Benson First Friday returns to kick off the New Year on the first Friday of every month starting January 2 at Benson Creative District at 2729 North 62nd Street. Benson First Friday hopes to bring more creative engagement with art, music and more community.
The Joslyn Museum will host Art-Tastic Saturdays on the first Saturday of every month starting January 3rd from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This monthly event is free and will feature gallery activities, special presentations and creative exploration for all ages. For more information, visit Joslyn’s website.
The Cathedral Arts Project will open the Anthony Deon Art Exhibit at their Cultural Center on 3900 Webster Street on January 4, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. One of Nebraska’s most popular artists returns for an all-new exhibit of his latest compelling works filled with whimsical, surreal and deep meaning. Anthony Deon Brown is a local artist who began painting in Fremont and was inspired by visual experiences outside the home, cartoons, classical art and observing the world around him.
His hyper-surrealistic imagery in acrylics started with small canvases eventually leading to large-scale murals and putting his mark on buildings in Fremont and Omaha. Now, more of his work returns to the Cathedral Arts Project for all to enjoy. View some of Brown’s work here.
The Holland Performing Arts Center will feature Nebraska State Thespian Festival Thursday, January 8 and Saturday, January 10 at 8 p.m. both days. This festival aims to honor the talents of secondary theater students and teachers who excel both on and off the state. It will feature full-on production and shows, challenges, workshops by local and national teaching artists, college auditions, and more. Nebraska Thespians is a chapter of the Educational Theatre Association which sponsors the International Thespian Society. Tickets are on sale here.
The Omaha Symphony will perform Beethoven’s First, at the Witherspoon Hall, Joslyn Art Museum, on Sunday, January 11 at 2 p.m. It is a symphony of soloists starting with Wagner’s tender Siegfried Idyll; then Stravinsky takes to the Baroque with Dumbarton Oaks; and finally, Music Director of the Ann Arbor Symphony Earl Lee takes on Beethoven’s bold First Symphony, showcasing the composer’s brilliance from the very beginning.