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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, October 9, 6PM

The Honor Dress of the Movement

Speaker: Dr. Torsten Homberger

Dr. Homberger, Associate Professor at UNK, will explore how the brown-shirted Stormtrooper uniform was central to Hitler's rise to power through an analysis of its design and marketing. The Nazi uniform had a distinct political and military persona that was simultaneously violent and orderly, retrograde and modern—a dual image that proved popular with the German people and was key to the Nazis' political success. This is a FREE event, but preregistration is required.

Emerging Artist Program presents Still Life Artist Workshops - Saturdays October 11 and October 25, 2 PM

Featured Artists: Baylee Bennett & Clarissa Weitzel

Learn how to draw a still life! Participants will tour our current exhibition and make their own still life artworks. Materials provided. This is a FREE event, but preregistration is required.

Exhibition Lecture – Thursday, October 30, 6PM

The Historical and Cultural Impact of Still Life Painting

Speaker: Dr. Kimberly Minor

Dr. Minor will explore the historical and cultural impact of still life painting in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. This is a FREE event, but preregistration is required.

All Museum programming is FREE and open to the public, but 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.

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!

Workshop for Educators & Practitioners (5th – 12th grades) - Sunday October 19, 1 PM

A graphic flyer advertises a workshop for educators on the "TIME-OUT FROM WAR" exhibit, featuring art by Thomas F. Naegele, a German-Jewish immigrant who documented WWII POW camps in Nebraska. The event, co-hosted by several organizations, will be held on October 19th at the Omaha JCC.

UNL’s Norman and Bernice Harris Center for Judaic Studies present a workshop and tour of the Time-out from War exhibit by Thomas F. Naegele. This workshop is co-hosted by several organizations and is located at the Staenberg Omaha JCC, Staenberg Kooper Fellman Campus. All participants will receive a free copy of Naegele’s book. To RSVP for the workshop please use this link: Educator Workshop RSVP

For questions, please email Beth Dotan at bdotan2@nebraska.edu.

Museum Team Spotlight

Meet Erin Im – Student Worker

I am currently a senior and planning on graduating in Spring 2026. I am double majoring in Art History with a concentration in Arts Management and Sociology with a concentration in Work and Organization. I am also minoring in Human Rights. I started working at the Samuel Bak Museum in August, but I have always been really interested in works of art when it comes to identity and how artists convey their raw feelings and emotions into artworks. My favorite part is meeting the people that come to the museum and listening to how they found us and what interested them in coming to see us. When it comes to Bak’s works, they tell a bigger story from what is simply seen on the surface as it sparks conversations, thoughts, emotions, and it ultimately brings people together. One fun fact about me is that I went to London in the summer and it was such a life-changing moment for me. Some of my hobbies include reading, listening to podcasts, and painting. In the future, I hope to become a Curator or any sort of position at an art gallery/museum that will let me continue to study art, write about art, and allow me to create a welcoming, diverse, and uplifting environment for everyone and anyone that comes to the museum.

Favorite Bak: My favorite work by Bak is Scattered Leaves (2021). It shows a woman’s head and two gloved hands (that could potentially be hers) placed on top of a pedestal. The right hand holds a branch with vibrant green leaves while the left hand holds just one leaf that is still very vibrant even after just being plucked from the branch most likely. The painting represents spring, which has been known to represent hope as the leaves start to grow as well as flowers. This unique piece is quite different from the motifs that are seen throughout Bak’s work, in which this piece gives one a sense of hope and renewal. I really like how Bak experiments and keeps on experimenting with different objects and people in his works to depict and show different emotions.

A graphic with two images. The image on the left is a photo of Erin looking to their right with their hands held near their face. They are standing outside in front of a small body of water with large trees and a regal, notable building in the background. The left image is a photo of Erin’s favorite Samuel Bak painting Scattered Leaves, as described in Erin’s text.

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.

Featured Events

Wear Black, Give Back, is Oct. 8-9, and you’re invited!

Join the celebration from noon to noon CT and consider a gift today to support the Museum during Wear Black Give Back. Help us reach our goals to:

Receive a $1,000 match gift from Hillary Nather-Detisch & John Detisch.
Unlock a $5,000 gift from Gloria & Howard Kaslow when 75 people give $5 or more.

European Studies Conference – October 9 - 11

Samuel Bak will speak via a live Zoom on Saturday October 11, 9:30 am at the 50th Annual European Studies Conference. The conference will offer both online and in person panels and welcomes conversation on European topics in all disciplines.

To RSVP please contact Marie Lee at mglee@unomaha.edu.