Less than five years ago, Gallery 1516 decided to revive a largely forgotten institution: the Nebraska Artist Biennial. The original had a lofty run from 1932-1988 at the Joslyn Art Museum, and though it disappeared for whatever reason, it had the mission to unite the best of the best of art made in, or by artists with a connection to, Nebraska.
This year, five regional jurors have quite a challenge narrowing nearly 1,000 stylistically unique submissions into a group of less than 100 selected exhibiting works. The temporarily anonymous jury is comprised of artists, art historians, or seasoned curators from Kearney, Lincoln, and Omaha.
As part of Gallery 1516’s commitment to express the range of art from Nebraska to the largest audience possible, the biennial will travel to the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearny later in the year.
The 2021 Nebraska Artist Biennial opens on May 12, and will run to August 1 at Gallery 1516. Located on 1516 Leavenworth Street, Omaha, NE 68102, gallery hours range from Friday-Sunday, 11am-5pm by appointment. Visitors need to wear a mask and follow social distancing guidelines. For more information, visit Gallery 1516’s website: https://www.gallery1516.org/.