Past Exhibits
December 2 – December 23
Kim Darling – Gallery Artist
100 Kimmel Orchard & Vineyard is celebrating Laurine Oetgen Kimmel with an exhibition of her plein air paintings, depicting song birds, landscapes, barns, homes, family farmstead outhouses, and homesteading/pioneer days.
The exhibition was curated and debuted at Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in May 2025. It will be open to the public at the Morton-James Public Library in Nebraska City, Nebraska September 2 – October 28, 2025, will travel to Prairie Arts Center in North Platte, Nebraska November 3 – 26 2025, and lastly Norfolk Arts Center in Norfolk, Nebraska December 2 – 23, 2025.
Len Weyeneth, the President and CEO of Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts wrote: “Laurine Oetgen Kimmel was a well known Nebraska artist for many years. She was known primarily for a series called “American Architecture,” which are water color paintings of old outhouses. She was also very well known for her watercolor paintings of Old Barns and Small Birds. Her work is still widely held in high regard by families who commissioned her to do paintings of old family farmstead outhouses. Mrs. Kimmel once told me she had done over 600 such paintings. A number of her works can be seen at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts in Nebraska City and the Kimmel Foundation offices in Lincoln, Nebraska. Mrs. Kimmel was also featured in a number of national magazines and publications.”
November 14 – December 13
Ladies Guild Parade of Trees – Gallery
Don’t miss seeing the Parade of Trees at the Norfolk Arts Center…305 N 5th St., Norfolk, NE. The hours are Tuesday-Friday 10 AM- 6 PM and Saturday 10 AM-2 PM. This Saturday (December 13th) will be your last chance to see them)
This year we have trees on display from:
4th Street Sweets
ALS in the Heartland
America Legion Auxiliary (2024 winner)
Black Cow Fat Pig Pub & Steak
Elkhorn Valley Bank and Trust
Floral Expressions
For the Girls Inc.
Girl Scouts of America
Heckert Health Center LLC
Heritage of Bel Air
Kings Kids Child Care and Preschool
Norfolk Catholic Art Students
Norfolk Area Relay For Life
Norfolk Family YMCA/ Parkinson’s Program
Norfolk Fire and Rescue
Norfolk Senior High School Adult Transition
Northeast Community College
Northeast NE Extension Master Gardeners
North Fork Questers
Sign Gypsies Norfolk
Susie Jensen
With special support from:
Rachel Reiser
Divots Conference Center/Norfolk Lodge & Suites
Ruffcuts Dog & Cat Grooming
Please visit and VOTE for your favorite tree!
September 4 – November 7
Kim Darling – Gallery Artist
Artist Statement – “Strange Bedfellows began with listening. For years, I traveled asking strangers to share their wildlife stories; mountain lions, bobcats, and wolves. These stories reveal how our interspecies lives are entangled, revealing meaning and kinship.
In Nebraska, wildlife seeps into culture: deer on beer cans, antlers on trucks, ducks stitched into jackets. These images become fetishized symbols, icons of nostalgia or status, detached from the messy realities of the wildlife genocide that has occurred. At the same time, people care deeply for the land and its creatures, tending habitats, and protecting species. The prairie itself carries the scars of human intervention: centuries of land trauma, from bison slaughter and predator eradication to habitat loss and corporate agriculture. My work holds these contradictions, exploitation and attention, loss and persistence without resolving them, instead staging anarchic interventions that resist easy hierarchies or ownership.
It is in these anarchic interventions wherein my works exposes the fallacy that queerness is unnatural, and belongs in cities and not wild spaces. The tragedy of Brandon Teena and many other queer persons in Nebraska reminds us how dangerous that framing can be. Queer ecology insists that difference is not an aberration but intrinsic in biology itself. Nature resists binaries, with at least one in a hundred people chromosomally intersex, and countless species defying neat categories of “natural.” Ecofeminist thought deepens this, exposing how the dominion of bodies—land, animals, women’s bodies, and queer, trans, and non-binary bodies, have long been persecuted, observed and exploited under patriarchal and colonial power. Against this, practices of care, nurturing, repairing, tending, become radical acts of refusal, survival, and kinship.
My installations imagine prairies where difference flourishes: drones hover with ducks, antlers brush against beer logos, UFOs drift past deer and antelope, and ghosts of erased species and stories drift over a leg forest. These colliding environments offer possibilities for odd kinships. Wild in spirit, they dismantle the rigid separations of culture and nature, human and nonhuman, queer and rural, proposing instead a fugitive ecology of relation. Strange bedfellows and full of feral connection.”
Thank you to our sponsor: David & Johanna Threm
Shannon Olson – Atrium Artist
Artist Statement – “From a young age, I’ve always been creating-painting, drawing and crafting with anything I could get my hands on. Throughout my school years, I was constantly enrolled in art classes, whether it was pottery, oil painting, or painting still life with acrylics. It wasn’t until the last five years that my style truly evolved. Embracing bold, colorful art opened a whole new world for me. My flower garden serves as a major inspiration for my floral art, while my love for nature influences my landscape pieces. Through my human figure art, I am to convey the emotions we all experience in life.”
June 5 – August 27
Telagio Baptista – Gallery Artist
Telagio Baptista is a recent transplant to Omaha, Nebraska. He is a professional watercolor realist, instructor, and art juror.
Born and raised in California, he has lived in Northern California since 1985. Before 1985, Telagio owned and operated a graphic design studio in Hawaii for 20 years.
His love for the visual arts resulted in his high school paintings that won national awards and were awarded a scholarship to the San Francisco Fine Art Institute. Telagio finished his education with a BFA.
Telagio’s watercolor paintings have won juried art competitions internationally, nationally, and regionally.
Telagio is a visionist in portrait, figurative, waterscape, and cityscape artists using various atmospheric painting techniques. He often utilizes negative space to give his images room to “breathe” and express a specific feeling or mood. Every painting tells a story.
He uses a limited palette, valuing simplicity and restful space. In his view, “watercolor is magical, an exotic medium with no boundaries.” Telagio’s images vary from entirely realistic to somewhat more impressionistic.
He embraces the notion that his best work is yet to come. Telagio remains open to new ways of perceiving and understanding as an artist.
Telagio conducts private and group watercolor workshops in Omaha, surrounding areas, and outer states. Encouragement and support for each student characterize his teaching method. He brings his God-given and professional painting skills and enthusiasm to each private and group workshop, encouraging his students to speak “loud and clear” with their hearts and brushes.
Nicole Hoffmann – Atrium Artist
Nicole Hoffmann is an artist and art therapist living in Mullen, Nebraska. She grew up in the Sandhills and has had a love of art since middle school. She obtained degrees from Doane College (Bachelor’s in art and psychology) and Florida State University (Master’s in art therapy) before returning to her hometown. While at Doane, she studied art and culture in Italy, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, and Turkey. She currently works as a therapist/art therapist and creates art in her spare time. Nicole uses art therapy with many of her clients, including
adults, children, couples, and families. She also runs a small arts center in Mullen, which hosts various exhibits and workshops throughout the year. She recently attended abstract art workshops in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Rockland, Maine, which were both highly inspirational. Her extensive study of art combined with her various travels result in the art she makes today. Nicole is a member of several art clubs and has entered work in various art shows across Nebraska. She is also serves on a statewide art association board. Nicole’s work is currently on display at the Hot Shops in Omaha, Nebraska, and the Prairie Arts Center in North Platte, Nebraska.
Artist Statement:
My love for abstract art has evolved yet stayed constant over the years. I have always been drawn to ‘different’ ways of creating images and making art that is messy, bold, colorful, and expressive. Blind contour drawing was an early outlet for me. I have experience with various media, but am currently painting with acrylics and using mixed media to create compositions that draw people in and ask, ‘How was this done?’ I am inspired by nature, life, death, emotions, and relationships. I have a lot of stories to tell and am constantly inspired by my surroundings. I enjoy learning from other artists and gathering tools to enhance my creative process. My work as an art therapist has also been a major influence. Acting as a catalyst between my clients and their mental health is very humbling and artistically inspiring. Other influences include my family, spending time in new places, and my own vulnerability. I am a heavily intuitive painter, and often let the artwork lead me where it will. My art is highly expressive and evocative, and my goal is to ‘light a spark’ with viewers, to initiate emotion and conversation.
18th Annual Juried Show
April 10 – May 28
Welcome to the 18th Annual Juried Show! We are proud to feature a diverse range of artists who have been carefully selected to exhibit their work. This show highlights the unique creativity, techniques, and perspectives that each artist brings to our gallery
Kim Darling – this year’s juror for the Norfolk Arts Center’s 18th Annual Juried Show, is a multidisciplinary artist, , community advocate, and an independent curator exploring the intersections of social practice, painting, sculpture, and performance. Her work explores connections between gender and sociopolitical issues. Darling holds a BFA in studio art from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and an MFA from University of South Florida. Her work has been supported by the Nebraska Arts Council and The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). She is the recipient of several Artist-in-Residence fellowships throughout the country such as Swale with Mary Mattingly, Brooklyn, NY; Constellations Studios, Lincoln, NE; and Carrizozo Colony, Carrizozo, NM. Darling’s work has been exhibited in regional, national and international solo and group exhibitions at such notable institutions as Lux Center for the Arts, Lincoln, NE; Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Omaha, NE; and Bond Street Print Shop, NYC, NY, to name a few. Recent exhibitions include inclusion in Art Seen at the Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha, NE. Darling has worked for over a decade as a Community Arts Educator and Resident Artist for academic and nonprofit settings, engaging with diverse communities including low-income, special needs, rehabilitation, adult education, as well as family art programs and workshops, through her public engagement practice.
Participating Artists List:
The Annual Juried Show is proudly supported each year by the Karla Huse Endowment.
- Alex Jochim
- Ben Darling
- Beatriz Rodriguez
- Bonnie Mercer
- Butch Rohrschneider
- Clare Orwig
- Dixie Craft
- Derek Courtney
- Diana Tweedy
- Emily Stokes
- Fred Fleisher
- Francine Fox
- Gregory Brown
- Jan Johnson
- Jeanette Johnson
- Jaden Carslson
- Jeffrey Jacobs
- Jonathan Goodding
- Kaitlyn Lang
- Katie Wilson
- Lonn Atwood
- Leroy von Glan
- Laura Snyder
- Mark Andrew
- Mauricio Herrero
- Roberta Barnes
- Shelby Freehing
- Sue Morfeld
- Sarah Parys
- Staci Simonsen
- Todd Gift
March 6 – March 27
NORFOLK AREA STUDENT EXHIBITION
The Norfolk Area Student Exhibition is an annual celebration of young artistic talent in honor of Youth Art Month, a national initiative that emphasizes the importance of art education and creative expression in schools. This vibrant exhibition features artwork from students across the Norfolk area, providing them with a professional gallery setting to showcase their creativity and hard work.
A special highlight of this year’s exhibition is the collaborative work created under the guidance of artist Kim Darling. Spending a week with students, Darling led workshops in clay and painting, encouraging them to explore new techniques and express their unique artistic voices. These student-crafted projects are prominently displayed in the center of the main gallery, serving as a testament to the power of hands-on art education.
Participating schools include:
- Norfolk Public Schools
- Norfolk Catholic School
- Lutheran High Northeast
- Christ Lutheran School
- St. Paul’s Lutheran
Collaborative Projects by Kim Darling
Uncharted Marks:
These vibrant, expressive collaborative drawings are the result of an exciting weeklong workshop led by Nebraska Arts Council artist-in-residence Kim Darling, in partnership with Norfolk High School art instructor Tyson Koehn and his talented art students. Together, they explored the power of non-objective art, studying contemporary artists who embrace abstraction and spontaneous mark-making as a form of personal expression. Students were encouraged to push beyond traditional representation and trust their intuition, allowing their gestures, lines, and forms to emerge organically.
Through this process, students developed their own visual language, creating marks and symbols that reflected their individual voices. They then layered and intertwined their imagery with their peers’, transforming personal expression into a shared creative dialogue. Using a variety of drawing tools and watercolor, they embraced the unpredictable, building compositions rich with energy, rhythm, and emotion. The result is a collection of works that celebrate individuality while highlighting the power of artistic collaboration.
Unfired and Unfiltered: Hands in the Earth:
These raw, unfired clay works emerged from a dynamic week-long workshop with Nebraska Arts Council artist-in-residence, Kim Darling, Norfolk High School art instructor Tyson Koehn, and NHS art students. Each student shaped one piece to capture their emotions of the day, another as a vessel or symbolic object, and finally, engaged in a performative act with the clay itself. The process was both personal and communal, transforming simple earth into powerful reflections of identity, emotion, and storytelling.
Creation became a form of play-spontaneous, messy, and full of energy. Laughter and experimentation fueled the workshop, spilling over into the production of the accompanying video. The tactile nature of clay allowed students to embrace both control and chaos, revealing the dual power of art: to build up, break apart, and heal all at once.
Thanks to our sponsors for believing in the arts and supporting our gallery which is always free and open to the public!
**Sponsorship ensures the gallery is ALWAYS free and open to the public!
DECEMBER 5 – FEBRUARY 27
JORDYNE VANSELOW – Gallery Artist
“Reflected Realities”
“We measure the world with our bodies.” These words from my mentor have held a constant weight within my practice as I consider how whether independently or simultaneously, sensations are experienced both visually and physically. When I look at a decaying pinecone, I instantly see the shapes interacting that form its structure. When I am walking, I relate the scale and angle of my movements to those of the static objects moving past me as I go forward. As a train passenger looking out the window, you are presented with a visual of multiple realities. The windows and reflections on a train display many layers of information that only get more complex as the train begins to move and the information shifts. Whether it is through drawings on paper, video installation, or performance, my work persistently attempts to investigate and engage with the isolation and interaction of visual and physical sensations as they are experienced.
In working between a variety of materials, I have come to define drawing simply as a process of mapping – an act that simultaneously outlines and navigates through merged layers of information. By establishing a system or structure to inform the process, the act of drawing becomes an open-ended response, mapping the processes of thinking and seeing. Drawings exist as a site for mapping to occur through routine movements, expanding the boundary of drawing to also include performance, video, installation, and artifact, all of which serve as a documentation of how the artist experiences the world around them.
Reflected Realities is an exploration of reflection—both as a visual phenomenon and as a metaphor for the internal processes of thought. For a reflection to exist, it means that a surface has blocked the light and redirects it in some way for a viewer to see it with a new perspective. Reflections, both physical and mental, reveal the interplay between external influences and internal transformations. Light filtering through a window leaves an altered trace, much like how we process outside factors—reshaping them into new forms of thought, emotion, and perception. These changes occur constantly, but we become aware of them through the act of reflection, which, even then, offers only a distortion of the original. Physical reflections range from the clarity of mirrors to the subtleties of windows, their accuracy shifting with light and perspective. Similarly, mental reflections exist on a spectrum—those formed in the moment and those shaped by hindsight. Reflected Realities explores these layers of perception and transformation, inviting viewers to consider how we see, process, and reshape the world around us. Each mark, gesture, or captured frame maps the process of seeing and questioning, translating fleeting sensations into tangible forms. By embracing routine movements and allowing space for happenstance, drawing becomes a meditation on the isolation and interaction of experience.
riley farah – Atrium Artist
“Waxing Through the Years“
“Hi there, I’m Riley, a Batik enthusiast based in Omaha. My work is as unique as a
unicorn eating cotton candy while juggling flaming batons. To me, Batik isn’t just a form of art, it’s a way of life. From the crackling sound of the wax melting to the unpredictable patterns that emerge, I never have a dull moment. My process is a mix of chaos and control, just like my morning routine. I like to think that my Batik pieces are a visual representation of my journey through life – colorful, messy, and always evolving.
So come find me and my one-of-a-kind creations, and let’s embrace the beautiful chaos together”
SEPTEMBER 5 – NOVEMBER 22
HOLLY KRANKER/JOHN COHORST – Gallery Artist
“No Space Like Home”
No Space Like Home is an exhibition of work created by John Cohorst and Holly Kranker that explores the notion of home, both domestic and cosmic. Focusing on their respective practices and choice of clay as a primary medium and continuing thread, the two artists call attention to how we see ourselves in context to place while we navigate the world alongside one another. Employing humor, scale, and mundane, everyday objects, they invite the viewer into a space of deeper observation, contemplation, and inquiry to reflect on one’s own relationship to home, the unknown, and beyond.
About the Artists:
Holly Kranker is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice uses a variety of mediums to examine our sense of place, personal memory, and efforts to suspend moments in time through representation. Recent reflections in the studio are evolving around the expected lifecycle of an object and our emotional responses to these successions. An object has an intended purpose, a function we anticipate – what once was new, becomes used, deteriorates, and then passed along or, most commonly, eventually is discarded. We find ourselves placing value on objects important to us for reasons outside of practicality, somewhere resting in the murky waters of sentimentality. When an object has been discarded or becomes obsolete and is no longer needed, how does the value of that object change? Does it become devalued, or does its impending absence make it more desirable?
Much like our own bodies, Holly is curious to how these two things resonate similarly yet are vastly different. Objects come into view situated among the stickiness of our memories – they can become associated with corporeal and emotional experiences we have, recalled in intimate moments shared between one another, landmarks in a memory-scape. Feelings of nostalgia and longing are frequently entangled among the complex relationships we have with others. Often, these objects can become a substitute or a replacement for an actual person.
The crocheted blankets which are employed as a material component in much of this body of work have become stand-ins, representing the personal emotional connections with individuals. Much of her current work has focused on the incorporation of this specific object and its handling and re-articulation when paired in tandem with other unexpected materials and new environments. While considered a modest form of craft, blankets are literal manifestations of care; objects invested in, created by the body (hand), intended to provide literal comfort for our bodies.
Holly Kranker Bio:
Born and raised among the Midwest Plains, Holly Kranker graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2007 earning a BFA with an emphasis in Commercial Art and Interior Design from Pittsburg State University, Pittsburg, Kansas. Holly is a current third-year Sculpture + Experimental Media MFA graduate student in the School of Art at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and recipient of a J.William Fulbright College of Arts & Science Fellowship. For nearly a decade, and just prior to being accepted into the Masters Studio program, she was the Artists-in-Residence Program Manager at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts (Omaha, Nebraska). She was the studio manager and lead assistant to renowned glass sculptor, Therman Statom from 2008–2013. Holly has exhibited nationally and has received awards from the Birger Sandzèn Memorial Gallery in contemporary metal craft, George A. Spiva Center for the Arts in photography, and has work included in the National Park Foundation–Lewis and Clark Historic Trail permanent collection. She has been an artist-in-residence at the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts, Nebraska City, Nebraska, and a sculpture program artist mentor at Kent Bellows Mentoring Program. She was also awarded a Nebraska Arts Council Individual Artists Fellowship in 2019. Holly Kranker is currently based between Omaha, Nebraska and Fayetteville, Arkansas.
“ I always get the question, why astronauts? – my response is always, ‘there’s a lot of reasons, but to start, they’re funny…’ ! I use humor to draw the viewer in. I find the astronaut image speaks to people on different levels; for some, it’s scientific or about exploration, others see a nerdy outsider or a space cadet. People find aspects of themselves in these quirky illustrations and sculptures. I want you to be surprised when you see yourself reflected in the gold luster face shield! I hope that my Astroware pieces uplift, bring a smile to your face, and offer a moment of intimate self-reflection… literally! – John Cohorst
John Cohorst Bio:
John Cohorst is an Omaha-based artist, creating both functional and sculptural ceramic art. He received his B.F.A. and M.A. from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg Kansas, where he concentrated in functional ceramics. After graduating, he accepted a position as an artist assistant at Jun Kaneko’s Studio, in Omaha Nebraska. After leaving the Jun Kaneko Studio, he traveled to Tokoname Japan in the Aichi prefecture where he studied wood-firing techniques with the IWCAT (international workshop of ceramic artists at Tokoname) program. In 2010, he was accepted as an artist-in-residence at the Carbondale Clay Center in Carbondale, Colorado. In 2012, John moved into the studio collective of Studio for Arts + Works (SAW), and since 2014, has worked and traveled with the Artstream Nomadic Gallery. John returned to Omaha in 2019 where he currently lives and works.
BRIAN FINN – Atrium Artist
“The Norfolk Years: A 10th & Elm Retrospective”
About the show…
In this show, I’m sharing a sampling of the work I completed during my years in Norfolk, from 2008-2014. Norfolk is where I found my calling for visual art, living in near isolation. I knew very few people, and rarely left home unless it was for food or supplies. An avid writer in college, but content editor for a publishing company after graduating, my ability to create words of my own was stunted by the harsh critic created by that job. I still needed to MAKE though, and one day, I put pen to paper, and a visitor pushed that I draw another one – draw another one – more – and my creation of visual art began. Soon, word spread. “There’s this guy who’s never drawn before, and it’s childlike, but it’s weird, and you might like it.” I had more and more frequent visitors – people from the Norfolk area encouraged my production with kind words, donations of art supplies, and purchases of my work. I signed a contract for a solo exhibition at a space in Omaha within a year from then. I stayed in Norfolk several more years, at the top of the hill of 10th & Elm Streets. I lived in a one bedroom apartment, and my studio was my living room, with the old bubble style t.v. unplugged, and being used as a coffee table. Eventually, the opportunities in Omaha pulled me back, and I’ve been living in the Midtown creative community since 2014.
Artist Statement
Brian Finn loves creating characters and critters – playfully odd, simple lines on paper, or popping bold color off canvas or walls. Having no formal art instruction since 9th grade, he began creating visual art in his late 20s, all starting one afternoon in June of 2009, seemingly out of nowhere. Finn’s art has since been showcased during arts walks, live musical performances, plays, independent movies, spoken word readings, poetry slams, and private events hosted by galleries, theatres, DIY creative venues, coffee shops, and bars. He started selling his work in online stores, began designing T-shirts, album covers, posters, and received commissions for public and private murals. He’s done custom paintings and drawings for people who don’t want a replication of a photograph, but something from his unique mind’s eye.
Notable venues hosting BFinn’s work in the past include Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Split Gallery, Star Deli, Petshop Gallery, House Of Loom, Shelterbelt Theatre, and The P.S. Collective (Omaha); Metro Gallery and Parrish Studios (Lincoln); Evelyn Larson Theatre (Sioux City, IA); Harvester Artspace (Council Bluffs, IA); Wayne State College (Wayne); and The Norfolk Arts Center, including live painting at its very first First Friday event. A Wayne native and resident of Norfolk for six years, Finn now lives in Omaha, where he does vinyl-only DJ gigs from time to time.
JUNE 6 – AUGUST 28
Reagan D. Pufall – Gallery Artist
Archives II
Experience the captivating intersection of art and community in our upcoming summer exhibition by Reagan D. Pufall. Immerse yourself in a unique journey as Pufall, a distinguished artist, visited our art center on two occasions to meticulously scan the faces of Norfolk community members. The result? A stunning display of 3D prints that beautifully encapsulate the essence and diversity of our local community.
This exhibition takes a special focus on the Ponca Tribe elders, a testament to Pufall’s meaningful connection while in the community. Having traveled to the Ponca Tribe during their annual Powwow, Pufall was granted the honor of capturing the likenesses of the esteemed elders. The result is a collection that not only celebrates the rich cultural heritage of the Ponca Tribe but also serves as a visual narrative of the artist’s deep respect for the traditions and individuals he encountered.
Join us from JUNE 6 to AUGUST 29 as we showcase these evocative 3D prints, inviting you to explore the intricate details of each face and the stories they hold. Pufall’s masterful work invites reflection on the interconnectedness of art, culture, and the vibrant tapestry of our community. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness this extraordinary exhibition that beautifully bridges the gap between artistic expression and the spirit of community.
Reagan Davis Pufall was shaped by his childhood growing up in North Dakota. Its long cold winters coupled with short and stormy summers instilled in him a permanent sense of restlessness and the drama of nature. Winter days trapped indoors by bitter cold led him to adopt a lifelong habit of reading. He reads broadly, and in his youth particularly enjoyed exploring the worlds presented in classic fiction, fantasy, science fiction, and the ancient mythology of many cultures. Once winter lifted the warming spring weather would lead him outdoors to explore the open countryside around him; away from the worlds contained in books and into the wide open world of the northern plains. Later, his family moved south to Nebraska, which has a more moderate four seasons climate. Ironically, this shift inverted his calendar; now it was the bright and bracing – but not bitterly cold – days of winter that lured him out into the natural world of the prairies.
In high school he was introduced to photography by a teacher who encouraged both his still life and landscape work. At first his work focused primarily on landscapes, and he loved the hiking and camping that were required to capture those images. However, he eventually found that ground had already been well explored and captured by the photographers and painters who had come before him. During and after the years he spent at the San Francisco Art Institute, he returned to the studio and began creating his own landscapes, inspired to bring into tangible existence the worlds he had encountered in the real and fictional stories of his youthful reading. Currently he lives in Omaha Nebraska where he teaches Art and Design
Mary Mancuso – Atrium Artist
“Every Picture Tells a Story”
“If I could say it with words, I wouldn’t need to paint.” Thanks to renowned artist Edward Hopper who came up with the quote, I now have the perfect explanation for my approach to painting. I can’t readily explain what and why I choose to paint a particular subject, but it always starts with some singular point of fascination – it could be the lighting, or a color combination, or perhaps it’s inspired by a profound experience that I want to try to ‘give life to’ in some way. From that point on, it’s a continuous exploration involving lots of discoveries and ‘happy accidents.’ That’s why the title of my exhibit selections is “Every Picture Tells a Story.” I strive to unlock my story and experiences and better understand what each piece means to me.
APRIL 11 – MAY 29
Join us for the vibrant celebration of local and regional artistry as we mark the 17th Annual Juried Show, a testament to the creative pulse of Northeast Nebraska. This year’s showcase promises a captivating array of artistic talent, highlighting the diverse and dynamic works of our community’s gifted artists.
We are honored to announce Turner McGehee from Hastings College as our esteemed juror for this year’s exhibition. A distinguished figure in the world of visual arts, Professor McGehee brings a wealth of experience and expertise to our event. As a Professor of Visual Arts and a cornerstone of the Hastings College Art Department since 1983, his passion for printmaking, drawing, and art history resonates through his illustrious career.
Professor McGehee’s artistic journey spans prestigious exhibitions across renowned institutions such as the Joslyn Museum, Sioux City Art Center, and the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia, to name a few. His works have graced galleries not only across the United States but also internationally, leaving an indelible mark in Taipei, Amsterdam, and Buchenbach.
With an impressive academic background in psychology from Washington and Lee University and an MFA in printmaking from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Professor McGehee embodies a fusion of artistry and academia. His insightful lectures on topics ranging from the ancient Maya’s art to the psychology of creativity showcase his multifaceted understanding of the artistic realm.
This year, the Hastings College Art Department collaborates with the juried show, adding another layer of creative synergy to this esteemed event. Together, we aim to create an immersive and inspiring experience that celebrates the richness of local and regional art while honoring the expertise and discernment of Professor Turner McGehee.
Join us for an unforgettable journey through the world of artistic brilliance at our 17th Annual Juried Show. Embrace the creativity, diversity, and vision that define our vibrant community’s artistic tapestry.
March 6 – March 27
NORFOLK AREA STUDENT EXHIBITION
The Norfolk Area Student Exhibition is an annual celebration of young artistic talent in honor of Youth Art Month, a national initiative that emphasizes the importance of art education and creative expression in schools. This vibrant exhibition features artwork from students across the Norfolk area, providing them with a professional gallery setting to showcase their creativity and hard work.
A special highlight of this year’s exhibition is the collaborative work created under the guidance of artist Kim Darling. Spending a week with students, Darling led workshops in clay and painting, encouraging them to explore new techniques and express their unique artistic voices. These student-crafted projects are prominently displayed in the center of the main gallery, serving as a testament to the power of hands-on art education.
Participating schools include:
- Norfolk Public Schools
- Norfolk Catholic School
- Lutheran High Northeast
- Christ Lutheran School
- St. Paul’s Lutheran
Collaborative Projects by Kim Darling
Uncharted Marks:
These vibrant, expressive collaborative drawings are the result of an exciting weeklong workshop led by Nebraska Arts Council artist-in-residence Kim Darling, in partnership with Norfolk High School art instructor Tyson Koehn and his talented art students. Together, they explored the power of non-objective art, studying contemporary artists who embrace abstraction and spontaneous mark-making as a form of personal expression. Students were encouraged to push beyond traditional representation and trust their intuition, allowing their gestures, lines, and forms to emerge organically.
Through this process, students developed their own visual language, creating marks and symbols that reflected their individual voices. They then layered and intertwined their imagery with their peers’, transforming personal expression into a shared creative dialogue. Using a variety of drawing tools and watercolor, they embraced the unpredictable, building compositions rich with energy, rhythm, and emotion. The result is a collection of works that celebrate individuality while highlighting the power of artistic collaboration.
Unfired and Unfiltered: Hands in the Earth:
These raw, unfired clay works emerged from a dynamic week-long workshop with Nebraska Arts Council artist-in-residence, Kim Darling, Norfolk High School art instructor Tyson Koehn, and NHS art students. Each student shaped one piece to capture their emotions of the day, another as a vessel or symbolic object, and finally, engaged in a performative act with the clay itself. The process was both personal and communal, transforming simple earth into powerful reflections of identity, emotion, and storytelling.
Creation became a form of play-spontaneous, messy, and full of energy. Laughter and experimentation fueled the workshop, spilling over into the production of the accompanying video. The tactile nature of clay allowed students to embrace both control and chaos, revealing the dual power of art: to build up, break apart, and heal all at once.
Thanks to our sponsors for believing in the arts and supporting our gallery which is always free and open to the public!
**Sponsorship ensures the gallery is ALWAYS free and open to the public!
September 4 – November 7
September 4 – November 7
December – February
Ron Nordyke – Gallery Artist
“Made by Hand“
Painting pieces of the American Landscape we love, and like a quilter…using every scrap.
Just like the quilts he often paints, he assembles ideas and images in refreshingly new ways to create intriguing acrylic paintings that speak of things we love. He uses common everyday objects and presents them in fascinating and thought provoking compositions.
WE WROTE IN THE LAND
A native of Nebraska, Ron and his wife Dianne live in Chappell, Nebraska, both retired teachers. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln in 1971, the Nordyke’s spent over twenty years in the upholstery business. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren. They enjoy walking, traveling, family “get togethers” and camping.
Nick Gadbois – Atrium Artist
“Midwest Landscapes”
NICK GADBOIS- I am a painter residing in Ottawa Kansas. The landscapes I paint are drawn from subjects in Kansas, Nebraska, and paths westward. Many of the works reflect time I have spent in the Flint Hills region. When I was a boy growing up in Minnesota, our family took road trips out West. I also watched a lot of TV Westerns in black and white. The landscape seemed a strange adventurous place where cowboys and Indians and bandits fought it out. At an early age, I was struck by the wide expanses of prairie that seemed to go on forever. Learning about the journeys of the pioneers westward served to deepen my attraction to this vast area of mid America. To me there is something mythic about the histories that hover above the grasslands and hills of the West. In more recent years, trips along old Route 66 provided compelling subject matter for me. Although my paintings appear realistic I am more interested in creating the mood of a place than in any objective realism.
Opening Artist Reception: December 14 | 5 – 7 pm
September 7 – November 29
Crossing the Line
UNK International Show
These are some of the featured artists among many in the exhibition!
- Koichi Yamamoto (born in Japan) is an artist who merges traditional and contemporary techniques so as to develop unique and innovative approaches to the language of printmaking.
He completed a BFA at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon, and then moved to Krakow, Poland, later he studied engraving at the Bratislava Academy of Fine Arts in the Slovak Republic. Koichi also studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Poznan, Poland, and completed an MFA at the University of Alberta, Canada. In addition, he has worked as a textile designer in Fredericia, Denmark.
Koichi has exhibited internationally. He has taught at Utah State University and the University of Delaware and is currently a professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Recent 1-3 person exhibitions include:
Sage Community Arts Gallery, Sheridan, Wyoming, 2022
Cartavtra Gallery, Florence, Italy, 2021
Creekside studio, Austin, Texas, 2021
Recent Juried exhibitions include:
Impact 10 Enquentro, Santander, Spain, 2018
Delta National Small Prints Exhibition, Bradbury Art Museum, Jonesboro, Arkansas, 2017
Pacific States Biennial North American Print Exhibition, University of Hawaii, Hilo, 2016
- Mizin Shin: Born and raised in South Korea, Mizin Shin graduated from Hong-ik University with a B.F.A in Printmaking and received her M.F.A from SUNY at Buffalo. Leading numerous printmaking workshops with a number of art organizations, Shin focuses on both traditional and contemporary printmaking practices to promote a multidisciplinary approach to the medium.
Shin’s work has been shown nationally and internationally at institutions across the United States, the UK, Spain, and South Korea in exhibitions including Contemporary Perspectives in Printmedia, Art In Craft Media, IPCNY: New Prints 2017/Winter, Wheaton Biennial: Printmaking Reimagined, Currency: 11th Turner National Print Competition & Exhibition, and Screenprint Biennial 2016.
Mizin Shin is a co-founder of Mirabo Press in Buffalo, NY, vice president of the Print Club of Rochester, and a board member of Mid America Print Council. She is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Art & Art History at the University of Rochester.
Recent awards include:
Honorable Mention, MAPC Juried Members Exhibition, The Mid America Print Council, USA, 2021
Best in Show, Environs, The Print Club of Rochester, USA, 2021
Recent exhibitions include:
Use Your Voice #StopAsianHate, 2022 SGCI Conference, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Making Space, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY, USA, 2022
A Change is Coming, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, Rochester, NY, USA, 2022
THRESHOLD: Exhibition of International Print Exchange Programme 2021, Studio Pannadwar, Naigaon, India, 2022
CADEAUX, Raft of Sanity, Buffalo, NY, USA, 2021
Finding Common Ground, San Francisco Center for the Book, CA, USA, 2021
Spoken and Seen #UseYourVoice, Texas Tech University, School of Art, Lubbock, TX, USA, 2021
Spoken and Seen #UseYourVoice, Western New York Book Arts Center, Buffalo, NY, USA, 2021
MAPC Juried Members Exhibition, Drewelowe Gallery, The University of Iowa, School of Art and Art History, IA, USA, 2021
Constellations, Main Street Arts, Clifton Springs, NY, USA, 2021
Multiple Ones: Contemporary Perspective in Printmaking, Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, FL, USA, 2021
- Natalia Moroz was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan (Former Soviet Union).
After attending a children’s art studio for a few years, she studied at Republican Art School (Graphic Design) and then at Tashkent Institute of Fine Arts (Book Illustration). There she was introduced to relief printmaking. Her artworks were purchased into public collections such as the State Museum of Fine Art, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and Museum of Modern Arts, Urgench, Uzbekistan.
In 1995 she moved to the United States. Residing in New York, she continued her education at the Fashion Institute of Technology (Graphic Design and Advertising) and worked as a graphic designer and freelance illustrator. The list of her clients includes UNICEF Flag Stamp Program, the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, North Carolina Literary Review to name a few.
She is a member of the Society of American Graphic Artists, American Color Print Society, and Los Angeles Printmaking Society. Her prints had been represented by many galleries in the United States and were exhibited widely in numerous printmaking competitions and shows.
Public Collections include:[Text Wrapping Break]Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Indiana, USA[Text Wrapping Break]Free Library of Philadelphia, PA, USA[Text Wrapping Break]Arkansas State University, AR, USA[Text Wrapping Break]Uzbekistan State Museum of Fine Art, Tashkent, Uzbekistan[Text Wrapping Break]Museum of Modern Arts, Urgench, Uzbekistan[Text Wrapping Break]The Art Exhibition Management, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Selected Exhibitions[Text Wrapping Break]Fall Free for All, Hart Witzen Gallery, Oct 19, Charlotte, NC, 2019
Fall Free for All, Hart Witzen Gallery, Apr 21, Charlotte, NC, 2018
ACPS 73rd Members Exhibition at The Print Center, Oct 24 – Nov 21, Philadelphia, PA, 2010[Text Wrapping Break]30th Annual National Print Exhibition at Artlink, Apr 16-May 26, Fort Wayne, IN, 2010
- Dominique Labauvie (born in France 1948): is a French Postwar & Contemporary artist. Numerous key galleries and museums such as Mindy Solomon Gallery have featured Dominique Labauvie’s work. Dominique Labauvie has been featured in articles for ArtDaily and BURNAWAY. The most recent article in the Intersect Palm Springs announced exhibitors for 2022 edition written for ArtDaily in January 2022.
Selected exhibitions include:
Road Runner, an Installation of 8 sculptures, Parallelogram Gallery, Tampa, FL, 2021
Air Fer Mer, Tampa Museum of Art, Tampa, FL, 2020
Warm Up in Tandem, Gallery@221, Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, FL (catalogue), 2020
Dominique Labauvie: Urban Beings ,Mindy Solomon Gallery ,Miami, Florida, USA, 2019
L ,Frac Ile-de-France, Le Chateau ,Bussy-saint-martin, France, 2018
Love’s Vacuum, The Leo Castelli Gallery, Brenau University, Georgia (catalogue), 2018
Line of Flight, Commissioned suspended sculpture, Grand Hall, MFA St. Petersburg, Florida, 2018
Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration ,Museum of Fine Arts, Saint Petersburg ,St. Petersburg, Florida, USA, 2017
SKYWAY: A Contemporary Collaboration ,Tampa Museum of Art ,Tampa, Florida, USA, 2017
Krisrina Paabus: Kristina Paabus is a cross-disciplinary artist with a focus in Reproducible Media.
Paabus (US/EE) was born and raised in Massachusetts and is a first-generation American. She studied fine arts and religious studies at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, printmaking at the Estonian Academy of Arts, and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Art History Concentration at the Rhode Island School of Design.
In 2009 she earned a Master of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and later that same year, Paabus returned to Estonia on a Fulbright Fellowship in Installation Art.
Paabus has exhibited work in Chicago, Boston, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Rosendale, Providence, Reykjavik, Miami, Berlin, and Tallinn. Recent residencies include ACRE (WI), Ox-Bow (MI), Women’s Studio Workshop (NY), Lill Street (IL), Culture Factory Polymer (Estonia), Samband Íslenskra Myndlistarmanna (Iceland), and Zidul De Hardie-Artfest (Romania).
Her work is on display in many private and public collections such as Fogg Art Museum, University of Dallas, Estonian Academy of Arts, Spudnik Press, Women’s Studio Workshop, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, University of Iowa Museum, University of Iowa Print Archive, and Grant Wood Art Colony.
Prior to arriving in Oberlin, Paabus was an instructor and graduate coordinator in the Department of Printmedia at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a visiting assistant professor and Grant Wood Fellow in Printmaking at the University of Iowa.
In 2014 Paabus joined the board of the Mid-America Print Council as the membership chair.
Selected solo exhibitions:
2020 Something to Believe In, McDonough Museum of Art, Youngstown, OH 2019 Vahepeal / Meanwhile, Hobusepea Galerii, Tallinn, Estonia, 2020
2017 Until, 2731 Prospect Gallery, Cleveland, OH, 2017
Selected group exhibitions:
Sonata #6, Survival Kit Gallery, Cleveland, OH, 2021
Hajali, aga koos / Dispersed Yet Together, Estonian House, New York, NY Printers Select, Heights Arts, Cleveland Heights, OH, 2021
6th Tallinn International Drawing Triennial IMPULSE, ARS, Tallinn, Estonia, 2021
Pittsburgh Print Group New Member Exhibition, Artist Image Resources, Pittsburgh, PA, 2021
Forging Ahead, Brew House Association, Pittsburgh, PA, 2021
PrintAustin: The Contemporary Print 2020, Big Medium, Austin, TX, 2020
- Sergey Melnitchenko (born 1991, Mykolaiv) — Ukrainian photographer. Sergey got interested in photography in 2009. He works in staged and documentary photography. In his teenage years Sergey used to be a professional dancer, and performed abroad, mostly in China. It was in China that he created Behind the Scenes series (2016), for which he later received Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award.
Other awards and exhibitions Melnithcenko has been honored with include:
*Nomination for Foam Paul Huf Award (2020). The Foam Paul Huf Award is an internationally acclaimed photography prize aiming to support generational talents and provide a platform for photographers from across the world.
* Publication by MOKSOP (Museum of Kharkiv School of Photography) of his “Schwarzenegger is my idol” series as a photobook (March 2020), Kharkiv, Ukraine
* Second Biennale of Young Art Award (2019) (where?)
* Batumi Photodays (2018), Batumi, Georgia
*Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award (2018), Tbilisi, Georgia
*Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award (2017). The Leica Oskar Barnack Award is an international photo contest for photographers (international, online).
*«Фотограф Року» [Photographer of the year], 2012, 2013, 2016 (online, Ukraine)
*“Золота Камера” [Golden Camera] (Kyiv, Ukraine) 2016
*“Pinchuk Art Center Prize (2015), (Kyiv, Ukraine)
*“Off Festival Bratislava” (2014), Bratislava, Slovakia
* Shortlisted for Krakow Photomonth (2013), Krakow, Poland
Melnitchenko is a founder of the platform for conceptual and art photography — MYPH (Mykolaiv Young Photographers Group, school and gallery) in his native Mykolaiv. Member of UPHA — Ukrainian Photographic Alternative.
June 1 – August 30, 2023
Santiago Cal
Over the years, my work has been driven by my desire to explore emotion, memory, and identity. This multi-faceted investigation has resulted in a wide-ranging body of work that includes singular sculptural objects, multimedia installations, drawings, and videos. More specifically, I have focused on the human body as a means to excavate and explore my emotions, memories, and identity. Some of my works represent actual persons, places, and events. These renderings stem from historical accounts or personal memories. However, these are not mere illustrations—they capture an emotional tone rather than a realistic depiction. Other works represent fictitious persons and capture various psychological states. I use exaggerated proportions, tense gestures, crude surfaces, and isolation to accomplish this.
Most of my sculptures are carved from wood. This is of great importance to me for several reasons. Being born and raised in Central America, trees permeated our reality and imagination. The ceiba trees, for example, were never cut down in the fields and pastures because the Maya believed they were the physical connection to the gods (between the earth and heavens.) In the backyard of my childhood home was a mahogany tree. I would climb into the canopy as a place of refuge and for thought. This was the intimate formation of my interaction with trees. When I started to sculpt, I learned to work with many materials, but none had the same appeal as working with wood. I love the labor involved, the variation within each piece of lumber, and thinking about its origin and life. Lastly, I am a great admirer of wooden sculptures ranging from the earliest non-western objects to the Northern Renaissance sculpture, to contemporary wood sculpture. As a result, renditions from the crude to the refined are evidenced in my sculptures. I embrace all means of manipulating the material in order to represent different ideas.
In conjunction with the wooden figures are objects referring to culture and place. The umbrella, hammock, the guayabera, the machete, and the five-gallon bucket lid are all linked to my memories of growing up in Belize. I think of these objects as symbols and metaphors. The machete, for example, is an anxious object. It sits on the hip or in the back of every vehicle potent with merit or harm. Growing up in a developing country, I often felt that this characteristic was indicative of most men, so I use the machete as a symbol to represent this attribute. The five-gallon bucket is used to transport everything, food, water, materials, animals, etc. But the lid is significant to me because it is essential but overlooked. It’s the component that keeps the contents contained or safe. The guayabera shirt is significant because it is symbolic of Latin America masculinity. When a young boy wears one, he is a little man which alludes to the masculine expectations inherent in the attire. It is also worn by the cane farmer to the politician with pride, as a rejection of the Western standards of a dress suit. When using these objects, I think of both the beauty and struggles of my Central American memories.
As an artist, it is integral that my works represent an honest interpretation of my thoughts at that given moment. Because of this, my entire body of work has many variables in terms of subject and aesthetics. This approach to making does result in varied explorations rather than a singular or signature style but there is a consistency in my intent. I’m a curious meanderer but my objective is to interpret moments in my time and place for the audience to experience.
James Brewer
Painting is about space. The space I represent in my pictures is my reality. My world. Personal. Although covering the surface of a canvas with representational imagery is hardly a novel idea, there is little doubt that most painters, the known as well as the rest of us, if not having made a career of it have at least given it a shot. I have pursued the idea itself for the better part of fifty plus years. Albeit my first twenty years of slinging paint were, with rare exceptions, abstract works which were completely void of anything representational. During that period, I smeared canvases with either geometric or organic shapes of color. Were these pictures to find a niche, they could possibly approximate Color Field painting. A major influence along the way was Mark Rothko, a painter whose mature works were exclusively non-objective. My interests would eventually broaden to include figurative pictures akin to the stylized works of Milton Avery, and later to another artist, the naive painter, Henri Rousseau. Rousseau’s crowding of the picture plane and compression of images was of special interest to me. By experimenting with what I could steal from these artists, and a number of others, my work morphed from where space and form were abstractions to where I began abstracting the space but not the forms. Ergo, the transition to representational imagery became a natural progression in my attempt to create the illusion of something that exists beyond the surface of the picture plane and continued to support the integrity of how I record space. The results are what you see before you.
16th Annual Juried Show
March 30 – May 24, 2023
We encourage artists of all expertise to apply to the 16th Annual Juried Show in 2023! Approximately 20-30 fine art works encompassing all mediums, styles, and genres will be exhibited in the NAC gallery.
WIN
$250 Best of show | $150 1st Place | $100 2nd Place
Featuring local and regional artists.
Zoe Nielsen
Jeanette Johnson
Francine Fox
Butch Rohrschneider
Tom Schultz
Diana Jo Tweedy
Victoria Harper
Greg Brown
Rodney Beyke
Wendy Ketelsen
Janna Harsch
Katy Edmisten
Rachel Vogel
Katie Wilson
Karen Voborny
Frank Taylor
Mike Trotter
Denise Kraft
Barb Gustafsson
Sue Morfeld
Jerene Kruse
Bonnie Mercer
Erin Spencer
Mary Mancuso
Steve Elliot
Danika Rowe
Leroy Von Glan
Kathleen Lohr
Clark Koppelmann
Bobbie Leesley
Norfolk Area Student Exhibition
March 4 – March 22
March is National Youth Art month as well as National Art Education month. To celebrate, each year NAC welcome’s Norfolk’s public, and parochial students to participate in a gallery exhibition. It is an opportunity for young, aspiring artists to display their work for our community. Families proudly view their budding artists’ work.
Artwork created by students from the Norfolk area will adorn the walls of the Gallery and Atrium, as we host the annual Norfolk Area Student Exhibition. Public and parochial instructors gather artwork throughout the school year and then come together to create this amazing collection of student art. Elementary middle and high school students are represented and all skill levels are on display. New for this year will be a half gallery black lit exhibit. Specially created artwork will come to life in the dark of the half gallery. Join us to see this unique display beginning March 4 with the student artist opening reception. From 10 am – 12 pm drinks and refreshments will be served by Alpha Nu a chapter of Beta Sigma Phi
Sponsored By
JOHN McCAUGHEY & LISA WICKA – Gallery Artists
December 1, 2022 – February 22, 2023
My entire process is a formal exploration of color, texture, space, and time. I draw inspiration from so many different sources… distressed architecture, pop art, graffiti, abstract expressionism, the New Aesthetic movement and so much more.” – John
“My work is a surface where this dialogue becomes visible explorations of my surroundings and my identity, a surrogate self with limitless possibilities. Often referencing architechural spaces, wallpapers, and raw materials… “ – Lisa
Thanks to our sponsors for believing in the arts and supporting our gallery which is always free and open to the public!
**Sponsorship ensures the gallery is ALWAYS free and open to the public!