Upcoming Events
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
BFF Made a Maze: Recycled Art Workshop
We’re putting on a show inspired by Dave Made a Maze and creating our own cardboard labyrinth in the BFF Gallery. Join us the last Sunday of every month (June-October) following the Green Team Clean up for workshops creating artwork out of recycled materials.
October 3rd First Friday!
Join us every First Friday of the month in the Benson Creative District for a night filled with art, live music, food, and community! From 5 PM to 2 AM, experience a variety of gallery openings, art exhibitions, local vendors, and live performances at venues across Maple Street and beyond!
Amoral City Folk
Three NYC-based artists bring new works to Omaha:
🖌️ Original paintings by Kaitlyn Lang (@della.lang.92)
🎥 Video installations by Brandon Burkett (@bb_moves_nyc)
🖼️ Paintings by Jeffrey Jacobs (@the_dark_water)
Benson Bolt .5k: The Race for People Who Hate Running
All the trauma bonding of a marathon—minus the trauma, the mileage, and the actual athleticism. Welcome to the Benson Bolt .5k, where we run a whopping .31 miles (yes, that decimal is intentional) through some of Benson’s finest spots.
Forget the starting gun—we’re kicking things off with a shot at St. Andrews. Hydration? Optional. Swagger? Mandatory. Then it’s a brisk stumble to The Sydney for shot number two, because cardio is better with gatorade vodka.
We’ll wrap things up somewhere around 58th and Corby and crash straight into the Handmade Parade. Costumes are highly encouraged—because if you’re going to run less than half a mile, you might as well look stellar doing it.
So lace up your sneakers, stretch your liver, and join us for the most gloriously unserious race of the year.
Breathing Occupation
A vignette into the West Bank, Gaza, and the Palestinian diaspora in Omaha.
Through art and immersive displays by local Palestinians, Breathing Occupation offers space to educate, process, and encourage action.
Handmade Parade
Experience the Handmade Parade, where giant puppets, dazzling costumes, and lively performances fill historic downtown Benson with color and energy. Whether you're marching, performing, or cheering from the sidelines, your presence is a symbol of resilience, creativity, and connection at a time when we need to celebrate our differences, lift each other up, and showcase the beauty of self-expression…
NATA Art Educator Exhibition
The annual NATA Art Educators Art Show will be on exhibition at BFF Omaha in Benson Creative District ! The Art Educator Show Closing Reception will be held at BFF Gallery on Saturday, Oct. 18 at 4:00pm.
2nd Thursday Art Club
Every 2nd Thursday, 6–8 pm, Trudy’s Education Space turns into a community art room! Drop in anytime, bring your own project or play with our basic supplies. We’ll even have a still life ready if you want to try it out.
All ages, all skill levels, and all imaginations are welcome. Free to attend, no sign-up needed. Just look for the sandwich board out front and come make something with us!
November 7th First Friday!
Join us every First Friday of the month in the Benson Creative District for a night filled with art, live music, food, and community! From 5 PM to 2 AM, experience a variety of gallery openings, art exhibitions, local vendors, and live performances at venues across Maple Street and beyond!
2nd Thursday Art Club
Every 2nd Thursday, 6–8 pm, Trudy’s Education Space turns into a community art room! Drop in anytime, bring your own project or play with our basic supplies. We’ll even have a still life ready if you want to try it out.
All ages, all skill levels, and all imaginations are welcome. Free to attend, no sign-up needed. Just look for the sandwich board out front and come make something with us!
BFF Ball + Art Auction
✨ Get ready for BFF’s most dazzling event of the year! The 2025 BFF Ball & Art Auction returns Friday, November 14th! Get ready for another unforgettable ball celebrating another memorable year of art, music, culture, and community!
December 5th First Friday!
Join us every First Friday of the month in the Benson Creative District for a night filled with art, live music, food, and community! From 5 PM to 2 AM, experience a variety of gallery openings, art exhibitions, local vendors, and live performances at venues across Maple Street and beyond!
2nd Thursday Art Club
Every 2nd Thursday, 6–8 pm, Trudy’s Education Space turns into a community art room! Drop in anytime, bring your own project or play with our basic supplies. We’ll even have a still life ready if you want to try it out.
All ages, all skill levels, and all imaginations are welcome. Free to attend, no sign-up needed. Just look for the sandwich board out front and come make something with us!
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
2nd Thursday Art Club
Every 2nd Thursday, 6–8 pm, Trudy’s Education Space turns into a community art room! Drop in anytime, bring your own project or play with our basic supplies. We’ll even have a still life ready if you want to try it out.
All ages, all skill levels, and all imaginations are welcome. Free to attend, no sign-up needed. Just look for the sandwich board out front and come make something with us!
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Lidwina - Sheila Talbitzer
When artist & educator Sheila Talbitzer was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she began transforming her own MRI scans into embroidered works — flowers blooming in impossible places, each one marking a lesion from her first scan.
By combining photography, fabric, and embroidery, Sheila turns stark medical documents into meditations on resilience, fear, and beauty.
Hunter Parry: Self-Titled
Painter and draftsman Hunter Parry brings his classically trained eye to @thebffgallery with Self-Titled, a new exhibition that highlights his refined technique and quiet intensity.
Based in Omaha and a graduate of The Florence Academy of Art, Parry’s work bridges tradition and contemporary vision.
APRIL VENDETTA — DREAM BABY DREAM
April Vendetta is an artist and archivist whose work explores control, labor, punishment, and surveillance—examining the body’s resilience in the face of it all. With over a decade of experience in community-based performance art, they founded Human Trash Dump in 2015, an online, open-source collaborative archive.
Their practice also bridges personal history and cultural memory, including preserving a home movie collection documenting the art and life of their late uncle, Kent Bellows.
September 5th First Friday!
Join us every First Friday of the month in the Benson Creative District for a night filled with art, live music, food, and community! From 5 PM to 2 AM, experience a variety of gallery openings, art exhibitions, local vendors, and live performances at venues across Maple Street and beyond!
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
BFF Made a Maze: Recycled Art Workshop
We’re putting on a show inspired by Dave Made a Maze and creating our own cardboard labyrinth in the BFF Gallery. Join us the last Sunday of every month (June-October) following the Green Team Clean up for workshops creating artwork out of recycled materials.
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
PETFEST 2025
🔥 PETFEST 2025 💥
PETFEST is a DIY-fueled, sweat-soaked, ear-ringing, all-day music explosion packed with the loudest, weirdest, and most face-meltingly good bands Omaha has to offer. No fluff. No filler. Just two stages of pure chaos.
💥 SATURDAY, AUGUST 16 | 2PM – MIDNIGHT
📍 PETSHOP | TWO STAGES!!
🎟️ $30 Advance / $40 Day of
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
JEONG — Korean Artworks by Russ Oberg
Part of the New American Arts Festival, JEONG explores the Korean concept of deep emotional connection through vibrant, symbolic works by Russ Oberg.
Yuanjun Chen: Most of My Works To-Date
Yuanjun Chen: Most of My Works To-Date
📍 PETSHOP — 2727 N. 62nd St.
📅 Opening Reception: 8.1.25
🖼 On View Through: 9.20.25
In 2018, I came to Omaha hoping to finish my undergraduate degree in three years.For many reasons, it ended up taking longer than I expected. I arrived not knowing anyone or anything about the region, but over time, I came to recognize the streets and build friendships. Living in Omaha for six years had a significant impact on my life. Before I left, I wanted to share my photographs—and here we are.
I had been photographing primarily with film since 2012. Sometimes I would carry my camera for two days in a row without seeing anything that interested me. Other times, I’d come across something fascinating while running errands—without a camera on me. After a few of those moments, I started making a habit of always carrying a camera (mostly film) to avoid the regret of missing something. Because of that, people often asked me, “What do you like to photograph?”
For a few years, I wasn’t really sure how to answer, which made sense. Since I mostly find my subjects in everyday life, I simply photograph what interests me—and I never quite know what will catch my attention next.
Furthermore, I don’t enjoy most of the process after clicking the shutter. I would often toss the finished rolls into a drawer and procrastinate for a long time before developing them. Without seeing my own work, it was hard to give a meaningful answer to that question.
Because the film lab in Omaha was far and expensive, I had to change my practice. To keep costs low, I started buying bulk black-and-white film and processing everything myself. Omaha is not like the Guangzhou I’m familiar with—there’s not as much happening compared to a big city. Trying to make at least one good photograph every time I went out became a daily challenge.
After moving to Chicago, I developed and digitized the last 15 rolls of film in my drawer—the oldest one dating back to 2021. Now, with access to all of my film photographs from Omaha, I’d like to invite you to see my journey over the past few years.
The world is constantly changing, and it doesn’t take long for something to disappear forever—like the former W. Dale Clark Library or the barn at Boys Town Dairy Farm. No one can photograph them anymore. I try to stay attentive to my surroundings, keeping a record of them—hopefully with a good picture.
For this show, the works are divided into two sections: printed and projected. The framed photos **were mostly captured within the last two years, during the time I still called Omaha home—**with a few exceptions.
The second part consists of projected images. I’ve had the privilege of experiencing life on both sides of the planet.In a time of rising international tension, I wanted to show some of my earlier works from China alongside photographs from the U.S. (mostly taken around Omaha between 2018–2025).
I hope the photographs from China offer a quieter, more personal view into the everyday lives of ordinary Chinese people. Looking back, I wish I had thought more critically about subject matter—but in retrospect, these photos serve as a visual record of the southern China I lived in. They focus on the younger side of Guangzhou, seen through the lens of the young, amateur Jun.
July 21st, 2025
Jun
More information at bffomaha.org/naaf
Always Shining: Beauty in the Grit
Indianapolis-based artist Margarita Velazquez draws from her lived experience as a first-generation Mexican immigrant and U.S. Armed Forces veteran to explore transformation through everyday labor. Her exhibition, Always Shining: Beauty in the Grit, is inspired by time spent working at her family’s business, Always Shining Hand Carwash.
Through iridescent film, glass, wire, and found car parts, Velazquez highlights the repetitive gestures of care, cleaning, and survival—revealing how imperfection and effort can become sources of reflection and strength. The installation uses controlled lighting and sculptural forms to mimic the interplay of sunlight, water, and movement found in the carwash environment.
August 1st First Friday + New American Arts Festival
Join us every First Friday of the month in the Benson Creative District for a night filled with art, live music, food, and community! From 5 PM to 2 AM, experience a variety of gallery openings, art exhibitions, local vendors, and live performances at venues across Maple Street and beyond!
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….
Handmade Parade Open Workshop
Drop in and help build the Handmade Parade from the ground up. Whether you’ve got an idea of your own or want to jump in on a group project, these open workshops are a space to create, collaborate, and get things parade-ready….