During the inaugural season, we partnered with performing artists who reflected on Black history and racial equity. Featured artists included Alicia Olatuja, PHILADANCO, Ranky Tanky, and Rudy Smith. The season culminated with “Let America Be America Again,” a powerful finale event featuring local literary, musical, dance, and visual arts talent focused on social justice.

We highlighted Afro-Latino culture and artforms with events such as dance workshops with Sankofa Danzafro, a community portrait with graffiti artist Hugo Zamorano, and Omaha’s Forgotten Century, an original musical theater performance created by Broadway actor, choreographer Ray Mercer and other Omaha community members.

The 22/23 season delved further into Latino/Hispanic culture with events like Salsa and Jazz: A Mixing of Musical Flavors with Sammy Figueroa and Alexis Arai, The Power of Fashion with Omaha’s Fashion Arts Collective, and Evita: La revolucionaria with Ballet Hispánico.

The community was invited to explore the diverse traditions of Asian American culture through events like a cook-along with No More Empty Pots, a dance workshop with the acclaimed Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, and an inside look at TAIKOPROJECT’s drumming project Benzaiten.

We celebrated the disability community with events like Cosmic Optics, an art exhibition at Hot Shops; a conversation with pianist Matthew Whitaker, who is blind; a full spectrum circus workshop and sensory inclusive performance with the multi-abled Omnium Circus; and Interwoven, a fashion show of adaptive designs by and for people with disabilities followed by a silent disco debuting the SoundShirt.

Events amplified voices from past seasons with a special focus on conversations between older and younger generations.