The expanded and transformed Joslyn Art Museum is set to kick off its long-awaited reopening with three weeks of celebrations. The official public ceremony and ribbon-cutting will take place on Tuesday, September 10, with special museum hours from 1–8 p.m. Numerous recent acquisitions, a full reinstallation of The Joslyn’s collection, and the debut of the stunning 42,000-square-foot Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion will all be showcased.
At a media preview event on September 6, Executive Director and CEO Jack Becker, along with Norwegian architectural firm Snøhetta’s founding partner Craig Dykers and landscape architecture director Michelle Delk, offered a first look at the museum’s updates.
“This is a step forward for the institution, for this community, and for the arts—it will truly help build a better Omaha. We can proudly say that at this moment in time, there are about 5,000 years of human creativity on view at The Joslyn,” Becker said. The transformation masterfully integrates modern design with the historic Art Deco building, one of the finest examples of its kind in the United States, he added.
The centerpiece of the expansion, designed by Snøhetta, is the Hawks Pavilion, an airy, light-filled space with a glass façade that connects seamlessly to the original structure. This new building serves as both a grand entrance and gathering space, offering visitors a panoramic view of the sculpture garden and surrounding campus.
“A great deal of thought goes into a design like this—all these swirls and shapes are a reflection of what it’s like to be in the Nebraska landscape.” Dykers said. Just beyond the massive staircase, the Pavilion opens into newly designed galleries housing The Joslyn's contemporary art collection and special exhibitions.
In the Galleries
The Hawks Pavilion showcases the transformative Phillip G. Schrager Collection, a significant addition to the museum’s holdings. This collection features fifty-two paintings, sculptures, drawings, and photographs, representing key developments in postwar and contemporary art. Alongside this collection is The Joslyn’s first gallery dedicated to works on paper, with the inaugural exhibition “Ed Ruscha: Paper,” which highlights drawings, prints, and photographs from the artist's recent donation. A new media gallery presents “Les Indes Galantes” by Clément Cogitore, a French artist whose short film blends 18th-century opera with contemporary dance.
In the historic Joslyn Building, the reinstallation of the museum’s permanent collection—the first of its kind since its founding in 1931—brings a renewed vision to the galleries. Visitors can engage with newly acquired artworks alongside the museum’s core collection, showcasing diverse narratives across media and time periods.
In the Suzanne & Walter Scott Pavilion, visitors will experience an exploration of form and space with new sculptures by Eva LeWitt in the Riley Contemporary Artists Project (CAP) Gallery. Using industrial materials like silicone and mesh, LeWitt's work transforms the space into a colorful, tactile environment. Outdoors, the redesigned sculpture gardens weave through the museum's grounds. A reflecting pool, “The Omaha Riverscape”by sculptor Jesús Moroles, is a modern highlight, while the new Great Lawn, surrounded by native grasses and the Discovery Garden, has been redesigned to be a serene experience throughout the seasons.
General admission to the Joslyn Art Museum is always free, inviting all to experience this dynamic new chapter in the museum's community legacy.
For more information on The Joslyn and reopening details, visit joslyn.org.
