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Join us for a full lineup of free fall events and explore the captivating stories behind our Still Life Exhibition.

Exhibition Lecture – Thursday, November 13, 6PM

Words for the Unspeakable: Mayan Genocide and Beyond

Speaker: Dr. Claudia García

Dr. García will explore time structures, dialogical voices, and uses of genre in narratives by three Indigenous Guatemalan authors (1987-2007). This is a FREE event and preregistration is required.

Exhibition Lecture – Saturday, December 6, 2PM

Bak & Music

Performance by: Dr. Christine Erlander Beard

Dr. Beard will deliver a captivating musical performance to complement the current exhibition at Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center. The program will feature compositions by banned composers, victims of war, and music that ties into the current exhibition. This is a FREE event and preregistration is required.

All Museum programming is FREE and open to the public, but due to limited seating, preregistration is required. RSVP Today!

Banner for the "Suspended in Time: Still Lives and Magic Realism" art exhibition, showing two paintings. The one on the left is a floral arrangement, and the one on the right is a surreal still life. The banner also lists the dates of the exhibition as August 20 - December 21 and social media handles: @uno_bak on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Suspended in Time: Still Lives and Magic Realism presents the still life works of artists Ori Gersht (b.1967), Stephen Namara (b. 1953), and Fidencio Fifield-Perez (b.1992) in conversation with a selection of Samuel Bak’s (b.1933) paintings. Historically, still life paintings have allowed artists to reflect upon our human condition through the meticulous depiction of objects, platters of food, flowers, and fruits. Capturing these elements on the cusp of decay, artists commented on the ephemerality of human existence, the vanity of youth, and the dangers of over-indulgence. In these contemporary renderings, each artist blends the personal and the domestic to ponder broader historical and contemporary narratives. This exhibition explores how these artists used their medium to create poetic and fantastical arrangements to question a “known reality” and highlight the impossibility of depicting the world in all its complexities.

Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center thanks the following sponsors for their generous support of Suspended in Time: Still Lives and Magic Realism and accompanying educational programs and events.

A grid of logos and names of various sponsors, including Douglas County, The Sherwood Foundation, Omaha Steaks, Shirley & Leonard Goldstein Supporting Foundation, Nebraska Arts Council, National Endowment for the Arts, The Milton S. and Corinne N. Livingston Foundation Fund, Valmont, Annette and Paul Smith, Mutual of Omaha, and Cynthia Epstein and David Wiesman.

Another Look - Student Reflections

During this semester, the Museum collaborated with UNO Professor Anne West-Leclou in the Intensive Language Program. International students wrote reaction pieces to current works on display in the exhibition in English and then recorded audio in their first language. Visit the Museum before December 21 to scan the QR codes and hear the student’s reflections on Suspended in Time: Still Lives and Magic Realism!

Featured Event
Sharaka Panelist Conversation – Thursday December 4, 6 PM
Shared Futures: Evolving Peace through Partnerships - Five Years of the Abraham Accords with Sharaka

Join us for a powerful and timely conversation with young leaders from Sharaka, a groundbreaking initiative building understanding and partnership between Arabs and Israelis. These changemakers—many raised in societies shaped by antisemitism—are now using their voices to challenge hate, promote coexistence, and advance peace. Through personal stories of transformation, they’ll share their experiences visiting Israel, engaging in Holocaust education, and building bridges across the rapidly evolving Middle East—all inspired by the promise of the Abraham Accords.

This is a FREE event, but due to limited seating, preregistration is required. RSVP Today!

K-12 Education Opportunities

Two female students, one in a blue plaid shirt and the other in a red shirt, both wearing hijabs stand in an art gallery holding clipboards and pencils. They are looking at a painting on the wall, with other students and art pieces visible in the background.

Interested in an engaging K-12 experience? Did you know that field trips can be customized for all curriculums, grade levels, and Nebraska and Iowa state standards?

Find out more about our K-12 tour field trip opportunities and schedule a tour today!

Museum Team Spotlight

Meet Zoe Law – Student Worker

I am currently a student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and I am studying International Studies with minors in Genocide and Holocaust Studies and History. My favorite part about working at the Samuel Bak Museum is learning the stories behind each of the paintings and their historical significance. I have also enjoyed helping with research for future exhibitions and learning more about Samuel Bak’s life. Some fun facts about me are that I have two miniature schnauzers, I have been a vegetarian for the past seven years, and I enjoy hiking, especially during the fall.

Favorite Bak: My favorite piece of Samuel Bak’s work is Still Life Balance. This painting shows a pear lying on a blanket while surrounded by three walls that are barely being held together. I really enjoy looking at the softness of the pear while the rest of the scene appears to be crumbling around it. It is a piece that shows a lot of emotion, depth, and meaning.

A young woman with glasses and a beige puffer coat smiles while standing under a bright orange autumn tree next to a rustic wooden structure. The image also includes a painting titled Still Life (Balance) by Samuel Bak, depicting a surreal still life with a blue hanging canteen and a pear next to a pitcher.

Free Audio Tour

The Museum mobile tour is back, offering a free audio tour available for visitors in English, Spanish, and French. Please bring your headphones and a smart device to scan a QR code at each stop.

Guided Tour Requests

Would you like a Private Guided Tour? Complete the Guided Tour Request Form for more information.

Meeting Reservation Requests

Interested in reserving the SBMLC Classroom for your next meeting? Read our Reservation Agreement to see if your group is eligible. Complete the Reservation Request Form to get the conversation started. Additional information can be found on the Museum's Meeting and Event Spaces website page.