Art as revolution

by Leo Adam Biga

Brigitte McQueen is hell-bent on revolution.

The entrepreneurial arts maven first made a splash with Pulp in Benson. Then she revived the Bemis Underground in the Old Market. Now she’s about to shake up North Omaha via The Union for Contemporary Art, which she could have located anywhere.
She chose North Omaha.

"It's one of the only communities in Omaha that does not have a dedicated,...

What’s Possible Here?

by Steve Brewer

What’s possible for our city? Speakers at the 2011 TEDx Omaha event offered many answers to that pressing question.

TEDx Omaha is an independently organized event affiliated with the well-known TED conferences in California and Scotland.

The second TEDx Omaha was held on October 15 at Creighton University, with a theme of “What’s Possible?”

Eleven local speakers addressed that theme in...

Food For Thought

by Leo Adam Biga

The uneasy place which race inhabits in the collective American psyche leaves most discussions of the subject to academics, activists or attorneys. But its reality permeates much of the social-cultural fabric. 

Rhetoric about race is common. Conversation, less so. In these politically correct times, with a topic so tinged by the emotional weight of the past, no one wants to offend; therefore,...

Building a Village in Midtown

by Jessica Clem-McClaren

“The location in Midtown wasn’t a problem as far as getting renters to move inwards,” said Scott Semrad, part owner of midtown-based Urban Village. “We had the product, but it was trying to push the location of that product that was the problem.”

It was a gorgeous day at Delice in Midtown Crossing. The hustle of the area was exciting; young professionals grabbing lunch, ladies enjoying their...

A Decent House for Everyone

by Leo Adam Biga

Early in his life as a brother in the Society of Jesus, his superiors asked Mike Willmot what kind of work he wanted to do. The former Marquette (Milwaukee, Wis.) University High School three-sport athlete said he wanted to coach. Perhaps as a lesson in obedience or humility, the Jesuits instead had him learn cabinet making and welding.

It was hard to see the practicality of it. But the...

A Family Thing

by Leo Adam Biga

With Native Omaha Days over, another traditional African-American summer gathering, the Bryant-Fisher Family Reunion, begins.

The biennial Native Omaha Days began in 1977. But it’s a newbie compared to the historic annual reunion that dates to 1917, when Emma Early Bryant Fisher inaugurated the event with a family picnic at Mandan Park near her South Omaha home. The picnic was held there for...

Returning To Society

by Leo Adam Biga

As the revolving doors of America's overcrowded prisons spin ever faster, sending more ex-offenders back into society, reentry has become a major focus nationwide, including Nebraska.

America has 2.2 million individuals incarcerated in prison, compared with approximately 1.6 million inmates in the Communist China, a nation with an overall population four times that of the United States.

Hard Climb Ahead

by Andrew Norman

Get comfortable before you ask state Sen. Kathy Campbell what concerns and questions she has about Nebraska's child welfare privatization program. You're likely to be there for a while. “Is the program as we've set it up sustainable, both financially, as well as service contracts or sub-contracts with other agencies?” she says. “I think the financial questions and its future of...