February 2025
We have compiled a list of First Friday participants to allow you to experience the art of downtown! Please remember to follow each individual gallery's in-person policies & be sure to use #LNKFF when you post pictures to share your night!
101 N 14TH ST. | 7 PM
Join us for another First Friday Makers & Creators Market.
We will be joined by artists of all kinds selling their crafts.
Event is free to attend and all ages.
Market starts at 7pm
- Everything Zen Massage & Wellness LLC
- Ducky’s Deli
- Mystic Rhoads Productions (Jamaican-inspired hot sauce & seasonings)
- Lacie Dougherty Tarot Card readings
- Nykky Little Crystal
- Cats Eye Apothecary
- Neptune+Lydia
Burkholder Art Studio & Galleries
719 P ST. | 5 PM - 8 PM
Shows run February 7th - 28th
Join us for the annual ’12×12′ show, featuring work Studio and Associate Artists celebrating smaller works. In the Outback Gallery we will have Erin Cross, with Albert Maxey in the Skylight Gallery. Guest Artist Pha Nguyen will be showing in the Special Exhibit Space.
Main Gallery
The ’12×12′ show will feature works of the size 12″ x 12″, or inspired by it! Come check out an amazing display of works that range in style and subject matter done by our Associate and Studio artists.
Outback Gallery
Erin Cross with ‘Broken: Collage and Fractured Narratives’
I frequently investigate the power of juxtaposition, specifically through the dynamic interplay of shape and form, creating an ebb and flow that challenges perceptions and deepens the viewer’s emotional experience. Delving into the complexities of vulnerability and resilience, my collages and mixed media drawings, reflect my personal journey with cancer. This experience has profoundly shaped my artistic expression, pushing me to explore themes of fragility, transformation, and the stark realities of life and mortality. I invite contemplation and conversation, fostering a deeper understanding of the subtle yet profound connections that exist between us and the world around us.
Skylight Gallery
Albert Maxey in the Skylight Gallery with a personally curated display of both his works and peers he admires.
Special Exhibit Space
‘Pha Nguyen; Works on Paper & Canvas’
Pha Nguyen’s work delves into the complexities of human connection and the passage of time, evoking feelings of melancholy and affection through reflections on memories of past experiences. Working with a limited palette, textures, and imaginative spaces, Nguyen creates poignant narratives that capture the fragility of love and the bittersweet beauty of impermanence.
Each piece meticulously rendered with deliberate imperfect elements, reflecting the duality of connection—the moments of tenderness that bind us together and the fractures that pull us apart. Like a fleeting dream, these works invite the viewer to inhabit a space that exists solely in thought—a realm where emotions linger and memories fade.
119 S. 9TH ST. | 5 PM - 8:30 PM
This February, Dana Clements will be the curator of our Art Show! The reception will be on First Friday Opening Night, February 7th, starting at 5pm until 8:30. We’ll have live music and delicious treats from The Rabbit Hole Bakery! Stop by to have a delightful night with us!
The exhibit is curated by Clements Noyes artist/owner Dana Clements who paints whimsical, vividly colored images. However, she’s also known to play with other materials, so she looked for a diverse mix of media for the show.
The other artists featured are: Joselyn Andreasen (printmaking), Chenoa Beigel (pastels), Abby Carey (stained glass), Oliver Estes (ceramics), Alex Schon (mixed media), Melody Scott (metal sculpture), and Liam Seper (woodburning).
Enjoy the art at the February First Friday event at 119 S. 9 th St. While there, sign up for one of the gallery’s upcoming workshops. First is Create Wire Flowers with Cindy McClellan on Sat., Feb. 15, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. or 2-5 p.m. The $40 fee includes materials. Next is Paint a Pet Portrait with Lou Sylvan on Sat., Feb. 22, 12 noon-4 p.m. The $45 class fee includes all supplies. Please call Clements Noyes Art Gallery at 402-475-1061 to pre-pay and reserve your spot for these workshops.
200 S Antelope Valley Parkway | 5 PM
Our February First Friday artist is Mallory Lempke! She'll have new landscape and nature photography up all month long. Be sure to swing in and check it out!
2055 O ST. | 6 PM - 8 PM
Exhibition February 7 - April 25
February First Friday, Equilibrium: The Influence of Caretaking on Printmaking Practices
Artists:
Blake Sanders, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Hannah March Sanders, Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Kristen Martincic, Columbia, Missouri
Laura Berman, Kansas City, Missouri
Liz Ferrill, Snowmass Village, Colorado
Taryn McMahon, Kent, Ohio
Serhat Tanyolacar, Tampa, Florida
Susan Martin, Raleigh, North Carolina
Caretaking often brings about a profound shift in perspective. Artists who become parents or caretakers may find themselves noticing different aspects of life, experiencing emotions more deeply, and seeing the world through the eyes of their children. This shift can deeply enrich an artist's practice, offering new perspectives, themes, and sources of inspiration, while also shaping their approach to time management, adaptability, and community engagement.
This gathering of works by artists that are in this dual role brings interesting works and perspectives in a variety of print media, and innovations, related to how artmaking is accomplished alongside caregiving.
We all can equally identify to the juggle and joys of responsibility, closeness, commitment as expressed by these artists through their work and life stories.
Exhibition curated by Anne Burton and Melanie Finlayson, where discussions during an artist residency of their similar situations sparked these issues and the value of time.
140 N. 8TH ST. | 7 PM - 9 PM
Tessa Wiser is a Lincoln-based mixed-media artist with a passion for self-expression through various mediums. Her journey began in 2020 with her unique hand-painted plant pots and has since evolved into a love for abstract painting in all forms.
Wiser's work is a reflection of her evolving style and personal experiences, often incorporating unconventional materials such as glass beads, chains, and found objects. Through her art, she aims to challenge the traditional notions of beauty and inspire viewers to see the world through a new, creative lens. Wiser's work embraces imperfections and the beauty of the unexpected, making each piece one-of-a-kind. Wiser creates depth in her work with several washes to ensure the materials stay intact while also incorporating texture, rich colors, and organic shapes
Award-Winning Singer-Songwriter Daniel Christian blends a pop/rock sensibility with country/folk roots. He weaves hooky, stick-in-your-head melodies backed by big harmonies with thought-provoking lyrical content. The result is a style of art and entertainment which, according to fans, “sounds like cinnamon rolls taste!”
1100 E O ST. | 5 PM - 9 PM
More details to come.
STADIUM DR. & T ST. | 5 PM - 7 PM
The Gallery Management students have been working hard to get the 38th undergraduate juried exhibition excellently installed and we are excited for you to see it! The exhibition’s opening reception is Friday from 5pm-7pm. We hope to see you there!
The Eloise Kruger Gallery of Miniatures
RM 831 of Oldfather Hall on UNL City Campus | 3 PM - 6 PM
More details to come.
More details to come.
124 S. 9TH ST. | 5 PM - 8:30 PM
February 5 - March 2
A retrospective of paintings, photography, and mixed media by Mission Arts studio artist and friend Steve Ryan (1945-2024).
1300 P Street | 5 PM - 9 PM
More details to come.
1155 Q ST. | 5 PM - 7 PM
The museum will be closed from Dec 21, 2024 - March 7, 2025 for winter break and building maintenance.
UNL’s Great Plains Art Museum is open late, from 5-7 p.m. on Nov. 1. Join Great Plains Student Storyteller Karla Hernandez Torrijos for the opening of her exhibition, “Dear Great Plains.” The event will feature light refreshments and admission is always free.
“Dear Great Plains” is a postcard-writing campaign that hopes to tell a different story of the Great Plains: more complex, more diverse, and more nuanced. A collective letter, “Dear Great Plains” raises questions of heritage, history, and home. Botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer writes, “Knowing that you love the earth changes you […] but when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” Karla asked letter writers to consider their bond with the Great Plains and spent time collecting postcards from various communities and online.
Karla Hernandez Torrijos (she/her) is a poet and workshop facilitator who has been invited to read in venues across Nebraska, including The Bay, El Museo Latino, and The UNL Wick Alumni Center. The recipient of the 2022-2023 Irby F. Wood Prize for Poetry and the 2020-2021 Vreeland Award for Poetry, her writing interrogates our understanding of home, displacement, and the liminal space in between. Torrijos was the 2021-2022 Creative in Community Resident for The LUX Center for the Arts and is the inaugural Student Storyteller in Residence for The Center for Great Plains Studies. Her work can be found in “Preposition: An Undercurrent Anthology.”
The Student Storyteller in Residence Program is funded by the Michael Farrell Fund for Student Storytelling, administered through the University of Nebraska Foundation.
https://plains.unl.edu/student-storyteller-residence/
1208 O ST. | 7 PM
Enjoy February First Friday at Kiechel Fine Art on Friday, February 7th, from 5–8 pm. Explore all three gallery floors, enjoy a cash bar, and discover new arrivals and art at every price point for the upcoming holiday. Plus, find unique gift ideas for Valentine’s Day. See you Friday!
Chad M. Olsen
The Idea of You
2024, Oil on canvas, Triptych
60 x 144 inches
Hal Holoun
Valley County Moon
2024, Oil on canvas
32 x 50 inches
Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel
333 S. 13th St. | 6 PM - 9 PM
More details to come.
800 Q ST. | 5 PM - 7 PM
More details to come.
701 P St SUITE 102 | 5 PM - 8 PM
More details to come.
Exciting news, art lovers! Visit us at 1414 'O' Street, Metro Gallery Nebraska Where Art Is! Discover amazing Lincoln souvenirs, local art, and treasures from around the globe. Don't miss Jessie Case's exhibit opening on Free Art First Friday, February 7th! Stay in the loop by downloading our app for updates on the vibrant Lincoln art scene. Let's celebrate creativity together!
131 CENTENNIAL MALL N | 5 PM - 7 PM
More details to come.
More details to come.
325 S 11th St. | 5 PM - 8 PM
Join us Friday February 7th from 5-8pm for @bradys.collection.of.art Art Show!
1410 O St. |
This Friday, @hebkidart will be showing at the Uncommon Gallery at Parrish Studios in Lincoln. 14th and O St. @parrishstudios This is always a great atmosphere. Please come and check out all the studios and galleries in the space.
More details to come.
Saint Paul United Methodist Church
More details to come.
Come take advantage of First Friday’s extended hours with the grand opening of our newest exhibition, “Exploding Native Inevitable.”
Explore the diverse works of twelve contemporary Indigenous artists and two collaboratives, then help yourself to local pastries and refreshments in our Great Hall– all at no cost. Sounds like a nice way to start off the weekend, right?
Exploding Native Inevitable is a traveling exhibition, originally organized by Brad Kahlhamer and Dan Mills for Bates College Museum of Art, that features the work of twelve contemporary Indigenous artists and two collaboratives from lands we now call America.
140 N 8TH ST | 6 PM - 8 PM
Join us at Ten Thousand Villages for a fun weekend of arts and crafts! We will be celebrating our Nepalese artisan makers who are skilled in the art of turning raw wool into fun felted creations by making our own felt flowers - perfect for gifting to your Valentine! This event is free and open to the public. Crafting supplies, tables, and staff assistance will be available during store hours (Fri-Sat 10a-8p & Sun 11a-5p). Crafters of all ages are encouraged to participate - but kiddos preschool age and younger will probably need an adult to help handle the glue gun.
"Rat Race" w/ @wizlistudios and @craigmillerstudio
And with DJ ol' moanin!
Remembering Susan T. Wood: International Reflections
A reception from 5-8 p.m. Friday February 7 will showcase works by the artist who passed away in November. Anne Pagel, curator of the Karen & Robert Duncan Collection, worked with Susan's partner Ramin Shafaian to select pieces for the exhibition. She notes that Susan's mixed-media and textile works reveal her as a person of the world. "She was driven by the idea that the value of nations lay within the talents, traditions and labors of their people."
Images of the famous and unknown, plucked from periodicals, are arranged with washes of watercolor, graphite and ink to create a personal lexicon of symbols and over time, a visual diary. Her assembled textile and embroidery works reflect traditional arts from Western Africa, Southern Asia, Europe and Latin America where she worked in international development. Rug patterns from her partner's family rug business are another influence. Susan grew up in Lincoln and earned a BFA from UNL.
Susan T. Wood's works are available for viewing and purchase Fridays-Sundays, 12-5 p.m. February 7-23 or by appointment. Per Susan's request, a portion of proceeds from sales will go to support Nebraska Public Media.
Have an art show in downtown Lincoln you'd like added to our monthly list?
Email Maia at maia@downtownlincoln.org.