Omaha Creative Institute moves forward
Omaha Creative Institute moves forward
For Immediate Release
July 9, 2009
Omaha, Neb. – A season of preparation is being fulfilled. Omaha Creative Institute, an initiative of Hot Shops Art Foundation, has made significant progress on each of its core pursuits in the past nine months and invites the public to share in its support of creativity.
Omaha Creative Institute has three core activities 1) creative experiences for Omaha residents and visitors, 2) creative educational programs for youth and 3) initiating the metro area’s first Master of Fine Arts degree program.
Creative experiences, specifically marketed to visiting and resident adults and mature youth, have been piloted, launched and refined. Omaha Creative Institute hosts “Come Create It” hands-on workshops each weekend through the end of September. The experiences range from introductory classes in ceramics to glassblowing, from African drumming to origami. The workshops’ schedule and registration is on the organization’s Web site. The workshop fee includes all materials and features a take home, self-made memento for all visual arts workshops. Omaha Creative Institute thanks Omaha Community Foundation for their support of these workshops through their Fund for Omaha as well as the Douglas County Board of Commissioners through their Visitor Improvement Fund.
Dana Markel, executive director of Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau, supports the workshops’ role in tourism. “Omaha Creative Institute is making Omaha a more entertaining and vibrant destination. Challenging one’s creativity in the workshops’ fun environment proves to be motivating for those involved.”
Also, the spring commenced interdisciplinary pilot programs for middle-school aged youth. Nathan Hale Middle School partnered with Omaha Creative Institute in their first iteration of “Project Cup” coursework. The sessions began with the ceramic exercise of creating a cup form. Emphasizing 21st century skills, this lead to broad based coursework in the surrounding academic and real-world topics: e.g. chemical composition, working together, symbolism, sale, mass production, and the importance of creativity. The eight week interaction was deemed a success by the instructors and students alike.
Virginia Bowers, retired OPS principal and course facilitator, spoke to the student perspective on “Project Cup.” “The students voiced that they also learned intangibles such as leadership abilities, collaborative relationships and the intrinsic value of creative thinking.”
Omaha Creative Institute board of directors and a dedicated committee have spent considerable time crafting the basis of a successful Master of Fine Arts program for the Omaha metropolitan area. Organizers are examining the feasibility of working with a local, regional or even national educational partner to found the program. The MFA steering committee is comprised of Hot Shops Art Foundation President Leslie Bruning, Omaha Creative Institute Executive Director Susan Thomas, Rachel Jacobson, Hesse McGraw, Joe Olsen and Watie White.
“The goal is to build an internationally renowned program in visual arts and multidisciplinary art practices. The program we envision will pursue an innovative educational model defined by a collaborative structure among its faculty,” said McGraw, in speaking for the MFA steering committee. “Through aggressive recruitment and retention, this program has the potential to permanently alter the creative and intellectual landscape of the Omaha and Council Bluffs region.”
The organization’s board of directors is exploring several locations in the North Downtown arts and trades district for the organization’s home.
“Our focus right now is creating a base of support for our programming,” said Bruning. “We are additionally thankful for the local architects and advisors that have helped us research potential sites.”
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