How are the arts a conduit for desire, intimacy, and the erotic?

Bittersweet explores how erotic art reflects personal and collective longing, challenges societal norms, and reimagines intimacy. From ancient figures like the 35,000-year-old Venus of Hohle Fels to today’s visual provocations, erotic art has always asked: what is desire, and who gets to define it?

Unfolding Voices showcases a compelling body of work created by seniors from Florence Senior Center, ENCAP, Dundee Presbyterian Seniors, Benson Community Center, and UNMC Munroe Meyer PPA group.

🌱 GARBAGE GARDENS 🌱
A new exhibition by emerging artist Shya Thayer is sprouting up at MaMO this spring!

Garbage Gardens digs into the magic that happens at the intersection of art, sustainability, and community—featuring vibrant works made from found objects that reimagine waste as wonder. With themes of urban gardening, food justice, and creative reuse, the space will transform into a communal garden gallery reflecting the heart of Benson.

🌟 Want to get involved with BFF Omaha? Now’s your chance! 🌟

Join us for BFF Volunteer Orientation
🗓 Thursday, April 24
🕔 5PM – 7PM
📍 Petshop – 2727 N. 62nd St

Come learn all about how YOU can make a difference as a BFF volunteer — then stick around for a neighborhood cleanup with the BFF Green Team! 💪🌱

No experience needed. Just bring your energy, creativity, and love for community. 💖

#Volunteer #Community #ChooseYourOwnAdventure

What does loss look like? How do we carry memory? Artists Matel Rokke and Hannah Demma bring their personal reflections on grief, the afterlife, and the intangible nature of mourning to Petshop Gallery in their collaborative exhibition Here and After.

Through handmade paper, deep cyanotypes, layered drawings, and sculptural works, they create a space for conversation, contemplation, and connection.

This exhibition showcases the work of Scheerer Fellows, a distinguished group of artists committed to the arts as a vehicle for empowerment and social justice. The Scheerer Scholars in the Arts Program, rooted in the Ignatian values of Creighton University, supports students using studio practice, research, and activism to incite civic participation and spark community dialogue.

Through POINTS OF CONTACT, Callaghan and Lily explore the profound intersection of art and social impact, reflecting their journeys as emerging artist-scholars.

In Mundane | Sublime, Drew Davies explores how ordinary, overlooked things — whether physical fragments of nature or fleeting moments in time — can be elevated, reimagined, and reframed.

After years of making thousands of gifs, then nearly stopping, ZWIAN reignited their practice—creating 365 gifs in just 23 days. Now, they’re bringing this new body of work to MaMO Gallery in Everyday, an exhibition of digital motion studies, remixes, and animated collages.

Finn Young presents The Reincarnation of Finn Young, a mixed media exhibition featuring paintings, poems, jewelry, and clothing pieces. Each work is deeply personal, drawing from Finn's experiences, emotions, and connections with people and nature. Using bright colors and varied materials, Finn explores themes of self-discovery, transformation, and the journey from adolescence to adulthood.

Sketchbooks are a common practice among artists across a multitude of mediums, and have been used to troubleshoot ideas for more developed works of art, practice their skills, and work their creative muscles. Sketchbooks celebrate curiosity and discovery and can serve as a learning tool for beginner artists learning to bring their creativity into reality.

𝗼·𝘃𝗲𝗿·𝗹𝗮𝗽
Overlap uses source material from magazines published from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. A noteworthy source in this series are Hairdo & Beauty magazines from the sixties which feature the on-trend beauty standards of the time. In this show I explore weaving these images together to explore the interactions of the gender expressions of the era. Doing so allows me to appreciate the style, imagery, and self expression of the time while simultaneously noting the progression of gender expression today. In this exploration, I also weave in silhouettes that touch on themes of religion, beauty, and queerness to examine the intersection of those themes and gender.

For the past two years, Bart Vargas has been composing and building collages. In that time, he has exhibited them in group shows, museums, and art centers across the nation , as well publishing them in literary and art journals at home and abroad . Now, for the first time ever, Vargas brings an exhibition, exclusively comprised of collage works to BFF Gallery, February 7th, 2025, from 6:00-9:00pm!

Join Us for the Benson Creative District Community Forum!

We’ve been a little quiet lately, but that’s because we’ve been working behind the scenes to get some big things in place. Now, we’re ready to reconnect and hear from YOU!

When: Wednesday, January 8th
5:00-6:00-Happy Hour + Updates
6:00-8:00- Strategic Planning
Where: The Benson Theatre

Here’s what to expect:

Strategic Planning for 2024 and Beyond: We’re bringing the BID, BNA, and Benson businesses together to align on shared goals like neighborhood beautification, safety, and community events. We’ll also get your input to make sure our plans reflect what the community really needs.

Sneak Peek of the New Website: You’ll be the first to explore the site before it goes live! We’ll show you how to submit events, add artist profiles, and get the most out of this resource.

Your Input Matters: Don’t worry about the logistics of how things will get done—just bring your ideas and thoughts! We’ll handle the details; we just need to hear from you.

Please help us spread the word! The biggest challenge has been not getting enough input to make sure we’re making decisions that work for everyone. Your voice is key, and the more people we have at this forum, the better we can move forward together.

Cowboys, Wizards, and Vampires…Oh My!! is a group exhibition themed around archetypes curated by the Arts Management Mentees at The Joslyn’s Kent Bellows Mentoring Program. The theme was chosen by the mentees because of the vast way the term archetype can be interpreted. “We also really wanted to have a show with fun vampire fan art in order to fully appreciate the rich history of vampire folklore” - Ava, KBMP Mentee.

✨ We Are All Just Stories In The End ✨
A gallery showcase by UNO Foundations 3D

📅 Opening Reception: Friday, December 6th, 2024
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM
📍 Location: The BFF Gallery, 5901 Maple St, Omaha, NE 68104

Join the BFF Green Team every other Sunday at 11a.m. andWednesday at 6:30p.m. behind Petshop (2725N 62nd St.)to pick up litter in Benson. All are welcome - Join for one or all!

Feel your faux fur fantasy at BFF's fiercest fete yet! The BFF FUR Ball and Art Auction! Located at BFF Gallery and the Mercer Masonic Lodge (5901-5903 Maple Street) and you’re invited!

Join the BFF Green Team every other Sunday at 11a.m. andWednesday at 6:30p.m. behind Petshop (2725N 62nd St.)to pick up litter in Benson. All are welcome - Join for one or all!

Equal Before Life and Death, a Día de Muertos celebration that blends global traditions and reflections on life, death, and equality. Experience an evening of live music, visual art, and performances inspired by mythological figures like La Catrina, the Grim Reaper, and more.

The Mystery MaMO invites viewers into an immersive installation that blurs the lines between reality and the spectral, transforming the concept of a haunted house into a captivating exploration of memory and fear. Through a provocative interplay of life and death, the space evokes a sense of discombobulation and unease, inviting participants to navigate through rooms laden with spooky artifacts that echo the ghosts of the season. This evocative journey engages the senses and prompts a deeper reflection on the narratives that haunt our collective consciousness.

BFF Auction Preview Night!

First Friday November 1st

6:00 - 9:00PM

BFF Gallery (5901 Maple St)

Check out the artwork featured in the 2024 BFF Fur Ball and Art Auction before anyone else this November First Friday! Browse the work of over 75 artists, and if you love it, buy it now!

Need a little more time to think about it? Come back November 8th and place your bids during the 2024 Fur Ball and Art Auction!

Tickets for the Ball and Art Auction are available now at bffomaha.org/ball

psssst... tickets are FREE for Friends of BFF! Become a Friend today at bffomaha.org/friend

Join the BFF Green Team every other Sunday at 11a.m. andWednesday at 6:30p.m. behind Petshop (2725N 62nd St.)to pick up litter in Benson. All are welcome - Join for one or all!

Out in the Park:
Celebrating Queer History and Community! 
Join us on Sunday October 13th at Elmwood Park for a day dedicated to preserving and celebrating queer history! Help us contribute to the Queer History Mapping Project, share your stories, and explore our community’s heritage. Enjoy drag performances, live entertainment, and connect with local partners while you picnic in the park! This is an all-ages event, so bring your friends, family, and pride!