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Come do the Crawl!

NOSA Arts Crawl to feature diverse art and artists – Friday, August 12

The 2016 edition of North Omaha Summer Arts has seen the addition of new events and community partners and now NOSA’s gearing up for its 6th Annual Arts Crawl on Friday, August 12.

Founded in 2011 by North Omaha resident Pamela Jo Berry, NOSA is an entirely free, summer-long festival dedicated to the proposition that the arts can heal and build community. Berry, a mixed media artist, saw a need to infuse more art in all its forms into North Omaha and to give artists more opportunities to explore and showcase their work. The festival features some recurring events, such as the gospel concert in Miller Park in June, an Art and Gardening class at the Florence Branch Library in July and the Arts Crawl in August. A weekly women’s writing series just concluded and its students’ work will be published in an anthology.

New this year to the NOSA schedule are a variety of Pop-Up Art events, including the recent Thoreau Meets the Harlem Renaissance and Painting Bird Houses events. More Pop-Up Art happenings are planned. NOSA often works with community partners to present events, including recent collaborations with Compassion in Action, Girls Inc. and the Intergenerational Human Services Campus.

The highlight of NOSA each year is the Arts Crawl. This walkable, continuous art show presents the diverse work of emerging and established artists at venues on or near North 30th Street. This year’s Crawl runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on August 12. It starts at the Metropolitan Community College Fort Omaha campus Mule Barn building and ends at the North Heartland Family Service – with Church of the Resurrection, Nelson Mandela School and Trinity Lutheran in between.

The public is invited to walk or drive to each location to view art in various mediums, enjoy art demonstrations and speak with artists about their practice. Live music will be performed at some venues.

Many of the featured artists are from North Omaha.

For this year’s Crawl, each veteran artist is showing alongside a younger or less experienced artist with whom they share a close connection. For example. Gabrielle Gaines Liwaru is showing her art photography beside her daughter Cheamera Liwaru’s own photographs and Aaryon Lau Rance Williams is showing his paintings next to art created by youth from the after school arts program he operates.

“NOSA would like to welcome art lovers from around the metro to come out for this each-one-to-teach-one and it-takes-a-village celebration of community, family and art,” Berry said. “We are thrilled to be in our sixth year with North Omaha Summer Arts and we are thankful for all the partners, artists and volunteers who help make it happen and keep it a free event.”

A reception kicking off the Crawl will be held at the Charles B. Washington Branch Library, 2868 Ames Avenue, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.  Tara Evans and the Golden Thread Quilters, sponsored by Community Quilting Center Inc., will feature approximately 40+ quilts throughout the library. Both traditional and artistic quilts will be on display.

Free snacks and refreshments will be abatable at each stop along the Crawl route.

For more information, call 402-502-4669.

Visit the NOSA Facebook page at–
http://www.facebook.com/NorthOmahaSummerArts

Visit the Arts Crawl event page at–
https://www.facebook.com/events/1133908166708406/

Follow and like NOSA at–
https://www.facebook.com/NorthOmahaSummerArts/?fref=ts# or https://www.facebook.com/groups/1012756932152193/