Pictured: Tim Guthrie Fred Simon Gallery Opening

Fred Simon Gallery

The Nebraska Arts Council is now accepting applications for the Fred Simon Gallery 2026-2028 Exhibition Schedule! Please see below for more details.

Fred Simon held steadfast belief in the importance of establishing a vibrant arts culture in Omaha and Nebraska as a whole.

For nearly 40 years, Fred and his wife Eve served as generous advocates and supporters of Opera Omaha. They were also major sponsors of the Omaha Symphony, Film Streams, Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha Performing Arts Society, and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, in addition to Fred’s involvement with Nebraska Cultural Endowment and Nebraska Arts Council.

Located in the lower level of the Burlington Building at 1004 Farnam Street, adjacent to the Old Market. Open hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Visit this unique space or explore upcoming exhibits.

Now accepting submissions for 2026- 2028 exhibitions!

The Nebraska Arts Council is now seeking submissions for the exhibition years 2026-2028. The deadline is November 12, 2024.

Please click here to apply!

Individual artists and curators are invited to apply for an exhibition opportunity at the Fred Simon Gallery. Work will be considered for 2026-2028 exhibition schedule. The Fred Simon Gallery is a special exhibition venue for Nebraska visual artists working in all media. The gallery is located in the NAC offices at the historic Burlington Building, overlooking the Gene Leahy Mall in Omaha’s Old Market. Applicants must be 21 years of age or older, have been a resident of Nebraska for two years prior to the application deadline and be a resident of Nebraska during the exhibition period. The exhibition opportunity is at no cost to the artist. The opening reception includes food and beverages provided by NAC along with web-based promotional/marketing support. Sales are permitted and are to be made directly between the client and the artist. NAC does not take a commission on any sales. The artist assumes all responsibility for any costs incurred in the preparing of artwork for proper exhibition and must provide the transportation, insurance, printed promotional materials (if desired) and installation/removal of the exhibition. Artists who choose to do a recorded artist talk will receive $150.

Application Requirements

Answer the following standard questions:

  • Your website address, if you have one:
  • Media (select one):
  • If your media does not fit any listed category, input your media under “other” and provide a more complete description of your media in the artist statement section if necessary.
  • (check box) I certify that I am 21 years of age or older, have been a resident of Nebraska for two years prior to the application deadline and will be a resident of Nebraska during my exhibition period. I am not presently, nor will I be enrolled in during the time of exhibition, a degree or certificate-granting program in the artistic field in which my application is being made.  Please note that the Fred Simon Gallery books up to a year or more in advance and the mission of the Gallery is to promote Nebraska resident artists. In the highly unlikely event an artist is no longer a resident of Nebraska at the time of their exhibition period, the Gallery will review the situation and the exhibition opportunity may be revoked. If you are uncertain of your long-term plans in regard to your state residency, please carefully consider the gallery’s mission, this notification and your personal situation before you make a decision to apply.
  • (check box) I understand and agree to the terms of exhibition, which includes the requirement for the artist to assume all responsibility for and costs incurred in the preparing of artwork for proper exhibition, as well as providing the transportation, insurance, printed promotional materials (if any) ,and installation/removal of the exhibition. The Fred Simon Gallery provides premium Old Market area gallery space to exhibiting artists at no cost to the artist, as well as an opening reception and email/internet marketing support. Sales are permitted and are to be made directly between the client and artist or their representative. The NAC does not take a commission on any sales. Please note that the NAC does not provide sales representation assistance, does not provide gallery personnel to guard the work, does not provide publication marketing materials such as postcards or flyers, and does not provide insurance coverage for the artworks. During the 2026-2028 exhibition calendar, NAC will issue a service fee of $150 to exhibiting artists who will allow us to record and edit the artist talk during the span of their exhibition. To process the payment, the NAC will need to gather the artist’s completed W9 form.

Exhibition Artist Statement and Biography:

Artist Statement

Please provide a description of the body of artwork you intend to install at the Gallery, and how it relates to the artwork images you uploaded to your submission. Discuss your artist practice and why you make the work you make.

Artist Biography

An artist biography highlights your artistic practice and any previous exhibitions, education or related experience. Information included is similar to a CV/Resume, but is written in paragraph form. It delivers the story of how your career highlights have propelled you to your current position and where you are headed.

CV/Resume

Upload your CV/Resume PDF

As a PDF, please save your CV/Resume and upload it here. Individual artists or Curators can submit a resume that is no longer than three pages. If you are applying as a group of artists, your PDF can include a resume for each artist, each being no more than three page.

Media

Provide 1-10 items.

For each image, use the description box to provide the artwork title, medium, year, dimensions, and any other relevant information about the artwork.

Allowed Media Types:

  • Images (up to 5MB each)
  • PDFs (up to 10MB each)

Submission Fee

  • The Nebraska Arts Council is paying the $10 submission fee for the 2026-2028 exhibition period, so applying artists may apply without paying a fee.

 

Current Exhibitions

Disorder

BY SHAWNEQUA LINDER

Aug 16 – Sept 20, 2024

“Disorder” captures Shawnequa’s visionary approach as she transcends traditional portraits and figurative, exploring endless possibilities through her unique texture technique. Her work features unique characters that evoke familiarity and enigma, inviting viewers to ponder the narrative beneath the surface. By blending reality and imagination, Shawnequa reveals the shared, often bittersweet, threads of our existence.

Artist Bio:

Shawnequa Linder is a visual artist living in Omaha, Nebraska. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Arts from Bellevue University in (2006). Her work explores the varying relationships between chaos and harmony, whether it’s applied in a nontraditional landscape or portrait using a combination of bold palettes and unexpected materials. Her work has been exhibited in various solo and group exhibitions including Omaha’s Bemis Center of Contemporary Arts, Museum of Nebraska Art, Gallery 1516 and RNG Gallery.

Artist Talk Video

Coming soon!

2023-2025 Exhibitions

2023-2025 Exhibitions:

Shabnam Jannesari (Hastings)

May 19 – July 12, 2023

Reception: June 1, 5-7pm

Derrick Burbul (Kearney)

July 21 – Sept 14, 2023

Reception: July 20th, 5-7pm

Folk Art Exhibition

Sept 29 – Nov 29, 2023

Reception: Sept 28th, 5-7pm

Santiago Cal (Lincoln)

Dec 8, 2023 – Jan 31, 2024

Reception: December 7, 5-7pm

Yun Shin (Omaha)

Feb 9 – April 3, 2024

Reception: February 8, 5-7pm

Paula Wallace (Omaha) and Gretchen Peters (Gering)

April 12 – June 5, 2024

Reception: April 11, 5-7pm

Allegra Hangen (Omaha)

June 14 – Aug 7, 2024

Reception: June 13, 5-7pm

Shawnequa Linder (Omaha)

Aug 16 – Oct 9, 2024

Reception: Aug 15, 5-7pm

Karien Bredenkamp (Omaha) and Jeff Sedrel (Omaha)

Oct 18 – Dec 4th, 2024

Reception: Oct 17, 5-7pm

Calandra Cooper (Omaha) and Keith Buswell (Lincoln)

Dec 13, 2024 – Feb 5, 2025

Reception: Dec 12, 5-7pm

Susan Moore (Nebraska City)

Feb 14 – April 9, 2025

Reception: Feb 13, 5-7pm

Travis Apel (Omaha)

April 18 – June 18th, 2025

Reception: April 17, 5-7pm

Lindsey Weber (Lincoln)

June 26 – August 20, 2025

Reception: June 25, 5-7pm

Oria Simonini (Omaha) and Ilaamen Pelshaw (Omaha)

Aug 26 – Oct 22, 2025

Reception: Aug 25, 5-7pm

2022-2023 Exhibitions

2022-2023 Exhibitions:

LAURA BENTZ AND MARY DONAHUE

July 15 – Sept 9, 2022

Click here for more exhibition details!

ATIIM JONES

Sept 16 – Nov 9, 2022

Click here for more exhibition details!

GABRIELLA QUIROZ

Nov 18, 2022 – January 11, 2023

Click here for more exhibition details!

NANCY LEPO

Jan 20 – March 8, 2023

JOE ADDISON

March 17 – May 10, 2023

Previous Exhibitions