Hours: Weekdays 10-6. Weekends 11-5.

Hot Shops Artists Doing Good in the Community

Our concentration of  90 artists at the Hot Shops has forged a truly unique arts organization, and the work they do enhances the vibrant arts community in Greater Omaha. Check out the impact some of our resident artists have been making recently!

Kelli Sweet is the organizer of the annual Hibernate and Create Retreat. This is the 6th year for the event, and after a few ‘building back’ years after Covid, this retreat was a sell-out!  The three-day event hosted 135 attendees for 29 classes with 18 instructors.

Kelli Sweet teaches one of the 29 classes held at the 2023 Hibernate and Create Retreat

Rowena Bennett launched Queerarchy in Studio 321.  The mission is to design unique items “as powerful symbols that inspire happiness so the queer community can live their lives freely without fear or shame.” Visitors can find T-shirts, tote bags and Rowena’s self-published book, “Pinapel & Friends,” a book with characters that show inclusion, representation and how to open up conversations in non-confrontational ways.   OWH feature >

Photo credit: Omaha World Herald. Rowena Bennett reads her self-published book, 'Pinapel and Friends,' to a group of children at the grand opening of Queerarchy.

The new signature piece of art in the Merryman Performing Arts Center in Kearney, NE was created by Les Bruning with assistance from Jon Bleicher, Alan Austin and Jack Gatzemeyer. “Tumbleweed Symphony” could be seen in progress at the Hot Shops for the last several months and is now hanging in the grand lobby of the Kearney venue.  News story >

Jack Gatzemeyer takes a photo during the installation of Les Bruning's, 'Tumbleweed Symphony'