or you’re a tourist passing through, spending the afternoon searching for pieces of art around town can be a great way to explore the city while also appreciating the creativity and thought that’s gone into these pieces.
Joslyn Art Museum
2200 Dodge Street
Despite being temporarily closed for renovations, Joslyn Art Museum is a must-see for art lovers in Omaha. This fine arts museum first opened in 1931 and has since gone through several expansions to accommodate their growing collection. Set to reopen later in 2024, residents eagerly await new galleries, classrooms, and public spaces such as the Rhonda and Howard Hawks Pavilion.
Omaha’s Creative District Neighborhoods
Whether you’re an artist yourself looking for a like-minded community or you’re a patron of the arts who wants to enjoy the “artsy vibes” of Omaha’s creative meccas — these neighborhoods are the place to be.
Benson
Known as one of Omaha’s creative hubs, Benson is the place to be on the first Friday of the month. Artists have the opportunity to showcase their work during this monthly event and galleries will open their doors. Live music is often playing and the community has the chance to come together, mingle, and appreciate all that the art scene around Omaha has to offer. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a sidewalk chalk masterpiece in action. Vendors and food trucks line the streets, so come hungry and enjoy shopping locally!
The Old Market District
Omaha’s Old Market District is not only home to the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and The Durham Museum but also to the Artists’ Cooperative Fine Arts Gallery (405 South 11th Street), Passageway Gallery (417 South 11th Street), and the Old Market Artists Gallery (1034 Howard Street). With so many galleries to peruse, you can easily spend the entire day taking in paintings, sculptures, photographs and more.
Midtown
Home to various public art projects and a popular local art gallery, Modern Arts Midtown, Midtown Crossing is definitely one of Omaha’s artistic centers. There are multiple festivals hosted in Midtown throughout the year, bringing residents together to celebrate and build community with their neighbors. The neighborhood is home to three permanent murals by local artist, Watie White, which can be found on Stories Coffee Company, Modern Love, and the southeast corner of 33rd and Farnam. Another community initiative is the Sunny and Chair Community Art Project, which tasks artists with turning Adirondack chairs into works of art. These chairs are located around Midtown Crossing and Turner Park.
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is home to several art sculptures, such as the Dance of the Cranes at Eppley Airfield and the Nebraska Centennial Glass Mosaic at the World Building. Omaha’s Cultural Quilt was created through a collaboration of various artists in 2005 and can be found at CHI Health Center Omaha. Art can even be found in surprising places, such as the Dangos sculptures by Jun Kaneko at the Hilton. Keep your eyes peeled on your commute or while you’re touring the city and you’re sure to see pieces that intrigue and delight.
Want to Explore Omaha’s Art Scene?
You don’t have to consider yourself an artist to appreciate the hard work and dedication that creative endeavors often require. Supporting local artists around Omaha is a great way to give back to the community. We’d love to hear about your favorite artists, galleries, and shows in the comments!