Digital Photography Workshop: Phone Photography
2024-06-08 13:00 - 15:00 (America/Chicago) | Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE, 68108, United States
They say the best camera is the one in your hand– your phone! In this class you will learn how to take beautiful pictures with your smartphone. Led by Michele Zephier, you will learn how to focus, compose, and expose images correctly. You will learn about the different adjustment options, how to use filters, and how to take fun, creative images with fresh perspectives.
Pre-registration is required. $30, $25 for garden members.

PACE | Youth Ceramics
2024-06-08 13:00 - 2024-06-09 15:30 | Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, 1001 South 6th Street, Council Bluffs, IA, United States
Does your child dream of turning a lump of clay into a magical mug or a funky figurine? In this our youth ceramics classes, your imagination will take center stage as you explore the wonderful world of clay!
What They Will Learn:

The clay basics: Kneading, pinching, coiling, and sculpting – master these techniques to transform clay into anything you can dream up.
Hand-building magic: Create bowls, animals, monsters, or whatever your heart desires using hand-building techniques.
Spin it to win it: Get a taste of the potter’s wheel and learn how to center, throw, and shape clay on this exciting spinning machine.
Glazing galore: Choose from a rainbow of glazes to add color, shine, and personality to your creations.

More Than Just Clay:

Develop your creativity and problem-solving skills as you bring your ideas to life.
Learn about different ceramics styles and techniques from around the world.
Discover the joy of working with your hands and creating something special from scratch.
Make new friends and share your artistic journey with other clay enthusiasts.

Take home:

Your very own ceramic creations, proudly made by you!
A newfound appreciation for the art of ceramics and the magic of clay.
Memories of a fun and rewarding learning experience.

Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
2024-06-08 14:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-09 14:00 - 17:00 | The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St, Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
Book by David Greig
Music by Marc Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Marc Shaiman

Based on the novel by ROALD DAHL
Songs from the Motion Picture by LESLIE BRICUSSE and ANTHONY NEWLEYCHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.
The world-famous Willy Wonka is opening the gates to his mysterious candy factory…but only to a lucky few. Young Charlie Bucket and four other winners will embark on a life-changing journey through Wonka’s world of chocolate waterfalls, nutty squirrels and incredible television technology, all to be revealed by Wonka’s army of curious Oompa-Loompas.

“Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is your golden ticket to a sweet performance of “Pure Imagination.”

PACE | Youth Painting
2024-06-08 14:30 - 16:00 | Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, 1001 South 6th Street, Council Bluffs, IA, United States
Calling all budding Picassos and Monets! Dive into a world of vibrant colors and endless possibilities in our youth painting classes designed specifically for young artists.
What They’ll Explore:

Mastering the brush: Learn different brushstrokes and techniques to create textures, patterns, and stunning effects on your canvas.
Color magic: Discover the joy of mixing colors and creating their own unique palettes.
From abstract to realistic: Explore different painting styles, from abstract expressionism to still life realism, and find their own artistic voice.
Acrylic adventures: Experiment with acrylic paints, a versatile medium perfect for beginners and experienced artists alike.

More Than Just Painting:

Develop your creativity and imagination as you translate your ideas and emotions onto canvas.
Learn about famous artists and their techniques, and draw inspiration from their masterpieces.
Discover the power of color and how it can evoke different moods and feelings.
Make new friends and share your artistic journey with other young painters.

Take home:

Your own beautiful paintings, each a unique expression of your creativity.
A newfound confidence in your artistic abilities and a love for painting.
Memories of a fun and inspiring learning experience.

PACE | Youth Tech Art
2024-06-08 16:00 - 2024-06-09 17:00 | Hoff Family Arts & Culture Center, 1001 South 6th Street, Council Bluffs, IA, United States
Calling all curious minds and creative problem-solvers! Get ready to unleash your inner inventor in Maker’s Lab, a unique program where art and science collide in a whirlwind of exciting challenges and hands-on activities.
What You’ll Do:

Become a mini-MacGyver: Use everyday materials and your ingenuity to build robots, design circuits, and create amazing inventions that solve real-world problems.
Code your way to creativity: Learn the basics of coding and program your creations to move, light up, and even make sounds!
Think like an engineer: Explore principles of mechanics, electricity, and magnetism through fun and engaging projects.
Get artsy with science: Design bridges that stand tall, build rockets that soar, and create art installations that blend technology and imagination.

More Than Just STEM:

Develop your critical thinking and problem-solving skills as you tackle different challenges.
Learn to collaborate and work in a team to achieve your goals.
Discover the connections between art and science, and see how creativity can fuel innovation.
Make new friends and share your inventions and discoveries with other curious minds.

Hello, Dolly!
2024-06-08 19:30, 2024-06-09 14:00, 2024-06-12 19:30 | Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass Street, Omaha, NE, 68132
Winner of 15 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Revival, Hello, Dolly! is classic musical theatre at its finest. Hello, Dolly! is bursting with showmanship, glamour, romance, dance, humor and some of the greatest songs in musical theatre history. Whether you’re new to Dolly! or you’ve seen her 100 times, this colossal production is bound to be historic.

PACE | New Masters
2024-06-09 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-10 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-11 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-12 08:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-13 08:00 - 17:00 | Pottawamie Arts, Culture and Entertainment (PACE), 1001 S 6th Street, Council Bluffs, IA, 51503, United States
We welcome you to the 2024 PACE New Masters.
Feel free to tour all the featured 40+ local professional photographers depicting realistic landscapes, figures, and portraits.
Join us on Opening Night, Friday, May 24 to see who is named this years’ “PACE New Master!”
Exhibit runs through May 24 – Sep 28, 2024
FREE to the public on Fridays from 6-9PM & Saturdays from 12-4PM.

Plant Folk by Anne Newman
2024-06-09 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-10 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-11 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-12 09:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-13 09:00 - 17:00 | Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE, 68108, United States
May 30 through July 9 – 9 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.This exhibit features a series of plant portraits. They are anthropomorphized depictions of plants in expressive motion. This series was sparked by the folkloric history of Mandrakes and continued on as an exploration of other plant species gaining consciousness and freedom of movement.About the ArtistAnne Newman is a painter and illustrator working in Omaha, Nebraska. She graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a BFA in Studio Art.In her home studio, she uses watercolor, pen, ink, and oil paint to create naturalistic, but darkly whimsical work. Her style is highly detailed and polished with richly saturated colors in oils or thickly cross-hatched over watercolor on paper. Outside of the studio, Newman is a sign maker and muralist.

Raven Halfmoon: Flags of Our Mothers
2024-06-09 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-12 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
2024-06-09 11:00 - 17:00, 2024-06-12 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.

Icons in Transformation
2024-06-09 11:30 - 14:00 | All Saints Episcopal Church, 9302 Blondo St, Omaha, NE, 68134, United States
All Saint Episcopal Church will host “Icons in Transformation,” a dramatic 100-piece art exhibition featuring the contemporary work of internationally acclaimed Swedish-Ukrainian abstract expressionist Ludmila Pawlowska. This must-see exhibit will introduce her work to a broader audience and shed new light on this highly prolific and influential artist. It presents traditional icons as a source of inspiration for contemporary art. As such, the exhibit includes 15 traditional icons painted at the workshop of the Vassilevsky Monastery.
The exhibition will run from April 14 to June 9
Fridays 5pm to 7pm
Saturdays 12pm to 4pm
Sundays 11:30pm to 2:30pm

Omaha Chamber Music Society- Summer Concert Series, Concert 1
2024-06-09 15:00 - 16:30 | Omaha Conservatory of Music, 7023 Cass St, Omaha, NE 68132, Omaha, NE, 68132, United States
Bach, Brahms & Mozart
Johann Sebastian Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G Major, BWV 1049
Johannes Brahms: Horn Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 40
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Oboe Quartet in F Major, K. 370/368b
What do you get when Bach, Brahms, and Mozart are on the OCMS Summer Concert menu? A fantastic feast of chamber masterpieces, that’s what! Bach’s genius is on full display as he showcases solo violin and two solo flutes against an ensemble of string instruments. The Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 is bright and lively with moments of flashy virtuosity. Brahms’s love for the horn shines through in his gorgeous Horn Trio—with its deeply felt lyricism and evocations of hunting horn sounds. That Mozart’s Oboe Quartet captivated the soloist for whom it was written is easy to hear. The slow movement shows off the instrument’s softer side, but that soon gives way to the exuberance and joy of the finale. All in all, you’re in for a perfect Sunday of musical bliss.

MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL
2024-06-09 18:30 - 21:30 | Orpheum Theater, 409 S 16th St, Omaha, NE, 68102, United States
Enter a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur, and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Welcome to Moulin Rouge! The Musical! Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. Directed by Tony Award® winner Alex Timbers, Moulin Rouge! The Musical is a theatrical celebration of Truth, Beauty, Freedom, and — above all — Love. With a book by Tony Award® winner John Logan; music supervision, orchestrations, and arrangements by Tony Award® winner Justin Levine; and choreography by Tony Award® winner Sonya Tayeh, Moulin Rouge! is more than a musical — it is a state of mind. DATE & TIMEHappens on the following Dates:May 28, 2024, 7:30pm to 10:30pm CDTMay 29, 2024, 7:30pm to 10:30pm CDTMay 30, 2024, 7:30pm to 10:30pm CDTMay 31, 2024, 7:30pm to 10:30pm CDTJun 1, 2024, 2:00pm to 5:00pm CDTJun 1, 2024, 7:30pm to 10:30pm CDTJun 2, 2024, 1:00pm to 4:00pm CDTJun 2, 2024, 6:30pm to 9:30pm CDTJun 4, 2024, 7:30pm to 10:30pm CDTJun 5, 2024, 7:30pm to 9:30pm CDTJun 6, 2024, 7:30pm to 10:30pm CDTJun 7, 2024, 7:30pm to 10:30pm CDTJun 8, 2024, 2:00pm to 5:00pm CDTJun 8, 2024, 7:30pm to 10:30pm CDTJun 9, 2024, 1:00pm to 4:00pm CDTJun 9, 2024, 6:30pm to 9:30pm CDT

Leashes at Lauritzen
2024-06-10 17:00 - 20:00 | Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE, 68108, United States
Dogs love going on an adventure- make your next night out with your four-legged friend an evening garden stroll during Leashes at Lauritzen. These events are enjoyable nights for dogs to walk the trails, meet other dogs, to take photos among the flowers and foliage, and meet other dog lovers. Water will be available at stations throughout the garden.
Visit the garden’s website for a list of rules and regulations that ensure the safety and enjoyment of our visitors, their dogs, and protect the garden’s plant collection.
Included with paid garden admission. Free for dogs and garden members.

On Writing Presents: Allana Pommier
2024-06-11 18:00 - 20:00 | Benson Theatre, 6054 Maple St, Omaha, NE, 68104, United States
Every Second Tuesday of the Month join us in the lobby, alongside our partner The Book Nook, and participate in an engaging live reading with a local or nationally recognized writer, playwright, or poet. Peruse the curated offerings from the Book Nook, have a drink, and stay for the Q and A.
Allana Pommier is a Black creative from Omaha, Nebraska who has been in love with performing arts for as long as she can remember. Allana directed a play she wrote titled I Am a Black Woman for the 2022 Omaha Fringe Festival. A grauate of Hollins Playwright’s Lab, Allana hopes to continue on this path of artistic endeavors and live out loud with the world around her.

Botanical Book Club: Lab Girl
2024-06-12 18:00 - 19:00 | Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street, Omaha, NE, 68108, United States
Join us for Botanical Book Club!We will be reading Lab Girl, an autobiography and memoir by Hope Jahren. Geobiologist Hope Jahren has spent her life studying trees, flowers, seeds, and soil. Lab Girl is her revelatory treatise on plant life—but it is also a celebration of the lifelong curiosity, humility, and passion that drive every scientist. As she shares her life experiences, Jahren gives us the exciting details of her scientific work and adventures of love and friendship.Each registration includes one copy of the book, handed out at the first meeting, with four total sessions for discussion. FOUR SESSIONS: May 15 and 29, June 12 and 26. $45, $35 for garden members. Pre-registration is required.

Disney's Finding Nemo Jr.
2024-06-12 19:30 | Omaha Community Playhouse, 6915 Cass Street, Omaha, NE, 68132
The beloved 2003 Disney Pixar movie Finding Nemo comes to the stage!
Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his son, Nemo, who longs to explore the big-ocean blue beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Australia, Marlin faces his fears and sets off on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin and Nemo both overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. Featuring memorable songs such as “Just Keep Swimming,” “Fish Are Friends Not Food” and “Go With the Flow,” Finding Nemo JR. brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship and adventure.
Sensory-Friendly Performance–OCP will host a sensory-friendly performance of Finding Nemo, JR. on Saturday, June 15 at 2 p.m. for those with sensory sensitivities.
*Special Event—Not part of the regular season series. Part of the Shirlee & Henry Fonda Theatre Academy’s Spring Production Class.
