The 49th annual Omaha Summer Arts Festival (OSAF) will take place in Aksarben Village on June 9-10-11, 2023.

The festival features artists from throughout the U.S., talented local musicians for the multiple staging areas; a huge, hands-on Children’s Fair and Young Artist Exhibition; and some of the best food in Omaha. Local galleries and co-ops have a chance to be featured as showcases.

Want to get involved in this beloved Omaha summer tradition? Here’s your chance.

Local artists

Mural Cube Project

For the third year in a row, OSAF will highlight local artists on giant cube structures. The mural cubes will be scattered throughout Omaha and on display for public viewing from mid-May leading up to the Festival in mid-June. The interest form application is due Friday, February 17th and can be found at: http://bit.ly/3Hkdu4h.

Homegrown Artists Village

For the second year, OSAF will feature local and emerging visual artists through the Homegrown Artists’ Village! This program is the perfect way to get hands-on experience selling art at a large professional arts Festival like OSAF. Applications for the Homegrown Artists’ Village are due Friday, March 3rd and can be found at: http://bit.ly/3YbWdB7.

Featured Illustrator

The Featured Illustrator receives:

  • $750 honorarium for the creation of the artwork
  • Optional complimentary exhibition space at the Festival for the display and sale of his or her original work
  • Promotion as the Featured Illustrator on the Festival’s website and in select marketing materials. 2023 Application here: https://www.summerarts.org/featured-illustrator/

ArtSeen

OSAF’s ArtSeen showcases some of the amazing local galleries, art co-ops, and organizations found right here in Omaha. There’s even an opportunity for ArtSeen groups to do on-site demonstrations during the Festival. Applications for ArtSeen are due Friday, March 17th and can be found at: http://bit.ly/3DvEVap.

Musicians and Food Vendors

Performing Arts

OSAF will feature three days of music throughout Festival weekend. Local musicians of all genres and styles are encouraged to apply to showcase their talents! Applications to perform at the Festival are due Friday, March 3rd and can be found at: http://bit.ly/40fcszb.

Vendors

Browsing the Artists’ Market works up a big appetite! OSAF’s TasteFest will feature both traditional festival fair as well as some of Omaha’s favorite local restaurants and food trucks. Applications to be a food vendor are due Friday, March 17th and can be found at: http://bit.ly/3JOz7fZ.

This summer, the Omaha Mobile Stage will host 10 youth talent shows throughout the metro for ages 3 – 19.

The series concludes with a Finals competition at Gene Leahy Mall in downtown Omaha on August 20.

Registration and events are free and open to the public.

Bring your entire family and friends to enjoy a night of entertainment.

All registered acts, ages 5+, are invited to the Omaha Community Playhouse for Youth Performing Arts Summer Camp on June 1 and July 18

Talent Show Registration — Omaha Mobile Stage

ACTIVE | Omaha Community Playhouse

Calling all Youth Performing Arts students ages 12 – 19

Omaha, Neb. — Omaha Mobile Stage has created a new metro-wide Performing Arts Youth Advisory Board.

“The purpose of this board is to connect young performing artists from throughout our metro and to give them a seat at the table where decisions are made,” said Jessica Scheuerman, executive director of Partners for Livable Omaha, the nonprofit that manages the Omaha Mobile Stage. “Members will get a broader understanding of how the local arts nonprofit sector ticks and how public events are created and managed. They will be better positioned for future careers as working performing arts and arts administrators.”

Members will have opportunities for real world event production and marketing experiences alongside industry professionals from Opera Omaha, Omaha Community Playhouse, the City of Papillion, the City of La Vista’s Salute to Summer, The RiverFront, Nebraska Arts Council, the City of Omaha Parks & Recreation, and many others.

Members will assist with the promotion and programming of the Omaha Mobile Stage youth talent show series. For more information, visit www.omahamobilestage.org/youthadvisoryboard.

Nominations are open now. Nominees must be:

  • a student ages 12-19 in the greater Omaha metro
  • involved in the performing arts in their school and/or community
  • able to attend zoom and in person meetings
  • able to share information about the talent show series

2023 Applications are NOW AVAILABLE!

Apply to be a vendor at the 2023 Omaha Farmers Market! 

SEASON VENDOR applications are due Friday, March 3rd.

WEEKLY VENDOR applications will be accepted all throughout the OFM season.

Applications and more information are available on our Vendor Information page >>

BE A DESIGNER

DESIGNER APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR AUGUST 2023!

Designers must be available for the following dates to be considered:

The GPTC New Play Conference

May 28th – June 3rd, 2023

The New Play Conference was founded in 2006 by Metropolitan Community College, and continues, now that the GPTC is its own nonprofit, as a vibrant community partnership between the two organizations. The conference takes place each spring at the Swanson Conference Center on MCC’s historic Fort Omaha Campus. (Map)    Masks are required to attend Conference events.

Each year, the Conference helps to develop a group of new plays that are selected from a pool of around 1000 submissions. During the Conference, local and national playwrights, actors, directors, dramaturgs, designers and Omaha community members, share a week of stories, workshops, readings, meals, performances and celebrations. All public conference events are free to attend.

  • Theatre WorkShops, Luncheon Panels and daily PlayLab Series readings comprise the foundation of the Conference.
  • Dramaturgy is provided by national dramaturgs for each playwright, to providing support before, during and after the Conference
  • PlayFest is our season of new works and seeks to give voice to the stories that have the power to unite and inspire diverse audiences.
  • Design Wing brings five emerging designers from across the country to become immersed in the play development from a visual perspective.
  • Young Dramatists Fellowship Program provides local high school playwrights with access to some of the country’s top plays and playwrights.

GPTC invites and welcomes a number of distinguished and nationally known playwrights, directors and actors each year. These guest artists are in place to nurture and mentor new and emerging playwrights and Conference attendees through various workshops, PlayLab feedback sessions and seminars.

All Theatre Conference readings and events are free and open to the public. To register for the
Conference, visit gptcplays.com, call 402-370-8259, or email commons@gptcplays.com

The Conference – Great Plains Theatre Commons (gptcplays.com)

BLUEBARN Theatre

BLUEBARN is pleased to announce auditions for the first show of our 35th season, William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

Directed by Beth Ann Hopkins

Music Direction by Elliot Roth

Performance Dates: September 21 through October 22

All first round auditions will be via online video submission, due by May 31. Callbacks will take place June 10, 11, and 12, either in-person at the BLUEBARN or via Zoom. For full audition details, online submission instructions, production dates, and to learn more about the creative team, visit bluebarn.org/auditions.