2026 Bitsy Awards Receipients

Group of six people standing together in front of a large quilt featuring a red and pink star pattern. Everyone is holding an award, and the group is posed and smiling toward the camera on an indoor stage with black curtains in the background.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the 2026 BiTSy awards!

The BiTSy awards are given biannually by the staff of the Nebraska Arts Council to those individuals who work more Behind The Scenes, but provide great service to their organization, their community, or the Arts Council.

Awards for this year were created by artist Vickie Hughes at Hot Shops in Omaha.

This year’s recipients are (from left to right):

Richard Harrison- Arist/Muralist (Omaha), for his own inspired murals around the state and for his work with Midsummer Murals and the South Omaha Mural Project.

Carrie Nath– Director of Equitable Access at BLUEBARN Theatre (Omaha), for years of work working with, and advocating for, artists and audiences with disabilities.

Dan Wach- Executive Director of the Shelterbelt Theatre (Omaha), for his work to revive and find a new space for Omaha’s Shelterbelt Theatre, creating again a home for original plays.

Dahn Hagge– Golden Husk Theatre (Ord), for her work to renovate and run the Golden Husk in Ord. Dahn also works closely with two Creative Districts and has served as a grant panelist for the NAC.

Alan Wedige-Retired architect for the University of Nebraska system (Kearney), for his work with, and in support of, NAC’s 1% for Art program.

Colleen Heavican Cass- Curator of the UNMC Healing Arts Program (Omaha), for her work with the Healing Arts program and with NAC’s1% for Art Program.