Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts facts for kids
| Established | 1981 |
|---|---|
| Type | Art museum Artist cooperative |
| Location |
The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is a special place in Omaha, Nebraska. It's located right in the heart of downtown, in a historic area called the Old Market Historic District. The Bemis Center is a unique spot where artists from all over the world can come to live and create art. They also host exciting art shows and public events that everyone can visit for free!
How It Started
The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts was created in 1981. It was founded by a group of talented artists: Jun Kaneko, Tony Hepburn, Lorne Falke, and Ree Schonlau. They wanted a place where artists could work and share their art.
In 1984, Ree Schonlau helped get support from the City of Omaha and other groups. They worked with the Mercer family, who owned a huge empty building. This building, called the Bemis Bag Building, was once a branch of the Nave & McCord Mercantile Company. It was about 170,000 square feet, which is super big!
Where It Has Been
The Bemis Center used to be in the Bemis Omaha Bag Company Building. This building was at 614 South 11th Street. Sadly, a big fire in 1999 caused a lot of damage to that building.
After the fire, the Bemis Center moved to its current home. Today, you can find it in the old McCord-Brady & Co. building. This building is located at the corner of 12th Street and Leavenworth Street in downtown Omaha.
See also
- Culture in Omaha
- The Old Market
