The Omaha Summer Arts Festival (OSAF) is proud to celebrate its 40th year this summer. The Festival began in June 1975 in Omaha’s historic Old Market district as the first new festival to be organized in Omaha since the 1940s. The 2014 Festival will entertain people of all ages from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, June 6, and Saturday, June 7, and from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 8.
New Programming for the 40th Anniversary
In honor of the Festival’s 40th anniversary, several new activities will be offered to enhance the experience for festival-goers.
On Saturday, June 7 from 12 – 4 p.m., a brand new exhibit built to inspire young art collectors, called Art Collectors in Training (ACT), will offer children up to about 10 years old the opportunity to purchase artwork from participating artists at an affordable price of $5. This collection of art will be available just for kids, while parents wait outside the tent as their child shops for a unique piece of art. Registration will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the ACT tent in theChildren’s Fair, located at 11th and Farnam Street.
On Sunday, June 8 from 12 – 4 p.m., the Festival will offer a coloring t-shirt kids activity, allowing children the opportunity to purchase a $5 Festival t-shirt they can color at the booth using fabric markers. This is a way for children to create their own memories of the Omaha Summer Arts Festival.
As part of the Young Artist Exhibition, four schools have been chosen to participate in the first ever Young Artist Exhibition Sculpture Contest. The participants from Bellevue West High School, Glenwood High School, North High School and Gretna Middle School will create sculptures inspired by the Festival’s history. The sculptures will be on display outside the W. Dale Clark Library on 14th Street during the Festival.
Two talented street performers, Alex Clark and Jonathan Burns, will perform at various locations and times throughout the Festival. Clark is a juggling comedian who will leave audiences gasping in awe, and Burns is a comedic contortionist who will amaze and entertain festivalgoers by contouring his body.
In conjunction with the Omaha Summer Arts Festival June 6 – 8, the Public Art Commission will offer guided walking tours of the public art within Gene Leahy Mall. The tours, which are 30 minutes in length, will start and end at the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau at 10th and Farnam. They will be offered on the hour from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, June 7 andSunday, June 8. The tours are free of charge, but participants are encouraged to donate to the city’s Public Art Maintenance Fund.
Artists’ Market
The Artists’ Market offers innumerable treasures to suit every taste and budget. Jewelry, sculpture, photography, painting, fiber, glass, metal, wood, mixed media and other works will be available for purchase. The original artwork is created by 135 artists from across the country, who were selected from among nearly 400 applicants by a jury of local and regional art enthusiasts and professionals. To view individual photos of all of the artists’ work, visit theArtists Gallery at SummerArts.org.
Omaha’s ArtSeen
Festival visitors will have the opportunity to interact with local artists and watch live artist demonstrations in various media interspersed throughout the Artists’ Market. This year’s Festival includes more demonstrations than ever before, and include candle carving; blacksmithing; abstract watercolor; glass painting; papermaking; log carving and more. Blacksmith Shop, Passageway Gallery and Old Market Artists Gallery are among the participating arts organizations.
Live Music
Every year, performers on the Luigi Waites Main Stage in the CenturyLink World Music Pavilion entertain visitors of all ages in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Things kick off at noon on Friday with the annual set provided by the Omaha Musicians Association Jazz All-Stars. That evening, performances include the Southpaw Bluegrass Band; Josh Hoyer & the Shadowboxers, a sixpiece soul/R&B/funk band from Lincoln; and the much-anticipated return of MarchFourth Marching Band, a kaleidoscope of musical and visual energy. To kick off the 40th anniversary in style, MarchFourth will parade through the Festival at 6:30 p.m. and then will perform later in the evening on the Luigi Waites Main Stage.
Saturday’s schedule includes sets from Crossfire, Omaha’s premier country dance band; Brad Colerick, a native Nebraskan folk musician; the Electroliners, a local band that plays modern country western music with a twist; a contemporary jazz performance by Steve Raybine blending elements of urban funk, rhythm and blues and pop; the Marc & Tori Band, a local Latin and rock rhythms group with soulful vocals; Euforquestra, with a mix of funk, soul, afrobeat, reggae and dub in a danceable beat; and Sister and Brother of Soul, featuring Omaha natives Ron E. Beck and Carol Rogers.
Sunday performers include Mariachi Zacatecas, featuring well-known South Omaha musician Joe Cabral, Sr.; Festival mainstay Luigi Inc., who has performed every year since the Festival began and is the namesake of the main stage; and concluding with Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, the Grammy Award®-winning, 8th generation Louisiana Creole and Cajun music group.
Children’s Fair
The Children’s Fair will take place at 11th and Farnam streets on Saturday, June 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., offering dozens of hands-on activities and art projects for children ages 3 to 10. With the theme Happy, Happy Birthday, activities will include cookie decorating, spin art, face-painting and a wide range of art-related crafts and games in partnership with area organizations like Art Cars, El Museo Latino, The Art Room, Omaha School of Rock and more. On both days, kids can build boats made from pool noodles and race them along rain gutters. Kids will also be able to participate in decorating a 40th anniversary float on both Saturday and Sunday. At 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, the kids will lead a parade with the float up the middle of Farnam Street to cap off the Children’s Fair.
Admission and select activities are free. Tickets can be purchased for 50 cents each for additional hands-on crafts and other activities, with most requiring one to four tickets.
Young Artist Exhibition
More than 30 metro-area schools will be represented in the annual Young Artist Exhibition. Artwork created by students in grades 6 through 12 will be displayed in the W. Dale Clark Main Library during the Festival. Senior scholarships, recognition awards, art supplies and special prizes will be presented at a reception for students, teachers and parents on Saturday of the Festival.
Food and Libations
In addition to a full weekend of entertainment, visitors can purchase beer, wine and other ice cold beverages at the CenturyLink World Music Pavilion. TasteFest will feature a variety of local restaurants, including Pacific Rim Noodle House, The Parthenon, Texas Roadhouse, Dante Pizzeria, Ingredient, Shucks Fish House & Oyster Bar and Maria Bonita, as well as food vendors offering menus ranging from wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, Greek and Mediterranean style food and grilled bratwursts to kettle corn and shaved ice.
# # #
About Omaha Summer Arts Festival
The Omaha Summer Arts Festival is a magnet that draws people together to celebrate art in all of its forms and varied expressions. Its mission is to present culturally diverse, high-quality arts programs, performances and exhibits in downtown Omaha for the general public to appreciate and enjoy.
OSAF has attracted more than three million visitors to Downtown Omaha, and more than $15 million in artwork has been sold at the Festival since its inception. Most recently, OSAF was ranked No. 34 in Fine Art and No. 40 in Fine Craft among the ELITE 100 Fine Arts Fairs and ELITE 100 Fine Craft Fairs by www.ArtFairSourceBook.com, a comprehensive online guide to the top-selling art fairs and craft shows in the U.S., and was included in the ‘Top 20 Can’t-Miss Summer Festivals of 2014’ by www.Smithsonian.com.
OSAF is grateful for the support from local design companies to update its look with a new website from RDG Planning & Design and a new logo from Ervin & Smith Advertising. This new look is in celebration of the Festival’s 40th anniversary. The 40th Annual Omaha Summer Arts Festival is presented by First National Bank and sponsored by CenturyLink, the Official Broadband Partner of the Omaha Summer Arts Festival; WOWT NBC Omaha, Target Stores,The Big O 101.9, The Mighty 1290 KOIL, The Sherwood Foundation and Douglas County. For additional information about the event, please visit www.SummerArts.org, become a fan on Facebook, or follow the Festival on Twitter.
For information regarding participating artists, TasteFest or the Young Artist Exhibition, please contact Emily Peklo at (402) 345-5401 ext. 106 or epeklo@vgagroup.com. For interviews or photos, please contact Peggy Reall at (402) 345-5401 ext. 107 or marketing@vgagroup.com. To volunteer, please contact Aly Ruwe at (402) 345-5401 ext. 116 or safintern@vgagroup.com.
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>p class=”p1″>The Omaha Summer Arts Festival (OSAF) is proud to celebrate its 40th year this summer. The Festival began in June 1975 in Omaha’s historic Old Market district as the first new festival to be organized in Omaha since the 1940s. The 2014 Festival will entertain people of all ages from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, June 6, and Saturday, June 7, and from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 8.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>>strong>New Programming for the 40th Anniversary>br />>/strong>In honor of the Festival’s 40th anniversary, several new activities will be offered to enhance the experience for festival-goers.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>On Saturday, June 7 from 12 – 4 p.m., a brand new exhibit built to inspire young art collectors, called Art Collectors in Training (ACT), will offer children up to about 10 years old the opportunity to purchase artwork from participating artists at an affordable price of $5. This collection of art will be available just for kids, while parents wait outside the tent as their child shops for a unique piece of art. Registration will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the ACT tent in theChildren’s Fair, located at 11th and Farnam Street.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>On Sunday, June 8 from 12 – 4 p.m., the Festival will offer a coloring t-shirt kids activity, allowing children the opportunity to purchase a $5 Festival t-shirt they can color at the booth using fabric markers. This is a way for children to create their own memories of the Omaha Summer Arts Festival.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>As part of the Young Artist Exhibition, four schools have been chosen to participate in the first ever Young Artist Exhibition Sculpture Contest. The participants from Bellevue West High School, Glenwood High School, North High School and Gretna Middle School will create sculptures inspired by the Festival’s history. The sculptures will be on display outside the W. Dale Clark Library on 14th Street during the Festival.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>Two talented street performers, Alex Clark and Jonathan Burns, will perform at various locations and times throughout the Festival. Clark is a juggling comedian who will leave audiences gasping in awe, and Burns is a comedic contortionist who will amaze and entertain festivalgoers by contouring his body.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>In conjunction with the Omaha Summer Arts Festival June 6 – 8, the Public Art Commission will offer guided walking tours of the public art within Gene Leahy Mall. The tours, which are 30 minutes in length, will start and end at the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau at 10th and Farnam. They will be offered on the hour from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday, June 7 andSunday, June 8. The tours are free of charge, but participants are encouraged to donate to the city’s Public Art Maintenance Fund.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>>strong>Artists’ Market>br />>/strong>The Artists’ Market offers innumerable treasures to suit every taste and budget. Jewelry, sculpture, photography, painting, fiber, glass, metal, wood, mixed media and other works will be available for purchase. The original artwork is created by 135 artists from across the country, who were selected from among nearly 400 applicants by a jury of local and regional art enthusiasts and professionals. To view individual photos of all of the artists’ work, visit theArtists Gallery at >a href=”https://www.omahachamber.org/SummerArts.org”>SummerArts.org>/a>.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>>strong>Omaha’s ArtSeen>br />>/strong>Festival visitors will have the opportunity to interact with local artists and watch live artist demonstrations in various media interspersed throughout the Artists’ Market. This year’s Festival includes more demonstrations than ever before, and include candle carving; blacksmithing; abstract watercolor; glass painting; papermaking; log carving and more. Blacksmith Shop, Passageway Gallery and Old Market Artists Gallery are among the participating arts organizations.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>>strong>Live Music>br />>/strong>Every year, performers on the Luigi Waites Main Stage in the CenturyLink World Music Pavilion entertain visitors of all ages in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. Things kick off at noon on Friday with the annual set provided by the Omaha Musicians Association Jazz All-Stars. That evening, performances include the Southpaw Bluegrass Band; Josh Hoyer & the Shadowboxers, a sixpiece soul/R&B/funk band from Lincoln; and the much-anticipated return of MarchFourth Marching Band, a kaleidoscope of musical and visual energy. To kick off the 40th anniversary in style, MarchFourth will parade through the Festival at 6:30 p.m. and then will perform later in the evening on the Luigi Waites Main Stage.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>Saturday’s schedule includes sets from Crossfire, Omaha’s premier country dance band; Brad Colerick, a native Nebraskan folk musician; the Electroliners, a local band that plays modern country western music with a twist; a contemporary jazz performance by Steve Raybine blending elements of urban funk, rhythm and blues and pop; the Marc & Tori Band, a local Latin and rock rhythms group with soulful vocals; Euforquestra, with a mix of funk, soul, afrobeat, reggae and dub in a danceable beat; and Sister and Brother of Soul, featuring Omaha natives Ron E. Beck and Carol Rogers.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>Sunday performers include Mariachi Zacatecas, featuring well-known South Omaha musician Joe Cabral, Sr.; Festival mainstay Luigi Inc., who has performed every year since the Festival began and is the namesake of the main stage; and concluding with Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience, the Grammy Award®-winning, 8th generation Louisiana Creole and Cajun music group.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>>strong>Children’s Fair>br />>/strong>The Children’s Fair will take place at 11th and Farnam streets on Saturday, June 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 8 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., offering dozens of hands-on activities and art projects for children ages 3 to 10. With the theme Happy, Happy Birthday, activities will include cookie decorating, spin art, face-painting and a wide range of art-related crafts and games in partnership with area organizations like Art Cars, El Museo Latino, The Art Room, Omaha School of Rock and more. On both days, kids can build boats made from pool noodles and race them along rain gutters. Kids will also be able to participate in decorating a 40th anniversary float on both Saturday and Sunday. At 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, the kids will lead a parade with the float up the middle of Farnam Street to cap off the Children’s Fair.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>Admission and select activities are free. Tickets can be purchased for 50 cents each for additional hands-on crafts and other activities, with most requiring one to four tickets.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>>strong>Young Artist Exhibition>br />>/strong>More than 30 metro-area schools will be represented in the annual Young Artist Exhibition. Artwork created by students in grades 6 through 12 will be displayed in the W. Dale Clark Main Library during the Festival. Senior scholarships, recognition awards, art supplies and special prizes will be presented at a reception for students, teachers and parents on Saturday of the Festival.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>>strong>Food and Libations>br />>/strong>In addition to a full weekend of entertainment, visitors can purchase beer, wine and other ice cold beverages at the CenturyLink World Music Pavilion. TasteFest will feature a variety of local restaurants, including Pacific Rim Noodle House, The Parthenon, Texas Roadhouse, Dante Pizzeria, Ingredient, Shucks Fish House & Oyster Bar and Maria Bonita, as well as food vendors offering menus ranging from wood-fired Neapolitan pizza, Greek and Mediterranean style food and grilled bratwursts to kettle corn and shaved ice.>/p>
>p class=”p1″># # #>/p>
>p class=”p1″>>strong>About Omaha Summer Arts Festival>br />>/strong>The Omaha Summer Arts Festival is a magnet that draws people together to celebrate art in all of its forms and varied expressions. Its mission is to present culturally diverse, high-quality arts programs, performances and exhibits in downtown Omaha for the general public to appreciate and enjoy.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>OSAF has attracted more than three million visitors to Downtown Omaha, and more than $15 million in artwork has been sold at the Festival since its inception. Most recently, OSAF was ranked No. 34 in Fine Art and No. 40 in Fine Craft among the ELITE 100 Fine Arts Fairs and ELITE 100 Fine Craft Fairs by >a href=”https://www.ArtFairSourceBook.com”>www.ArtFairSourceBook.com>/a>, a comprehensive online guide to the top-selling art fairs and craft shows in the U.S., and was included in the ‘Top 20 Can’t-Miss Summer Festivals of 2014’ by >a href=”https://www.Smithsonian.com”>www.Smithsonian.com>/a>.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>OSAF is grateful for the support from local design companies to update its look with a new website from RDG Planning & Design and a new logo from Ervin & Smith Advertising. This new look is in celebration of the Festival’s 40th anniversary. The 40th Annual Omaha Summer Arts Festival is presented by First National Bank and sponsored by CenturyLink, the Official Broadband Partner of the Omaha Summer Arts Festival; WOWT NBC Omaha, Target Stores,The Big O 101.9, The Mighty 1290 KOIL, The Sherwood Foundation and Douglas County. For additional information about the event, please visit www.SummerArts.org, become a fan on Facebook, or follow the Festival on Twitter.>/p>
>p class=”p1″>For information regarding participating artists, TasteFest or the Young Artist Exhibition, please contact Emily Peklo at (402) 345-5401 ext. 106 or epeklo@vgagroup.com. For interviews or photos, please contact Peggy Reall at (402) 345-5401 ext. 107 or marketing@vgagroup.com. To volunteer, please contact Aly Ruwe at (402) 345-5401 ext. 116 or safintern@vgagroup.com.>/p>