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Letter from Hillary Nather-Detisch

As summer slowly comes to an end, and the beginning of the school year is approaching, we are excited to welcome everyone in the community back to Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center – a space where art is the gateway to a conversation on human rights, Holocaust education, and genocide.

If you have visited the Museum, you already know that we showcase two exhibitions annually. Each exhibition and accompanying program facilitate interdisciplinary conversations, often incorporating music, poetry, hands-on artmaking and writing. Visitor experiences advance beyond a fine arts conversation to include topics in history, humanities and, most of all, human connections.

After five exhibitions exclusively dedicated to the permanent collection donation of Samuel Bak’s artworks, the Museum now showcases exhibitions that place Bak’s artwork in dialogue with other contemporary artists. Designed to explore the multiple themes in Mr. Bak’s artworks, selected artists share Mr. Bak’s stated goal of creating art that promotes discussions on our shared humanity and draws hope for the future.

Art is a powerful vehicle and mirror, reflecting both the highest achievements of human dignity and the painful realities of its denial. In the Fall 2026 exhibition, Past, Present, Futures, we invite you to step into a space of shared humanity, where artists use their unique voices to explore, question, and dialogue – we hope you will visit the Museum and will converse with others - to look closer, feel deeper, and confront the vulnerabilities and strengths that connect us all. The gallery space is curated to encourage you to pause, reflect, and consider your own place within the global narratives presented throughout the exhibition.

I would like to thank the artists, lenders, community partners, Samuel Bak, Bernie Pucker, the Pucker Gallery, and Museum staff under the leadership of Chief Curator Alexandra Cardon, whose generosity made this exhibition possible. I look forward to seeing you in the galleries!

Hillary Nather-Detisch, CFRE

Executive Director, Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center

We are excited to welcome you back for our fall exhibition, Past, Present, Futures.

L: Samuel Bak Searching/ Suche, 1999, oil on canvas, 40 x 32 inches. Collection of Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center, University of Nebraska at Omaha. R: Shawn Theodore, The Salon of Oluchi Oneya and Leenos: The Forgiving, 2018, archival pigment print on paper, 60 x 90 inches. Courtesy of the artist and Paradigm Gallery + Studio.

The exhibition Past, Present, Futures explores how 21st century artists appropriate European art traditions to question historical narratives, discuss our contemporary moment, and envision flourishing futures.

The exhibition opens with Samuel Bak’s early figurative paintings. In the 1970s, Bak abandoned abstraction and embraced a figurative approach that drew from Renaissance and Baroque painting and sculptures. His use of traditional European techniques of painting and classically inspired bodies drawn from the works of Renaissance artists casts a critical gaze on the legacies of European culture in the aftermath of the Holocaust.

Invited artists include Ken Gonzales-Day, Harmonia Rosales, Letitia Huckaby, Jeannette Ehlers, Shawn Theodore, and April Bey. They explore the traditions of European portraiture to center other histories, reveal the role art and art history have played in the formation of historical narratives, and celebrate the resurgence of culture after oppression.

Our free programming returns for fall. Join us today.

These free monthly one-hour long programs begin at 6 PM on select Thursdays every month. University of Nebraska at Omaha professors and national experts explore themes in Bak’s work. Join us for the following lectures:

• October 15 – Letitia Huckaby, featured artist in Past, Present, Futures

• November 12 – Gregory Ruthledge, Ph.D

• December 5 – Bak & Music with Christine Beard, Ph.D

Weekend Art Workshops – Saturdays and Sundays in September and October

Join us at the Museum for FREE art making sessions. Sessions will include a brief tour of the exhibition with a focus on a particular artwork as a source of inspiration. All supplies provided, walk-ins welcome, and no RSVP required.

September from 11 am to 1 pm

• September 12 & 13
• September 19 & 20
• September 26 & 27

October 12 to 3:00 pm

• October 3 & 4
• October 10 & 11
• October 17 & 18

Upcoming this Fall: Nebraska Writers Collective and Samuel Bak Museum workshop collaboration. Three free workshops will invite participants to engage with the fall exhibition as a creative departure point for writing and performance. The evening workshops will include a tour of the exhibition led by Chief Curator Alexandra Cardon followed by a reflection and writing session led by a Nebraska Writers Collective artist. Participants will have the opportunity to share their original writing. This is a FREE event, but preregistration is required.  

• Allen Stevenson - Wednesday, September 16, 6:30 – 8 pm
• Zedeka Poindexter - Wednesday, October 14, 6:30 – 8 pm
• Noni Williams - Wednesday, November 18, 6:30 – 8 pm

Bak to Basics: Chess for All Ages Sundays in November from 1 – 2 PM

Come play chess at the Museum. The session will start with a brief conversation on Samuel Bak’s use of chess imagery in his art, followed by open play. This program is designed for beginners and seasoned chess players who enjoy helping others learn. Please RSVP in pairs. This is a FREE event, but preregistration is appreciated as it is limited to 12 attendees.

• Sunday, November 8
• Sunday, November 15
• Sunday, November 22

K-12 Education

Please join us anytime between 4 and 7 PM for an open house event to learn more about Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center and the helpful resources available to support you and your students. Meet our staff and enjoy heavy appetizers and refreshments! RSVP and we look forward to seeing you on September 15.

Interested in an engaging K-12 experience? Learn more about our K-12 tour opportunities and request a Field Trip today!

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

Guided Tour Requests

Would you like a Private Guided Tour for your group? Complete the Guided Tour Request Form.

Meeting Reservation Requests

Interested in reserving the Museum 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.