May 2026
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. |
More details to come
118 N 14TH ST. | 12 PM - 7:30 PM
Get 10% – 50% OFF Your Entire Purchase of Used Books
Two Days Only!
Pick a Poppy – Your Discount is Written on the Ribbon tied to the Stem.
One pick per customer per day – come play both Friday & Saturday!
Burkholder Art Studio & Galleries
719 P ST. | 5 PM - 8 PM
We have Jennifer Austin in the Main Gallery, with Valery Wachter in the Main Hall. The Skylight Gallery will host Tammy Miller, with Courtney Kenny Porto in the Outback Gallery. Michaela Brown will be on display in the Special Exhibition Space.
Shows run May 1st-30th
Main Gallery
Land & Sky’ by Jennifer Austin
“My current body of work is a celebration of the natural world. All the pieces are larger scale drawings on paper using charcoal and erasure marks. The drawings are intended as a pensive consideration of transformational nature and organic beauty.”
‘May Flowers’ by Valery Wachter
Outback Gallery
‘Noticing’ by Courtney Kenny Porto
Noticing is a vibrant exhibition centered on the joy of paying attention. Through saturated colors and a painterly style, the work celebrates the beauty found in everyday moments — the way a shadow falls across a surface, the glossy shine of candy or a balloon, or seagulls drifting in flight. The exhibition invites viewers into the eyes of the artist, highlighting the small, fleeting details that spark curiosity and inspiration. By elevating simple, familiar subjects, Noticing encourages the viewer to slow down and appreciate the small pleasures that often go overlooked. It is a gentle reminder to pause and enjoy the simple things.
Skylight Gallery
‘Observations’ by Tammy Miller
“I love the challenge of observing and interpreting what I see on to canvas or paper.”
Special Exhibit Space
'Comfort in the Clutter’ by Michaela Brown
Comfort in the Clutter makes space for the overlooked. Across 11 works in mediums ranging from gouache, alcohol marker, oil, acrylic, mixed media, and ceramic, I examine how form turns ordinary clutter and belongings into something personal. My works ask the viewer to think about who the objects belong to, how they got there, and why they matter, while also inviting them to slow down and appreciate the aesthetic of form.
Michaela Brown is an artist based in Lincoln, NE with a BA in Fine Arts from UNL.
140 N 12TH ST. | 5 PM
More details to come.
119 S. 9TH ST. | 6 PM - 8:30 PM
Clements Noyes will open its May Focus show with work by three members and five guest artists. This month’s show features artists whose work is inspired by nature’s flora. Live streaming of the opening and brief artist talks will be broadcast on the Clements Noyes Gallery Facebook page at 7 p.m. The show will also be on
display at the gallery during regular hours Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., through May 29.
The show is curated by Deb Monfelt, who’s known for her plein air paintings. Monfelt’s mastery of materials allows her to capture the colors and atmosphere of any setting where she sets up her easel.
Joining Monfelt in the show are: Rebecca Burt (wood/found objects), Teresa Burt (pastel/oil painting), Sandie Caradori (acrylic/oil painting), Teresia Chleborad (oil/cold wax/collage), Jeri Kuhn (paper quilling/origami), Kim McGill (acrylic painting/mixed media) and Kristi Ronkar- Behrens (pottery). Additionally that night, enjoy the vocal stylings of Lorraine Newby.
Come to the May First Friday event at 119 S. 9th St., and enjoy the art, live music by Lorraine Newby, and snacks, including treats from Rabbit Hole Bakery.
200 S ANTELOPE VALLEY PARKWAY | 5 PM - 8:30 PM
Our May First Friday artist is local painter, Zoë Gengenbach-Neumann. Check out her new artwork on Friday, May 1st. Her work will be up throughout the month of May.
2055 O ST. | 6 PM - 8 PM
More details to come.
140 N. 8TH ST. | 6 PM - 9 PM
Live music with @breannestonemusic starts at 7pm! Art from @chloexekberg and @uncannyprairie_ will be up for the whole month of May! No cover. See you then!
1100 E O ST. | 5 PM - 9 PM
More details to come.
STADIUM DR. & T ST. | 5 PM - 7 PM
More details to come.
The Eloise Kruger Gallery of Miniatures
RM 831 of Oldfather Hall on UNL City Campus | 2 PM - 6 PM
More details to come.
211 N 14TH ST | 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
This First Friday event will serve as the culminating celebration of the project, featuring three floors of artwork created throughout the initiative and a festive progressive experience with food from local restaurants:
- Floor 1: Refreshments
- Floor 2: Savory Appetizers
- Floor 3: Sweets and Desserts
We’ll also feature a curated The House on Mango Street book sales table in partnership with Francie & Finch.
We look forward to celebrating this project with the community and showcasing the creativity it has inspired.
130 S 13TH ST | 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM
More details to come.
124 S. 9TH ST. | 5 PM - 8:30 PM
On display April 29-May 31
Join us in May for a featured show with Chicago roots, showcasing jewelry by Rose Kotwas and mixed media by Nancy Hagler-Vujovic, Diane Staver, and Mike Rowe.
1300 P Street | 5 PM - 9 PM
Artist vendors & specialty gift makers will be setting up shops for First Friday at Tower Square. Discover new paintings, carvings, photography, jewelry, glasswork, crochet, and more at this vibrant night market.
6-9pm Performance by Micah Leamer
Live music sponsored by Dietze Music.
1155 Q ST. | 5 PM - 7 PM
The Great Plains Art Museum is open late May 1, 5-7 p.m. with four exhibitions, light refreshments, and a kite-making activity suitable for ages 5 and up.
The kite activity celebrates International Migratory Bird Day, now called World Migratory Bird Day, which first started in 1993 with a goal to bring awareness, conservation, and education to bird migration, habitat needs, species adaptations, and more.
On View:
“Collection Connections: Art in Conversation”
January 20-July 25, 2026
In 2026, the Center for Great Plains Studies and its Great Plains Art Museum celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Center and the 45th anniversary of the museum’s opening. To commemorate these milestones, this exhibition highlights artworks from the collection that span the museum’s history, from the founding donation to recent acquisitions. Rather than presenting these selections in a chronological arrangement, artworks are paired or grouped to focus on formal and thematic connections and emphasize the diverse perspectives that tell the multifaceted stories of the Great Plains.
“‘All the Beauty You Can See’: Dwight Kirsch in Nature”
January 20-July 25, 2026
A native Nebraskan and prolific artist, Dwight Kirsch (1899-1981) was an important figure in the Lincoln arts community in the early-to-mid twentieth century, serving as chair of the University of Nebraska Art Department and playing an integral role in the Nebraska Art Association. The Great Plains Art Museum’s extensive collection of Kirsch’s work spans his time teaching in Nebraska through his last years at the Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home. This exhibition presents a small sampling of those holdings, each selected to demonstrate Kirsch’s deep and lifelong fascination with conveying the nuances and beauty of the natural world through art.
"Indigenous Ceramics from the Collection"
January 20–July 25, 2026
This permanent collection spotlight exhibition in the museum’s Mezzanine Gallery features diverse ceramic works by Indigenous artists of the Great Plains and nearby Southwest region.
Handspoken Fair Trade (originally Ten Thousand Villages)
140 N. 8th ST. | 6 PM - 8 PM
Handspoken (Formerly Ten Thousand Villages) hosts a craft night in collaboration with Downtown Lincoln Artwalk First Friday. These events are free to anyone and everyone. The crafts vary each month.
Join us in store to shop the newest collection from Global Mamas. Their items will be available from May 1st to May 16th! Global Mamas strives to achieve zero waste by designing high quality products from upcycled materials! A certified fair-trade retailer, Global Mamas present new opportunities for artisans in Ghana.
1208 O ST. | 5 PM - 8 PM
More details to come.
Lincoln Marriott Cornhusker Hotel
333 S. 13th St. | 6 PM - 9 PM
More details to come.
701 P St SUITE 102 | 5 PM - 8 PM
More details to come.
More details to come.
131 CENTENNIAL MALL N | 5 PM - 7 PM
More details to come.
More details to come.
325 S 11th St. | 6 PM - 9 PM
Join us for our First Friday art opening on May 1st at Ollie’s Sake Bar!
We’ll be showing new works featuring pairs of images chosen by rolling Tattoo Paintroll dice, done in our own distinct mediums and interpretations.
Nate will have his bold, dynamic spit shaded paintings
Mandy will have her textural, hand stitched fabric assemblages.
Together it’s sure to make for a fun collection.
Come check it out!
1410 O St. | 7 PM - 10 PM
Check out their website and view all of their different studios for more details.
More details to come.
Saint Paul United Methodist Church
More details to come.
This coming Friday, start your weekend and celebrate the end of spring semester classes at Sheldon. May’s First Friday features free churros from Papi Churros, popsicles, lawn games, live music, and in-gallery activities. A drop-in tour will be offered at 6 p.m.
From 5 to 8 p.m., explore the Whispering Crane Night Market in Sheldon’s parking lot. In this transient bazaar, you’ll encounter a variety of mysterious lounges, theaters, galleries, installations, and other establishments, all situated within seemingly ordinary box trucks and created by Emerging Media Arts Story Lab 2 students.
This event is free and open to everyone, registration is encouraged.
We are so excited about this upcoming Friday because we get to share even more incredible art from local artists AND serve delicious coffee. So make sure to get May 1st First Friday on your calendars and prepare yourself for a splendid time 🤩
we've got fresh art going up from featured artist @maricels.space and we'll have the most pristine vibes all night-being curated by the amazing @djrugburn777
More details to come.
More details to come.
210 Architecture Hall (HDR Pavilion Lobby) | 5 PM - 7 PM
More details to come.
801 O ST. SUITE 110 | 4PM-MIDNIGHT
More details to come.
More details to come.
Have an art show in downtown Lincoln you'd like added to our monthly list?
Email Maia at maia@downtownlincoln.org.