Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha

The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is an artist-centered institution that supports contemporary art through international residencies, exhibitions, and educational programs. Founded in 1981 by Jun Kaneko, Tony Hepburn, Lorne Falk, and Ree Schonlau, it began as Alternative Worksite, an Artist-in-Industry program placing artists in industrial sites.

The organization later operated from the former Bemis Bag Warehouse before moving in 1995 to a 110,000-square-foot former McCord-Brady wholesale grocery warehouse. More than 1,500 artists have participated in its residencies, exhibitions, performances, and related programs. The international residency program provides selected artists with private live-work studios, financial assistance, technical and administrative support, and time to research and produce new work. Residents also have 24-hour access to large installation spaces, a recording and rehearsal studio, and the 9,000-square-foot Okada Sculpture + Ceramics Facility, equipped for woodworking, metalworking, and ceramics. The exhibition galleries present changing solo and group exhibitions in many media by local, national, and international artists. Exhibitions are free and open to the public, while resident studios are generally accessible only during scheduled tours or open-studio events.

Public programming includes artist talks, workshops, panel discussions, film screenings, performances, exhibition tours, and hands-on activities. Open House and Open Studios events allow visitors to meet artists-in-residence, view works in progress, and learn about their creative methods. The building’s concrete floors, heavy timber columns, tall ceilings, and former industrial spaces support large-scale, immersive, experimental, and multimedia art. The center also operates LOW END, a venue devoted to experimental music and sound art.