The Omaha Weavers and Spinners Guild Celebrates Their 75th Anniversary

March 14th, 2025

The art of hand-weaving and hand-spinning has been enjoyed within the Omaha community for generations. The Omaha Weavers and Spinners Guild is currently celebrating their 75th anniversary.  

The Omaha Weavers and Spinners Guild was founded in 1950 by Cornelia and William Nelson. The pair were both hand-weavers and taught classes on weaving at the Joslyn Art Museum in the late 1940s. It was during this time that the Nelson’s got the idea to form a guild, which was joined by many of their original students.  

Hand-weaver Layna Bentley joined the guild in the 1970s. Shortly after college, Bentley visited a shop in the Old Market with hand-woven items for sale. Inspired, she asked the shopkeeper for the name of a local hand-weaver she could learn from. Bentley was given Cornelia’s name. 

Throughout the years, the guild has remained a steadfast artistic presence within the Omaha community. Today, the guild continues to operate on encouraging the process of learning or honing the skills of hand-weaving and hand-spinning. The guild was awarded a grant by the Nebraska Arts Council, supporting the arts through the matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment. 

Through educational programs and community outreach, guild members often appear at schools, museums, or other public spaces to present their expertise. Each year, often in the Spring, the guild also hosts a workshop on a specific weaving or spinning technique or pattern taught by members of the guild or a known expert in the field.  

One of the guild’s bigger demonstrations they do throughout the years is the Sheep to Shawl. Their most recent Sheep to Shawl demonstration was held at the Durham Western Heritage Museum in October 2024 as one of the first events of their anniversary celebration. The guild brings both raw and washed sheep fiber for guests to handle. Afterwards, a group of members spin the fiber into yarn. A few more members then weave the yarn into cloth. 

Aside from public outreach, the Weavers and Spinners Guild hold their annual fiber arts sale each November at the West Side Community Center. Members sell pieces such as garments, rugs, towels and greeting cards among others. Demonstrations are also available for the public to view the process behind the pieces. 

The guild meets monthly from September through May. Guild meetings include a speaker, either somebody outside the guild or a member, who shares something interesting with the group. Afterwards, business within the guild is discussed alongside any news or information for the members. At the end, guild members present their new work since the last meeting. 

The Weavers and Spinners Guild will be returning to the Joslyn Art Museum to celebrate their 75th anniversary. The event will be held on March 22 from 10 am to 2 pm in the museum’s community room. A presentation of the guild’s history and accomplishments alongside short biographies of past members will take place. Members will also hold demonstrations for the public of their craft and bring their work for display. 

The guild will be hosting a gallery exhibition as a culmination of their anniversary celebrations. The exhibition will take place at Roberta & Bob Rogers art gallery at 1806 Vinton Street and run from April 11 to May 30. Work from past members will be displayed alongside work from current members. Some pieces will be for sale.