Community Arts Opportunities for Youth

Are you looking for extracurricular artful experiences to engage your child? Intended as a resource for families, this page shares visual arts opportunities that Nebraska offers young people. Organizations, listed in alpha order, provide various classes, workshops, tours, events, and more for youth audiences.

* Disclaimer: The Nebraska Art Teachers Association (NATA) does not openly endorse or assume responsibility for the programs associated with these organizations. Organizations who are approved for the Community Arts Opportunities list have been vetted regarding artistic expertise for educational programming. NATA does not conduct criminal background checks as part of this process. NATA does not financially benefit from promoting these organizations on this form. Parents and guardians navigating these opportunities are encouraged to register at their own discretion. NATA will not serve as the communication between respective organizations and registrants for programs.

Many of the resources here have been compiled directly from the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) Fine Arts Education EXPRESSIONS newsletter, written and organized by Cody Talarico, Fine Arts Education Specialist at the NDE. Thank you to Cody for your help with this effort!

Is your organization not listed here? Please submit your information for review on this form.

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts facilitates the creation, presentation, and understanding of contemporary art through an international residency program, exhibitions, and educational programs.

Types of visual arts programming offered throughout the year  - Exhibition tours which can be tailored based on the age group, public lectures and art talks, specialized workshops, and all-ages art activities at our Open House/Open Studios events

For more information, contact:

Web - https://www.bemiscenter.org/ | Facebook - @bemiscenter | Instagram - @bemiscenter

Abby Fogle - Community Experience + Engagement Manager

address - 724 S 12th St, Omaha, NE 68102 

phone - (402) 341-7130

Bff Omaha

BFF supports the Arts & our Community through Advocacy, Education, Inclusion, Opportunity, and Unique Experiences. While continuing to build community in Benson and Omaha, BFF envisions using our 10-year history as a guiding template to expand the mission to build community through arts engagement in other neighborhoods and cities.

For more information, contact:

Web - www.bffomaha.org | Facebook & Instagram - @bffomaha

Alex Jochim - Co-Founder and Executive Director

address - 5901 Maple St, Omaha, NE 68104

Blue Cat Gallery & Studio

Blue Cat features two-month exhibits by local, regional, and national artists. Our mission is to bring a wide variety of visual art to the Wayne community and promote the value of a rich artistic and cultural life. Visit the exhibits page on the website for information about current and upcoming exhibitions you and your students can visit.

For more information, contact:

Web - bluecatgallerystudio.com | Facebook - @bluecatgallerystudio |

Instagram - @bluecatgallery

Carolyn Albracht, Owner/Director

address - 114 W 3rd Street | Wayne, NE 68787

phone - (402) 454-5144

Calibraska Arts Initiative

The Calibraska Arts Initiative uses the arts to build community, culture, and inclusive educational exchanges between Nebraskans and primarily California/Los Angeles-based professionals. We are focused on reaching rural and/or disadvantaged communities where access to technology, cultural institutions, professional mentorship, and resources to the creative industries is limited. Be sure to look for Calibraska's summer programming that includes unique offerings in the arts and media arts as well as virtual workshops with Nickelodeon Animation!

Our summer 2024 tour of offerings stops in Lincoln, Kearney, Scottsbluff, North Platte and Wayne! Be sure to look for Calibraska's summer programming that includes unique offerings in the arts and media arts as well as virtual workshops with Nickelodeon Animation!

For more information

Web - calibraska.org/ | Facebook - @calibraskaarts | Instagram -@calibraskaarts

Erica Larsen-Dockray, Founding Director and Teaching Artist
Alex Cole, Development Assistant

address -1714 2nd Avenue | P.O. Box 2424 | Scottsbluff, NE 69361

phone - (308) 631-5704

El Museo Latino

El Museo Latino is the only Latino art and history museum in Nebraska and is located in Omaha. Bilingual museum guided tours and programs are offered year-round. Visit El Museo Latino for a unique cultural experience learning about Latino visual and performing arts! Check out their website for current exhibits and programs and reserve a time for you and your family.

For more information, contact:

Web - elmuseolatino.org | Facebook - @elmuseolatino | Instagram - @el_museo_latino | X - @ElMuseoLatino

Silvia Wells, Director of Education

address - 4701 South 25 Street | Omaha, NE 68107

phone - (402) 731-1137

Gallery 92 West / Fremont Area Art Association

As an Arts organization, we strive to connect our community through the human expression of art.   We look to art to help us understand the human experience of others.  Nonprofits exist to make our communities better, safer, healthier, and livable for all.   At the Fremont Area Art Association we commit to diversity and inclusion and ​making our gallery accessible and welcoming to everyone.

For more information, contact:

Web - https://www.92west.org

Lindi Janulewicz - Executive Director

address - 92 West 6th Street Fremont, NE 68025

phone - (402) 721-7779

Great Plains Art Museum

In keeping with the research, teaching, and outreach missions of the Center for Great Plains Studies and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the mission of the Great Plains Art Museum is to collect, preserve, research, and interpret the art and literature of the Great Plains region. The Great Plains Art Museum aims to foster study and enhance appreciation through the changing exhibits and public programs of the history and creative spirit of the Great Plains of North America. 

Check out the temporary exhibitions throughout the year on topics ranging from the ecology of the Great Plains to contemporary Indigenous art. Students and teachers can also View the growing online collection of 1,000+ artworks and reach out about opportunities for guided tours and art-making activities in the Education Studio.

For more information, contact:

Web - unl.edu/plains/great-plains-art-museum | Facebook - @GreatPlainsArtMuseum |

Instagram - @greatplains_unl

Alison Cloet, Education and Outreach Associate

address - 1155 Q Street | Lincoln, NE 68588

phone - (402) 472-3964

International Quilt Museum

Ever wish you could spark creativity in your child, but don't feel like you have the materials or space?  Check out the International Quilt Museum in Lincoln, Nebraska!  We offer cheap and free creative opportunities for kids and families! We'll set up and clean up - all you have to do is show up!

First Fridays happen the First Friday of every month from 4-7 pm.  Enjoy free admission, refreshments, and an art project for all ages!  We also have a wildly popular scavenger hunt, as well as many hands-on activities that kids can use to build, design, and color.

Sewing Saturdays happen monthly, and are a chance for a child and supervising adult to create a sewing craft together. These events are perfect for children aged 6 and older.  First time sewing? No worries!  Help will be nearby if you need it.  Each sewing Saturday is themed, and all materials and directions are provided.  Included in the price of museum admission. Want to stay up-to-date on event specifics?

For more information, contact:

Web - internationalquiltmuseum.org/ | Facebook & Instagram @IQMKids

Lindy Clausen, Education Coordinator

address -1523 N. 33rd St | Lincoln, NE 68503

phone - (402) 472-7018 

Joslyn Art Museum

Updated information coming soon. Go to joslyn.org to learn more about the reopening on September 10, 2024!

LUX Center for the Arts

The LUX Center for the Arts makes art happen in Lincoln! In LUX's classrooms, youth and adults discover the joys of ceramics, printmaking, painting, jewelry, drawing, and more.  Saturday youth classes and nearly 80 Spring Break and Summer Camps are taught by the LUX each year, as well as adult classes and adult and family workshops.

Throughout the year, LUX Outreach takes art classes to at-risk youth, low-income schools, cancer patients, and others that benefit from having a first-hand art experience. The LUX galleries and shop represent the highest caliber work of local, regional, and national artists, exhibited annually in more than 18 shows. Discover the LUX's five free galleries, First Friday Receptions, and Artist in Residence-led educational opportunities!

For more information, contact:

Web - luxcenter.org/ | Vimeo - https://vimeo.com/user85232423 |

Facebook - @luxcenterforthearts Instagram - @lux_center |

Linkedin - @lux-center-for-the-arts

Barbara Sullivan – Education Programs Manager

address - 2601 N 48th St, | Lincoln, NE 68504

phone - (402) 466-8692

Museum of Nebraska Art

The official art collection of the state of Nebraska. Learn more about MONA and discover a vast collection of over 5,000 works by artists of local, national, and international acclaim reflecting nearly 200 years of history.

For more information, contact:

Web - mona.unk.edu/mona/ | Facebook - @museumofnebraskaart |

Instagram - @museumofnebraskaart

Christine Brown, Director of Learning and Engagement

Address - 2401 Central Avenue | Kearney, NE 68847

Phone - (308) 865-8559

Norfolk Arts Center

The Norfolk Arts Center is a community-based arts organization offering visual arts, performances, arts education opportunities, and community engagement for approximately 15,000 area residents and visitors each year. Driven by the mission of "Bringing People and the Arts Together," the Norfolk Arts Center has a vision of building a community in which everyone has access to the knowledge, inspiration, comfort, enrichment, and cultural complexity of the arts. Discover all the fun activities and programs offered for all people to enjoy!

For more information, contact:

Web - norfolkartscenter.org | X - @theforkarts | Instagram - @norfolkartscenter

Sherry Ruden, Executive Director

Address - 305 N. 5th Street | Norfolk, NE 68701

Phone - (402) 371-7199

Prairie Arts Center

The Prairie Arts Center is a non-profit in downtown North Platte, NE, that provides opportunities for creative self-expression through exhibits, classes, concerts, & a variety of community events.

For more information, contact:

Web - www.prairieartscenter.org | Facebook - @PrairieArtsCenter |

Instagram - @prairieartscenternp

Holly Carlini - Executive Director

address - 416 N Jeffers St, North Platte, NE 69101

phone - 308-534-5121

Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center

Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center (SBMLC) is a new arts organization in Omaha where art is a preface to conversations and learning about human rights, Holocaust education and genocide. The Museum offers free learning opportunities for K-12 schools, after school programs and youth centered organizations in addition to reimbursement funds for transportation and substitute costs. We offer a variety of learning activities to best meet the needs of each school or content area as well as encourage collaborations to develop unique learning experiences for your individual group. SBMLC is a safe space for classes and engagement activities that encourage students to ask essential questions and consider hard truths that challenge us and reflect on possible ways forward. 

For more information, contact:

Web - www.unomaha.edu/samuel-bak-museum-the-learning-center/index.php | Instagram - @uno_bak

Jody Boyer, Director of Education

address - 2289 S. 67th Street | Omaha, NE 68106

phone -  (402) 554-6306

Stuhr Museum

Engage your five senses as you enter the immersive, historical world of field trips at Stuhr Museum. Experience firsthand what it would have been like to live, work, and play in the communities along the Platte River Valley. Can't travel to Stuhr? Look into our choose-your-own-adventure virtual programming and keep an eye out for new middle school and high school virtual programming! Contact us to request an onsite outreach program at your school!

For more information, contact:

Web - stuhrmuseum.org | Facebook - @Stuhr Museum | Instagram - @stuhrmuseum | YouTube - @stuhrmuseum |

TikTok - @stuhrmuseum

Emily Byerly, Director of Education 

address - 3133 W. US Hwy 34 | Grand Island, NE 68801

phone - (308) 385-5316

Union for Contemporary Art

The Union for Contemporary Art strengthens the cultural and social landscape of our community by using the arts as a vehicle to inspire positive change. Discover the Union's interactive exhibition archive, and Art at Home activities. 

For more information, contact:

Web - u-ca.org/ | Facebook - @TheUNIONOmaha | Instagram - @theunionomaha

Jacquline Smith, Youth & Community Director

address - 2423 North 24th Street | Omaha, NE 68110

phone - (402) 933-3161