Information
Landmark: Bemis Center for Contemporary ArtsCity: Omaha
Country: USA Nebraska
Continent: North America
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, USA Nebraska, North America
Overview
In Omaha, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts buzzes with energy, sparking creativity, bold experiments, and fresh conversations, while its acclaimed residency program gives artists space-sometimes a whole sunlit studio-to grow and share their work.Instead of preserving the past like most museums, the Bemis Center pours its energy into creating and showcasing fresh work, becoming a lively hub in Omaha’s cultural scene and drawing artists and audiences hungry for bold, inventive ideas.Founded in 1981 in a renovated brick warehouse in the Old Market District, the Bemis Center set out to support artists and draw the community into the vibrant world of contemporary art.It’s dedicated to hosting residencies, staging exhibitions, and creating public programs that spark bold experimentation across mediums-from the texture of oil paint to the glow of digital screens, and everything in between.The center focuses on local relevance while sparking conversations across borders, welcoming artists from every corner of the world-even a painter who once carried the scent of fresh rain from her village.At the Bemis Center’s core is its artist-in-residence program, a nationally respected hub where painters, sculptors, and musicians work late into the night under the warm glow of studio lights.Chosen artists get a bright studio to work in, a place to live, and the tools they need to create fresh pieces over the course of several months.The residency sparks collaboration, pushes you to take risks, and invites bold, cross-disciplinary experiments-like mixing paint with unexpected sounds.During open studio events, visitors might step into a workshop and see an artist bent over a half-finished canvas, offering a rare glimpse into the creative process.At the Bemis Center, the galleries are built to flex, making room for everything from towering installations you can walk through to flickering multimedia pieces and bold performances that wouldn’t work in a traditional white-walled space.Previous shows have spanned towering steel sculptures and hands-on installations to sharp, experimental video art, live performances, and projects that draw the community right in.Because the temporary exhibits change often, coming back a few weeks later can feel like stepping into a whole new world of ideas and fresh angles.Bemis weaves the Omaha community into its programs, inviting locals to join workshops, gallery talks, and hands-on projects that smell faintly of fresh paint.Public lectures, hands-on workshops, artist talks, and collaborative projects carry art beyond the gallery’s walls, sparking conversation and inviting people to join in-like pausing beside a mural to chat with its creator.Many programs bring together schools, neighborhood groups, and local organizations, inviting people of all ages to step into the lively world of contemporary art and connect with it in ways that truly resonate.Set inside a repurposed industrial warehouse, the building shows off its exposed brick, steel beams, and wide open floors, offering a raw, flexible backdrop where massive installations can take shape.Broad skylights and tall windows pour daylight into the room, softening steel beams while highlighting the clean lines of its modern design.The space feels warm and welcoming, drawing you in to wander, ask questions, and strike up a conversation as sunlight spills across the floor.Tucked into Omaha’s Old Market District, Bemis sits in the heart of a lively arts corridor where brick streets meet gallery windows.Just steps away, visitors can wander through art-filled galleries, browse cozy boutiques, sample fresh dishes at local restaurants, and catch a live show, making it a rich, all-in-one cultural experience.Bemis sits just steps from the Joslyn Art Museum, the grassy paths of Gene Leahy Mall, and the lake at Heartland of America Park, so it’s easy to make a day of exploring downtown.Stepping into the Bemis Center feels both close and personal, yet the wide, light-filled rooms give it a sense of openness.Guests drift through the gallery rooms, pause to catch a burst of live music, or lean in to see an artist brush color onto canvas.It’s more than looking at art-you’re watching creativity unfold, feeling the brushstrokes, and diving into ideas, techniques, and cultural stories that push against the usual boundaries.The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts stands at the heart of Omaha’s avant-garde scene, giving artists room to take bold risks and inviting audiences to step right into art as it changes and unfolds-like catching paint still wet on the canvas.With its drive for innovation, lively exchanges, and global conversation, it stands out as a rare, energizing place where you can feel the city’s cultural heartbeat in every crowded square.
