From a Naturalist's Sketchbook to a Cathedral Window by Allison Borgschulte
2024-07-27 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-28 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-29 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-30 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-31 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-01 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-02 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-03 09:00 - 17:00 (America/Chicago) and 4 more dates | Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE, 68108, United States
July 12 through August 189 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday and Tuesday9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through SundayOn the gallery walls in the visitor and education centerIncluded with paid admission or garden membership. $15 + tax, $9 + tax for ages 3-12, free for ages 2 and under.Artist StatementIn my youth I lived with a forest in my backyard and a nature center within walking distance of my home. As a result, I took on the role of naturalist at a very young age. That was my first job title working at the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center. Job training included learning the names of plants, trees, and fungi and how to identify them. I could identify wildlife by their songs and snorts. More importantly, I noticed the presence of wildlife when they are not physically present. This was essential, because when hiking on a trail with a dozen or more young children, despite yours and their best efforts, it was not common to see a lot of critters. Nonetheless, the task was to engage the youngsters in a story and excite them about the forest around them. Thus, my role was not only naturalist, but storyteller. Changing career paths into art, those roles never left me. I create my work by observing the natural world, depicting the parts I find particularly captivating, and offering it to the viewer hoping to capture the viewers’ interest as mine has been captured by nature. I use glass as a medium utilizing the transmission of light and brilliancy of the glass colors to enhance the beauty of my subjects. I also believe the medium adds a spiritual element to my work with the tradition of stained-glass adorning church sanctuaries and cultural centers for centuries.About the ArtistAllison Borgschulte is a multi-disciplinary artist working in glass, fiber art, painting, and kaleidoscope making. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Kansas City Art Institute in 2004 earning the Highest GPA in her graduating glass and a Mentorship Award. She has since had her work displayed in local, national, and internationally juried exhibits, received high honors, and been published internationally with the Surface Design Association, The Brewster Society of Kaleidoscope Makers, the Flow Magazine, and Glass Patterns Quarterly. Allison has been commissioned numerous times for large stained glass and fiber works of art in public and private spaces. In 2022, she created a memorial window in the Oakdale Elementary School Library of Omaha, NE. Along with her personal artistic endeavors, she currently works in a professional stained-glass studio in Lincoln, NE, Architectural Glassarts, as their premier patternmaker and glass painter. She resides in Lincoln Nebraska with her husband and two children and spends much of her summer in Minnesota on their private island on a natural lake where she soaks up inspiration for her art.This event happens on the following Dates:Jul 12, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 13, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 14, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 15, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTJul 16, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTJul 17, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 18, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 19, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 20, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 21, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 22, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTJul 23, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTJul 24, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 25, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 26, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 27, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 28, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTJul 29, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTJul 30, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTJul 31, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 1, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 2, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 3, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 4, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 5, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTAug 6, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTAug 7, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 8, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 9, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 10, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 11, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 12, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTAug 13, 2024, 9:00am to 8:00pm CDTAug 14, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 15, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 16, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 17, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDTAug 18, 2024, 9:00am to 5:00pm CDT

Raven Halfmoon: Flags of Our Mothers
2024-07-27 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-28 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-31 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-01 11:00 - 21:00, 2024-08-02 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-03 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-04 11:00 - 17:00 | Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th Street, Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
Raven Halfmoon’s practice spans torso-scaled and colossal-sized stoneware sculptures, with some soaring up to nine feet and weighing over eight hundred pounds. With inspirations that orbit centuries from ancient Indigenous pottery to Moai statues to Land Art, Halfmoon interrogates the intersection of tradition, history, gender, and personal experience.
Born and raised in Norman, Oklahoma, she learned about ceramics as a teenager from a Caddo elder. Working mainly in portraiture, Halfmoon hand builds each work using a coil method. Her surfaces are expressive and show deep finger impressions and dramatic dripping glazes—a physicality that presences her as both maker and matter. She fuses Caddo pottery traditions (a history of making mostly done by women) with populist gestures—often tagging her work (a reference to Caddo tattooing).
Her palette is specific and matches both the clay bodies she selects and the glazes she fires with—reds (after the Oklahoma soil and the blood of murdered Indigenous women), blacks (referencing the natural clay native to the Red River), and creams. Sometimes she stacks and repeats imagery, creating totemic forms that represent herself and her maternal ancestry while also reinforcing the multiplicities that exist inside all of us. Her works reference stories of the Caddo Nation, specifically her feminist lineage and the power of its complexities.
This exhibition will include a combination of new and borrowed works that vary in size and content from over the last five years. Halfmoon will also be creating some of her largest works to date commissioned by The Aldrich and Bemis Center. The artist’s first museum catalogue will accompany the exhibition.
Raven Halfmoon is curated by Amy Smith-Stewart, Chief Curator at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum, and Rachel Adams, Chief Curator and Director of Programming at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.
Raven Halfmoon. E-a’-titi (sister), 2021. Stoneware, glaze. 30 x 26 x 58 inches. Courtesy of the artist. Photography by Alan Koppel.
Learn more about Raven Halfmoon’s work here.
About Flags of Our Mothers
The Caddo Origin Story

About the Artist
Raven Halfmoon (Caddo Nation) is from Norman, Oklahoma. She attended the University of Arkansas where she earned double bachelor’s degrees in ceramics and cultural anthropology. She has garnered an impressive series of awards and accolades, including being named the 2018 Fund the Change recipient from the Activist and Social Justice Arts Organization in Oklahoma, a Burke Prize finalist at the Museum of Arts and Design, in New York, NY, the American Craft Council Emerging Voices Award, and Ceramics Monthly Emerging Artist—all in 2019. She just concluded a two-year residency at Archie Bray Foundation for Ceramic Arts in Montana.

Paul Stephen Benjamin: Black of Night
2024-07-27 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-28 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-07-31 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-01 11:00 - 21:00, 2024-08-02 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-03 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-04 11:00 - 17:00 | Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th Street, Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
Paul Stephen Benjamin’s practice is an ongoing investigation of blackness through concept, thought, and perception. From wordplay with the actual letters that comprise “BLACK,” to utilizing the expanse of shades of black house paint—including as Nightfall, Soot, Ebony Field, and Black Beauty—to posing the question, “If the color black had a sound, what would it be?,” Benjamin calls attention to the color’s deep historical and social resonance. In addition, across his practice, the artist’s work references integral moments in Black history as well as art history.
In Black of Night, Benjamin presents new and recent video installations, paintings, text-based work, and sculpture as conceptual entry points for dialogue around identity, race, and patriotism. By continually “documenting” the color black through his multifaceted practice, he is also deconstructing its meaning—breaking it down to its simplest form and allowing for it to operate as a medium for interpretation and introspection. Focusing on the connotations of the color black in society, culture and language, Benjamin incorporates history, text, imagery and sound from popular culture, in turn discussing the absence and presence of color.

About the Artist
Paul Stephen Benjamin was born in Chicago, IL, and lives and works in Atlanta, GA. He earned his BA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and his MFA from Georgia State University in 2013. Recently Benjamin has exhibited at Hammonds House Museum, Atlanta, GA (2023), Blackness at the Montresso Art Foundation, Marrakesh, Morocco, (2023), The Thoma Foundation Art Vault, Santa Fe, NM (2022–2023), and a solo exhibition at the Van Every-Smith Galleries, Davidson College, Davidson, NC (2022).
He has been included in solo and group exhibitions at a variety of institutions and art spaces, including Prospect.5 New Orleans, LA (2021–2022). Gavlak, Los Angeles, CA (2021), The Dirty South at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond VA (2021), David Lusk Gallery, Nashville, TN (2021), Crystal Bridges Museum and the Momentary, Bentonville, AR (2020), The MAC, Belfast, UK (2019), VC Institute for Contemporary Art, Richmond, VA (2019), The Havana Biennial in Matanzas, Cuba (2019), Marianne Boesky Gallery, NY, NY (2019), Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA (2018), Telfair Museum Jepson Center, Savannah, GA (2018), The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY (2017), Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, Atlanta, GA (2017), High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA (2016), among others.
He has received a range of awards and fellowships, including The Hudgens Prize (2019), Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant (2019), Hambidge Distinguished Fellowship (2019), The Southern Art Prize (2018), The State Fellow of Georgia (2018), Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia (WAP) Fellow (2017), Artadia Award (2014), Winnie B. Chandler Fellowship, and the Forward Arts Emerging Artists Award.

John Clement: The Answer is Love Exists
2024-08-02 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-08-04 13:00 - 2025-01-05 18:00 | KANEKO, 1111 Jones St, Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
This KANEKO exhibition showcases John Clement’s latest works, delving into the dynamic interplay of form, space, and movement. It’s a captivating opportunity to experience the evolution of his geometric sculptures and their vibrant, curvilinear compositions.
Join us for an unforgettable evening as we unveil the latest works of acclaimed artist John Clement in his solo exhibition, “The Answer is Love Exists.” Known for his geometric and Constructivist-inspired sculptures, Clement’s work defies traditional boundaries, captivating audiences with its curvi-linear compositions and dynamic forms.
John Clement, a student of renowned artists Marc di Suvero and John Henry, brings a unique blend of large-scale outdoor sculptures and smaller, dynamic pieces that seem to move and spin on their own. His work masterfully combines steel coils and arcs, creating an impression of implied movement through a dramatic union of form, line, and negative space.
Clement’s career took off after earning a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992 and studying at New York’s School of Visual Arts. He later collaborated with di Suvero and Henry in the 1990s, which greatly influenced his artistic journey. Clement’s sculptures have been featured in numerous gallery exhibitions and public commissions across the United States and internationally.
Currently residing in Brooklyn, NY, with his wife Jean and their children, Kini and Duke, Clement draws immense inspiration from his family’s love and support, a driving force behind his creativity.
Don’t miss this extraordinary opportunity to experience the art of John Clement and celebrate the powerful theme of love in his work. We look forward to seeing you there!

August 2nd First Friday + New American Arts Festival
2024-08-02 17:00 - 2024-08-03 02:00 | Benson Creative District Downtown Benson Omaha, NE 68104, 5603 NW Radial Hwy, Omaha, NE, 68104, United States
The 11th Annual New American Arts Festival
August 2nd
6 – 10PM
Benson Creative District
BFF Omaha, with support from Lutheran Family Services and Heartland Family Service present the 11th Annual New American Arts Festival in the Benson Creative District! NAAF celebrates the immigrant, migrant, and refugee communities of the greater Omaha area.
The 11th Annual NAAF features:
Performances on the BFF NAAF Stage
6:00 – Sapphire, Egyptian Belly Dance (Saharan Divas)
6:45 – Adanu Heartland Ensemble
7:30 – Raga Tala, Indian Classical Dance
8:00 – Omkara Band
Madonnari Street Mural Workshop w/ Rosa Nelson and Oria Simonini
Letters to Home Postcard Writing Workshop
Featured Openings:
Have We Met Before? // Mimi Yu at Petshop Gallery
LIFTOACH // Santi Moral-Amaral at BFF Gallery
ВЪ – VY at Star Deli Gallery
Featured Artists: Kendra Limon at Jakes, Angelica Tapia at Burke’s Pub, Jair Rodriguez at Benson Brewery
African Immigrant Family Services (AIFS) Youth Drumming at Ted & Wally’s, Nyarok at the Friend of BFF Happy Hour at The Sydney, and D’Colores Art Bus
Food Workshops w/ Jane and Hani Hani
Community Partners and so much more!
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Join BFF and 65+ artists, vendors, & community partners in the Benson Creative District First Fridays May thru September!
The NORTH MARKET is at Military Ave between Maple & Binney!
The SOUTH MARKET is at 62nd St between Maple & Miami!
Shoutout to this month’s poster artist Rosa Nelson
Thanks to Blick Art Materials for sponsoring our monthly posters! Visit Blick Art Materials for all your art supply needs!
FIRST FRIDAY
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Opening Reception:
Have We Met Before? // Mimi Yu
https://www.facebook.com/events/339341689234774
On Display:
The Meeting of the Galactic Resonance // Isabella Janssen
https://www.facebook.com/events/997171748611578
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This Wide Web We’ve Been Weaving // Carlie Waganer
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Studio 62 Sound Sessions: Kyle Jessen
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?????? ???????, ???????? ??????: Angelica Tapia
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Featured Artist: Chip Duden
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?????? ???????, ???????? ??????: Jair Rodriguez
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To Go Kits – ALL MATERIALS PROVIDED!
Tilt23 Showcase featuring: Pablo Arza, Black Bird Rock Co. and African Music band
Clothing Swap with Swap Omaha
FREE Scoop of Ice Cream for ALL Friend of BFF members EVERY #firstfriday
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Free Little Arts Center + To-Go Art Kits
FLAC featured artist:
Open Studios ft. Authento Creative, 2Neuro Grotto, No Hand Outs Clothing & Jennifer Lentfer Studio
Installation Workshop with Alyssa Schmitt
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LIFTOACH // SANTI MORA-AMARAL
https://www.facebook.com/events/480224191431209
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Clowns and Corpses
https://www.facebook.com/events/8160403780742672
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De Stijl Trans Am | Levi Robb
https://www.facebook.com/events/470487519101622/
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Opening Reception: The Art of Memory
https://www.facebook.com/events/799136822339773
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Friend of BFF Happy Hour with Nyarok
Featured Artist: Parker Speck and Aaryan Naik
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Mr. Benson Presents The Omaha Comedy Fest Fundraiser
https://www.facebook.com/events/1456376091672297
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Opening Reception: Lew Lunbeck | Seeing Greatness + Kicking it in the Teeth
https://www.facebook.com/events/1329856597973719/
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Featured Artist: ВЪ – VY (/viː/)
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Featured Artist: Fish Spit Co
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Featured Artist: Kendra Limon
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Intergalactic Underground – an Outer Space themed art show
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Featured Artists:
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CTRL + ALT + DELETE feat: G3 w/ Jack 2.0 & Crabrangucci
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Kros Strain Outlandia Beer Launch
https://www.facebook.com/events/1535119344092036
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An evening with GLEAM
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In The Beginning w/ Angie Spence
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Don’t forget! Friends of BFF receive special PERKS every First Friday! Become a member at bffomaha.org/friend and enjoy these perks!
????? ??? ??????? // 20% off Purchase
?????? ??????? // Half off draft beer (3-6)
???????? // $1 off tap beers until 7. $1 off Sangria all night
?????’? // Pub BOGO for a penny apple pie shots (3-6)
??????? ???? // Free cinnamon crisp w/ purchase (dine in)
??????? // Buy one get one TACOS
???? ?? ??? ???????? // free cookie with drink purchase
????’? // Half off Sangria on tap
??? ??? // Buy one get one SAKE
??. ??????? // $1 off Tap Beers until 7. $1 off sangria
???? ???? // 10% off your purchase
??? & ?????’? // FREE scoop of ice cream
??? ?????? // $1.00 off all drinks
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Get reacquainted with the ?????? ????? ?????? ??????.
BFF Omaha’s “?????? ????? ?????? ??????.,” states that your establishment will encourage, expect, and strive to maintain a safe environment, with a zero tolerance policy towards harassment and assault.
If visitors feel unsafe at any time while in your establishment, staff or someone of authority will promptly take steps to address the situation, or if necessary remove the person(s) responsible and/or notify the proper authorities.
Keep and Eye Out for our ?????? ????? ?????? buttons worn by BFF volunteers and decals in business windows. In the event you need help, look out for the ???????? ?????? ????? ?????? ??????? ????? or ????? ?????? ???? ????? ??????. This person and/or business will be able to help!
For more information and to sign the pledge on behalf or your business, please visit bffomaha.org/about
Let’s keep each other safe!
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Never walk alone after dark – ask a friend, area staff, or BFF staff/volunteer to walk you to your car
Don’t drink and drive – call a safe ride, take the bus, phone a friend!
COVID-19 is still afoot – please get vaccinated, be safe, wear masks, and do NOT attend First Friday if you are feeling ill.
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Support BFF in our mission of building community through arts engagement by purchasing official merch from the BFF Shop!
Visit shopbffomaha.myshopify.com and add some things to your cart!
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First Friday Sponsors!
Mutual of Omaha
Ted & Wally’s Ultra-Premium Homemade Ice Cream n Benson
Friend of BFF Business Members!
Benson Mill Apartments
Benson Brewery
Blue Line Coffee
Buildertrend
Dahlia House
DogGurt
First Interstate Bank
Flavas
Gregg Grossman, Inc.
Heather Tedesco, Realtor, BHGRE
Jake’s Cigars
Maven Social
Metropolitan Community College
Ming Toy Gallery
Nebraska AIDS Project
Nocturnal Eats Food Truck
Omaha Roller Derby
Omaha Steaks
Rail + Steam
Shipment Vintage
Soundarte.net
StudioDaze Omaha
Taco Co.
The Garage by the Grey House
The Sydney
ᴡᴇ ʟᴜᴠ ʏᴀ!

ʏʀ BFFs

Drawing Flowers
2024-08-06 08:00 - 17:00 | Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE, 68108, United States
TWO SESSIONS Are you interested in learning more about flowers? In this drawing class, we will work with beautiful fresh plant material (different flowers for each month/session) and learn more about flower forms as we draw. We’ll also look at what makes flowers, and their floral families, different from each other. This course is welcoming to all experience levels.The book, The Science Behind Flowers, by Dr. Dick Rauh, is recommended but not required. No prior drawing experience is necessary. We will use basic line drawing exercises and techniques and record our hands-on explorations in a sketchbook using a detailed botanical illustration style.$65, $55 for garden members. Pre-registration is required. A supply list will be provided upon registration.Happens on the following dates in sessions of two:
Feb 20, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CSTFeb 21, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CST
March 5, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CSTMarch 6, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CST
May 7, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CDTMay 8, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CDT
Jun 5, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CDTJun 6, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CDT
Jul 9, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CDTJul 11, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CDT
Aug 6, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CDTAug 8, 2024, 6:00pm to 8:00pm CDT
