The art scene in Omaha offers a rich variety of exhibits for viewers to explore. With works ranging from traditional paintings to contemporary creations, Omaha’s art venues reflect the talents of local, regional, national, and international artists. Even though one of the city’s major attractions, the Joslyn Art Museum, will be closed for renovations until 2024, art lovers can check out these local sites offering an array of creative works. 

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 Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts

724 S. 12th St. | 402.341.7130 | bemiscenter.org 

This nonprofit offers educational programs and free exhibits, giving the community access to contemporary works by a variety of artists. Bemis Center supports artists through its international residency program, providing participants with studios, financial support, and more. The nonprofit will present its annual “Benefit Art Auction Exhibition” Oct. 14-28, allowing visitors to view nearly 300 works by artists across the local area, region, and country. Bidding begins Oct. 28 at 5:30 p.m. Proceeds will go toward participating artists and Bemis Center.

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 Hot Shops Art Center

1301 Nicholas St. | 402.342.6452 | hotshopsartcenter.org

This art center gives visitors a chance to watch artists at work and explore a vast array of artwork. The Hot Shops' south building contains four main studios where viewers can watch artists work with clay, glass, iron, and other metals. The north building includes two art galleries and 50 individual studios. Hot Shops provides a number of community educational programs, including art classes covering topics such as glass blowing and acrylics. Hot Shops will show an exhibit this month featuring art made by a lamp worker, an artist who heats and shapes glass over a flame.

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 Kaneko

1111 Jones St. | 402.341.3800 | thekaneko.org 

Japanese ceramics artist Jun Kaneko and his wife founded this contemporary museum in 1998. Since then, it has become a space dedicated to promoting creativity through innovative artwork. Starting Oct. 7, the museum will show the “Richard Hunt: Monumental” exhibition, featuring works by two nationally recognized and two local artists. Each artist draws from a different background and personal narrative to give a historical perspective of his or her culture and the way it is connected to the land.

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 El Museo Latino

4701 S. 25th St. | 402.731.1137 | elmuseolatino.org 

This museum showcases Latin American culture and tradition through the visual and performing arts. El Museo Latino opened in 1993 and has since grown to host art classes, gallery talks, programs for students, and more. Art exhibits at the venue display works made by local, national, and international artists. Visitors can see the exhibit, “En Linea/In Line: Documentary Photography on the Mexican/U.S. Border,” featuring photographs by Francisco Mata Rosas, through Dec. 31.

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 Modern Arts Midtown

3615 Dodge St. | 402.502.8737 | modernartsmidtown.com 

This museum displays contemporary works by local and regional artists who use diverse mediums to address provocative topics. Modern Arts Midtown has a large collection of both traditional and abstract art, ranging from sculptures to paintings to textiles. This month, visitors can see the exhibit “Full Bloom,” which showcases works by over 40 artists, including Iggy Sumnik, Jennifer Homan, and Al Harris-Fernandez.

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 Gallery 1516

1516 Leavenworth St | 531.375.6643 | gallery1516.org 

This venue supports Omaha arts and culture by collaborating with museums and other organizations to host traveling exhibitions, musical performances, and more. Exhibits at Gallery 1516 feature works by artists in the region and state. Through Oct. 16, the gallery will show a free UNO faculty exhibition to display works by members of the UNO art department.

This article originally appeared in the October 2022 issue of Omaha Magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.