Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
Encyclopedia
The Bemis Center for Contemporary Art is located at 724 South 12th Street in the Old Market Historic District of downtown
Omaha
, Nebraska
. The Bemis was founded by artists Jun Kaneko, Tony Hepburn, Lorne Falke and Ree Schonlau in 1981. The spirit and programs of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts are based on the conviction that exceptional talent deserves to be supported. Its artists and exhibits regularly receive local, regional, national and international awards for presentations. The Bemis Center is home to one of the most sought-after artist-in-residence programs and is regarded as one of the nation's premier artist colonies
, and has been referred to as "the largest urban artist colony in the world".
, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
, private and corporate foundations and the Mercer family, who owned the vacant 170000 square feet (15,793.5 m²) Bemis Bag Building. That year Schonlau convinced the group to develop an artist-in-residence studio program in building. By the late 80s renovation began, with facilities including eight living spaces with heating, air conditioning, kitchens and baths. The first floor was renovated to produce an exhibition space, administrative offices, and sculpture studio complete with three large-scale gas kilns.
Today, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is located in the old McCord, Brady, & Co. building on 12th and Leavenworth, under the direction of Mark Masuoka and is an internationally recognized artist-in-residence program. The program provides well-equipped studio spaces, living accommodations and a monthly stipend to artists who are awarded residencies. These artists come from around the world to work within a supportive community of like-minded people. The atmosphere and environment offer an ideal situation for creative growth and experimentation and encourage artists to confront new challenges. The band Tilly and the Wall
were the first band in residence in 2005.
The Bemis Center also presents over 20 cutting-edge exhibitions annually. These shows, which run in the Center's 3 main galleries, feature emerging and established artists and span all visual art mediums including video, installation and performance art.
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. The boundaries are 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline...
Omaha
Omaha
Omaha may refer to:*Omaha , a Native American tribe that currently resides in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Nebraska-Places:United States* Omaha, Nebraska* Omaha, Arkansas* Omaha, Georgia* Omaha, Illinois* Omaha, Texas...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. The Bemis was founded by artists Jun Kaneko, Tony Hepburn, Lorne Falke and Ree Schonlau in 1981. The spirit and programs of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts are based on the conviction that exceptional talent deserves to be supported. Its artists and exhibits regularly receive local, regional, national and international awards for presentations. The Bemis Center is home to one of the most sought-after artist-in-residence programs and is regarded as one of the nation's premier artist colonies
Art colony
right|300px|thumb|Artist houses in [[Montsalvat]] near [[Melbourne, Australia]].An art colony or artists' colony is a place where creative practitioners live and interact with one another. Artists are often invited or selected through a formal process, for a residency from a few weeks to over a year...
, and has been referred to as "the largest urban artist colony in the world".
History
In 1984 Ree Schonlau established a consortium consisting of the City of OmahaGovernment of Omaha
The government of the City of Omaha, Nebraska consists of the Mayor of Omaha, the Omaha City Council and various departments of the City of Omaha, which in located in Douglas County, Nebraska. The city of Omaha was founded in 1854 and incorporated in 1857....
, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, also known as HUD, is a Cabinet department in the Executive branch of the United States federal government...
, private and corporate foundations and the Mercer family, who owned the vacant 170000 square feet (15,793.5 m²) Bemis Bag Building. That year Schonlau convinced the group to develop an artist-in-residence studio program in building. By the late 80s renovation began, with facilities including eight living spaces with heating, air conditioning, kitchens and baths. The first floor was renovated to produce an exhibition space, administrative offices, and sculpture studio complete with three large-scale gas kilns.
Today, the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is located in the old McCord, Brady, & Co. building on 12th and Leavenworth, under the direction of Mark Masuoka and is an internationally recognized artist-in-residence program. The program provides well-equipped studio spaces, living accommodations and a monthly stipend to artists who are awarded residencies. These artists come from around the world to work within a supportive community of like-minded people. The atmosphere and environment offer an ideal situation for creative growth and experimentation and encourage artists to confront new challenges. The band Tilly and the Wall
Tilly and the Wall
Tilly and the Wall is an indie pop group from Omaha, Nebraska. Their name originated from a children's book called Tillie and the Wall, written by Leo Lionni...
were the first band in residence in 2005.
The Bemis Center also presents over 20 cutting-edge exhibitions annually. These shows, which run in the Center's 3 main galleries, feature emerging and established artists and span all visual art mediums including video, installation and performance art.
External links
- Bemis Center official website.
- http://review-magazine.org/2008/06/14/unlimited-partnership/ Review Magazine