Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts

Last updated
Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
Established1981
Type Art museum
Artist cooperative
Location
Website bemiscenter.org

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is located in the Old Market Historic District of downtown Omaha, Nebraska, at the corner of 12th Street and Leavenworth Street. In addition to an international artist-in-residence program, Bemis Center hosts temporary exhibitions and commissions and public programs which are free and open to the public. [1]

Contents

History

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts was founded by artists Jun Kaneko, Tony Hepburn, Lorne Falke and Ree Schonlau in 1981. [2] In 1984, Ree Schonlau established a consortium consisting of the City of Omaha, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, private and corporate foundations and the Mercer family, who owned the vacant 170,000-square-foot (16,000 m2) Bemis Bag Building. The structure had originally been built as a branch of the Nave & McCord Mercantile Company.

Locations

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts was formerly located at the Bemis Omaha Bag Company Building, 614 South 11th Street, which was severely damaged in a fire in 1999. [3]

Today, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is located in the old McCord-Brady & Co. building on 12th and Leavenworth.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omaha, Nebraska</span> Largest city in Nebraska, United States

Omaha is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 10 mi (15 km) north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 40th-most populous city, Omaha's 2020 census population was 486,051.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Omaha, Nebraska</span> Neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, in the United States. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the east, as defined by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Omaha Chamber of Commerce.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Market (Omaha, Nebraska)</span> United States historic place

The Old Market is a neighborhood located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, United States, and is bordered by South 10th Street to the east, 13th Street to the west, Farnam Street to the north and Jackson Street to the South. The neighborhood has many restaurants, art galleries and upscale shopping. The area retains its brick paved streets from the turn of the 20th century, horse-drawn carriages, and covered sidewalks in some areas. It is not uncommon to see a variety of street performers, artists, and other vendors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bemis Company</span> American materials company

Bemis Company, Inc. was a global manufacturer of flexible packaging products and pressure-sensitive materials. Bemis was headquartered in Neenah, Wisconsin in the United States. Its divisions were located in 12 countries and its films for packaging products and adhesive materials were distributed worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midtown Omaha</span> Municipal area

Midtown is a geographic area of Omaha, Nebraska that is a culturally, socially and economically important area of the city. It is home to major research centers, national corporations, several historic districts, and a number of historic residences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District</span> Historic district in Nebraska, United States

The Omaha Rail and Commerce Historic District, roughly bounded by Jackson, 15th, and 8th Streets, as well as the Union Pacific main line, is located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Today this historic district includes several buildings listed individually on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Union Pacific Depot and the Burlington Station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bemis Park Landmark Heritage District</span> Place in Bemis Park

The Bemis Park Landmark Heritage District is located in North Omaha, Nebraska. Situated from Cuming Street to Hawthorne Avenue, Glenwood Avenue to 33rd Street, Bemis Park was annexed into Omaha in 1887, and developed from 1889 to 1922. The district was designated an Omaha Landmark in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Culture of Omaha, Nebraska</span> Overview of the culture of Omaha, Nebraska (USA)

The culture of Omaha, Nebraska, has been partially defined by music and college sports, and by local cuisine and community theatre. The city has a long history of improving and expanding on its cultural offerings. In the 1920s, the Omaha Bee newspaper wrote, "The cultural future of Omaha seems as certain of greatness as the commercial future... The symphony orchestra, the Art institute, the Community Playhouse and other organizations are on firm foundations and Omaha is destined to be not only a bigger, but a better city, both financially and culturally." Reviewing Omaha's contemporary arts scene in 2007, the New York Times hailed the city as having "a kind of cultural awakening".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jobbers Canyon Historic District</span> United States historic place

Jobbers Canyon Historic District was a large industrial and warehouse area comprising 24 buildings located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska, US. It was roughly bound by Farnam Street on the north, South Eighth Street on the east, Jackson Street on the south, and South Tenth Street on the west. In 1989, all 24 buildings in Jobbers Canyon were demolished, representing the largest National Register historic district loss to date.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Downtown Omaha</span> Central business district in Omaha

Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha–Council Bluffs metropolitan area, U.S. state of Nebraska. The boundaries are Omaha's 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline of Chicago Street on the north, also including the CHI Health Center Omaha. Downtown sits on the Missouri River, with commanding views from the tallest skyscrapers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bemis Omaha Bag Company Building</span> United States historic place

The Bemis Bag Company Building is a historic building located in downtown Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1887 in a commercial style, the building was designed by the prolific Omaha architecture firm of Mendelssohn and Lawrie. It was designated an Omaha Landmark on September 12, 1978, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 1985. In addition to its own listing on the NRHP, the Building is also included in the Warehouses in Omaha Multiple Property Submission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Omaha, Nebraska</span> Industry in Omaha, Nebraska

Tourism in Omaha, Nebraska, United States offers visitors history, sports, nature and cultural experiences. Its principal tourist attractions are the Henry Doorly Zoo and the College World Series (CWS). A 2003 study by a Creighton University economist estimated that the CWS added $33.8 million to the city's economy that year. With 1.1 million visitors annually, the Henry Doorly Zoo is Nebraska's most popular tourist attraction. In 2007 Omaha hosted the USA Roller Sports National Championships, along with 10,000 people who auditioned for the American Idol television show at Qwest Center Omaha.

Mendelssohn, Fisher and Lawrie was a significant architecture firm in early Omaha, Nebraska. Fisher & Lawrie continued. A number of their works are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Alexandra Grant is an American visual artist who examines language and written texts through painting, drawing, sculpture, video, and other media. She uses language and exchanges with writers as a source for much of that work. Grant examines the process of writing and ideas based in linguistic theory as it connects to art and creates visual images inspired by text and collaborative group installations based on that process. She is based in Los Angeles.

Amanda McDonald Crowley is a New York-based Australian curator and arts administrator who has created exhibitions and events focused on new media art, contemporary art, and transdisciplinary work. She has served as the executive director of Eyebeam Art + Technology Center in New York City and as the artistic director at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Carver Savings and Loan Association opened in 1944 as the first African-American financial institution in Omaha, Nebraska. Located at 2416 Lake Street next to the historic North 24th Street corridor, it was in the heart of the Near North Omaha neighborhood, and Omaha's African-American business district.

Ree Kaneko is an American artist, arts administrator, and arts consultant from Omaha, Nebraska.

Mel Ziegler is an American artist whose artistic practice includes community art, integrated arts, and public art.

The Luggage Store Gallery, also known as 509 Cultural Center, is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary arts organization founded in 1987, and has two venues located in the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco, California. The organization has sponsored many local artists, including those that are considered to be part of the Mission School, and of skateboard or street art culture.

References

  1. "Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts : About Us : About Us". www.bemiscenter.org. Retrieved 2018-02-26.
  2. "Mission and History", Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. Retrieved 20 December 2007
  3. Omaha Magazine Staff (3 October 2014). "Historic Buildings of the Old Market". Omaha Magazine. Retrieved 31 March 2015.