March/April 2013 The Encounter Magazine by Omaha Magazine

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Icky Blossoms The International Horse Show Seth McMillan McLovin It oldmarket.com March/April 2013

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March/April 2013 Editorial Staff

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14 Editor’s Letter: Do Something....................................................... 6 Downtown Face: Seth McMillan.................................................... 8 Downtown Art: Kat Moser........................................................... 10 Downtown Living: Dusty and Marlina Davidson........................... 14 Downtown Story: The International Omaha................................. 17 Downtown Feature: Omahype.................................................... 20 Downtown Face: Elle Lien Lynch................................................. 22 Cover Story: Icky Blossoms......................................................... 24

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the encounter | march/april 2013

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Readers,

T’S BEEN A fairly quiet winter, despite a few unceremonious late-night dumpings of snow and, oh yes, a fireball in an Old Market manhole. Onto spring then, so let’s say it with flowers. Icky Blossoms, to be exact. The Omaha-based trio has been making music together for only a bit more than a year, but their sexy, dancey debut album has barreled right out of Nebraska onto a nationwide stage. Get a glimpse into the personalities behind the pop on page 24. Is it just me, or is this issue particularly stacked with larger-than-life personality? There’s the young entrepreneur behind a new men’s accessories shop just outside the Old Market, on page 8. Then an insider’s view of working on Alexander Payne’s newest film, Nebraska, on page 22. And wouldn’t you like to be paid to visit France in the summer, even if it means missing the College World Series forever (page 14)? I think what I especially like about this issue, this specific one, is that nearly every story is about someone making something. Someone doing something. So talk to me. Hop on Twitter (@encounteromaha), and tell me what you’re doing, what your friends are doing in this city. Here to visit? Here to work? To study? Be creative out there, and do something awesome.

Chris Wolfgang Editor, The Encounter Magazine

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DOWNTOWN FACE

Seth McMillan McLovin It

story by Jared Spence | photo by Bill Sitzmann

One of my mottos is whatever you do, add value. -Seth McMillan 8

ETH MCMILLAN, IS a self-proclaimed “accounting nerd” by day at Infogroup and by night he’s owner and renaissance man of the quirky downtown men’s boutique McLovin on 10th and Mason streets. McMillan considers himself an intense and multifaceted person, which definitely lends itself to his careers in two vastly different fields. “I am an economics nerd, and I like to read biographies, but I also like to watch stupid teen comedies, and I enjoy people. I think you just need a bit of different things in your life.” Having his hand in a multitude of pots is something McMillan says is not a new lifestyle for him. “Work is great, and the store is off to a good start, and I’m happy, but it’s a struggle to balance. It’s hard work, but at the same time it’s really fun.” Originally from East Tennessee, the University of Memphis graduate studied both accounting and music. He earned his stripes in accounting at PricewaterhouseCoopers firm in Atlanta before being recruited to act as Director of Revenue Accounting at Infogroup here in Omaha. His path to Omaha wasn’t intentional, McMillan says. “I knew that I wanted to have a segue job into being an

march/april 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

Seth McMillan relaxes in his men’s accessories shop, McLovin. The boutique is open Friday through Sunday from noon to 9 p.m.

1415 Harney Street Telephone: 402.341.7576 www.cityviewdentalomaha.com

entrepreneur. I saw that I could do all these things in my current job that would help me get the skills I need while I’m figuring out my segue.” McMillan gives big compliments to his boss at Infogroup for allowing him these opportunities to pursue his passions. “I think he’s very progressive and sensitive to unique situations…and he has a really high tolerance.” Since moving to Omaha in June of 2011, McMillan has settled in nicely. “In January [of last year] was when things really started cooking. I bought a truck, a piano, and my partner came into my life. All of these things I’ve always wanted started happening.” McMillan says he also fulfilled a lifelong passion of being an entrepreneur with McLovin. “I had never had an interest in retail prior. It was principal, supply, and demand. I didn’t know retail, but what I do know is fun, and I do know how to engage people.” Brian Williams, a friend of McMillan’s and one of his best customers, says it’s his personality and passion that have made his transition into his jobs as well as into the community so smooth and rewarding. “It’s his drive more than anything. He puts in a lot of hours, and I don’t know how he does it,” Williams says. “One of my mottos is whatever you do, add value,” McMillan says. That seems to be his plan not only for his career but as a larger plan for Omaha. McMillan says that down the road, he hopes to help brand the area south of the Old Market where his shop lies as well as brand Omaha as a whole. “We need to recruit more young professionals here, so they don’t move to Chicago, Denver, New York, or Los Angeles. The way to do that is to do cool things here. We need to have fun, and we need to invite more people to the party.” “He’s not afraid of new challenges like bringing a new business to Omaha,” Williams says. “He’s very driven and outspoken.” McMillan says what he wants to do is simple. “If I can help take care of people’s needs along with helping elevate Omaha’s cool-factor, it’s enough for me. At the end of the day, it’s about having fun.” readonlinenow.com

New Convenient Downtown Location

Cubby’s Old Market Grocery 601 S. 13th St.

the encounter | march/april 2013

DOWNTOWN ART

Kat Moser’s Photographs:

Another Spectrum

I am deeply moved by the powerful yet often unseen worlds that surround and link us to life’s profound mysteries. -Kat Moser 10

story by Suzanne Smith Arney | photos by Bill Sitzmann

AT MOSER “fell in love with photography” while watching a cousin develop pictures in a home darkroom, and although she was only 6, her heart was won. It would be more than 50 years before she acknowledged herself as an artist, but there was no hesitation in her choice of medium. Watching figures emerge onto the paper floating in emulsion had seemed magical to the child. Today, she still attests, “It’s all about the alchemy.” There does seem to be a spirit of the ancient mystical pursuit of transformation in Moser’s photographs. Women’s gleaming bodies float effortlessly in sun-sparkled bodies of water; branches reflected in streams write runic formulae in the sky; rough buttes are recast in silver and shadow. “Ethereal, mystical, spiritual—these are just some of the words I use to describe my work,” she says in her artist statement. “All three represent the primal connections we have with Mother Earth and her female qualities. I am deeply moved by the powerful yet often unseen worlds that surround and link us to life’s profound mysteries.”

march/april 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

Mahoney Retreat

Morning at Fontenelle 1

Moser’s direction is intuitive, sensitive. She is attuned to myths and fairy tales, and the wordless understanding nurtured by decades of yogic practice. At the same time, her work is honed by learning from contemporary masters and enriched by discerning study of the genre and perspectives widened by travel. She is knowledgeable and demanding of the process necessary to achieve the desired finished effect—the look of infrared film. Infrared light exists just beyond our range of vision; cameras using this spectrum capture a view we can never see—strong colors and contrasts, milky-white foliage, and porcelain skin. With IR film no longer readily available, Moser has customized two digital cameras to produce infrared’s other-worldly images. “I’ve always been interested in spirit photography [of the late 19th century],” she says. “I loved the romantic, Victorian, ethereal quality of infrared from the first time I saw it. The longer I use it, the more interested I am in its possibilities.” Moser’s photographs transform the familiar into images as fragile and foreign as dreams. A title, “Mahoney Retreat” from the series “Other Worlds – Inner Life,” leaves viewers retracing their own memories of the nearby park. In “Pool of Tears,” the pattern of overhead branches echoes dark-wet strands of hair. Delineated against a >> readonlinenow.com

the encounter | march/april 2013

downtown art

Isadora

Frozen Blooms

<< broad white back, the composition is both the scene and its reflection, illustrating the series’ title, “Illusions of Water.” One of Moser’s models, Kristi Mattini, worked at Nouvelle Eve when invited to participate. “I have a long history of ballet,” Mattini said. “Sometimes there’s a theme, but usually I just go through the dance movements in water. It’s impossible to hold a pose, which shows how good she is at catching the moment.” In the same way that Moser isolates a fleeting image and imbues it with a sense of timelessness, she creates an artwork of an individual. “Even if I’m standing next to my photograph,” Mattini says, “people don’t realize it’s me, and I can appreciate the work without feeling self-centered.” In Moser’s years between little girl and award-winning photographer, there was a degree in fashion merchandising, work as a buyer, and Nouvelle Eve, a highend women’s boutique in the Old Market. For nearly 40 years she expressed her creativity in developing the store, the brand, and the clientele. The photographs

march/april 2013 | the encounter

she enjoyed taking liaised with the shop’s sophisticated marketing profile. In those years too, she and her husband renovated a condo and established Jackson Artworks, ahead of the curve in living the Old Market life. “I loved retail, loved that lifestyle, but I reached a turning point,” she says. “It was very clear to me.” The time had arrived to recognize and embrace the artist that had been waiting all those years. “I believe that everything I’ve done has been foundational to my life as an artist.” In the past few years, the Mosers have sold the shop and the gallery, generating a tremendous sense of freedom, and finally time, Moser says, to “relearn how to play.” During her long apprenticeship, she gained a thorough understanding of infrared’s characteristics, always moving toward more subtle and mysterious results. [Note: All Moser’s images are created photographically; none are Photoshopped.] Looking ahead, she would like to explore adding techniques, such as encaustic, or printing on surfaces other than paper. The knowledge she has acquired over a lifetime hasn’t dimmed the awe of her first experience. “Oh, no,” she says with a smile. “The expertise allows the magic to happen.” Learn more at www.katmoser.com. Kat Moser’s work is handled exclusively by Anderson O’Brien Fine Art www.aobfineart.com. omahapublications.com

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the encounter | march/april 2013

DOWNTOWN LIVING

Dusty and Marlina

Can’t be bothered with leaving their perfect loft (unless it’s CWS time).

We’re ready for it to be warm again so we can open the windows. -Marlina Davidson 14

story by Chris Wolfgang | photos by Bill Sitzmann

N A FIT of late-night online browsing in 2004, Dusty and Marlina Davidson responded to a quirkily written classified for an Old Market apartment: “Super fly loft. Huge windows, two bedrooms, 2,000 square feet.” With their minds set on moving out of their bland rental into something with a little more character, the couple stopped by the downtown loft the next morning. And moved in the next week. “It was a blink of an eye sort of thing,” Dusty says. Neither of the Council Bluffs natives had lived downtown before, but both were ready to be in the heart of Omaha. They cite the energy of the Old Market, the Farmer’s Market (“We go down once a week and get stuff from our ‘garden’,” Marlina says, laughing), and the never-ending supply of things to do. The spacious loft seems TV-show ready, with exposed bricks and piping and scarred concrete. Contemporary décor, set off with pieces from IKEA, local designers, and heirlooms, keeps the two-bedroom apartment looking Young Professional Modern and not College Student Artistic. The foyer is long and narrow, with a tiny seating area, a few plants, and gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows framed by heavy, white curtains. “It’s a weird space,” Dusty says, but the bar is down there, and it’s a good overflow area for entertaining. A little bit of a library adds an intellectual flare to the area, thanks to Dusty’s grandmother gifting him

march/april 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

The Davidsons made their loft a home with the help of local design agency Birdhouse Interior Design (above). The arcade box, however, is handmade, a souvenir of their dating life (right).

three or four classics on his birthdays. “I wish I enjoyed reading as much as I enjoy books,” he says. The couple has considered buying a place but, as Marlina says, “We love the location, the frontage, the windows.” “The food truck,” Dusty adds with a sigh, pointing out where Localmotive parks right outside on 12th and Jackson every night. “We can’t be bothered to move. It’s sort of like inertia on some level, but we really love our place.” A few years into living in their no-name building, the Davidsons made the acquaintance of local designer Jessica McKay of Birdhouse Interior Design. With her help, the couple learned how to give their personal style a voice in their Old Market home. “We bought a few pieces,” Marlina says, “but really I think it was more about what do we have and how do reorganize it so that it makes sense.” One long-loved piece takes pride of place in the loft’s entryway: a bright blue Ms. Pac-Man arcade gaming console, built by Dusty as a gift for Marlina when they were dating. “He bought it as a black box,” she explains, noting he had an artist friend hand paint the iconic character on the console because it was her favorite. An old CRT television is the screen and is hooked up to a computer loaded with thousands of arcade and Nintendo games. “It’s fun when we have people over for the holidays or a party,” Marlina says. >> readonlinenow.com

the encounter | march/april 2013

downtown living

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<< You won’t find them entertaining much during the summer, however. For the past two years, the Davidsons have rented out their apartment to College World Series visitors and escaped the season’s craziness with a European working vacation. “I’m fine never seeing the College World Series again if we can get someone to pay us to go to France,” Dusty says. The couple plan to rent an apartment in Paris again this summer, a scheme that pans out nicely for his work as a serial entrepreneur with Silicon Prairie News and Flywheel, and her summers off from lecturing in communications at UNO. If that sounds good to other young professionals in town, the Davidsons are all encouragement. “I think there’s more of us down here than people realize,” Dusty says. “There are places to be had. You can find them.” omahapublications.com

DOWNTOWN STORY

The International Omaha

How to Get the Most Out of Watching a Horse Jumping Competition

story by Judy Horan | photos provided by The International Omaha

EAUTIFUL, ELEGANT HORSES competing in The International Omaha horse jumping competition will thrill audiences at the CenturyLink Center Omaha downtown on April 12 and 13. “It’s not only a beautiful sport but a highly athletic sport,” says Susan Runnels, executive director for The International. The show is administered by the not-for-profit Omaha Equestrian Foundation. “It takes eight years for the rider to develop a relationship with the horse.” As for the competition itself, “Riders have to jump 13 jumps in 80 seconds,” she adds. “They use English saddles and don’t have horns to hold onto. Sometimes, they are thrown off.” What is equitation? A quadrille? What does dressage mean? Before heading for the competition, visit www.InternationalOmaha.com. A glossary of terms unique to the horse world is listed under Show Jumping 101. >>

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the encounter | march/april 2013

downtown story

photo by Margie Forbes

Terms at a Glance Canter — Three-beat gait of the horse in which one hind leg strides first (the leading leg), followed by the opposite diagonal pair and finally, the opposite foreleg. Called the Lope in Western riding. Dandy brush — Hard-bristled brush used to remove dried mud and sweat. Equestrian — One who rides horses.

Frog — The sensitive, triangular area on the sole Quadrille — Performance given by a team of of the foot that acts as a shock absorber. four, six, eight, or more riders, involving riding an intricate pattern to music. Gallop — Four-beat gait of the horse, in which each foot touches the ground separately, as Time faults — Incurred when the rider uses too opposed to the canter, which is a three-beat gait. much time between the start and stop. Usually one penalty point per second over the allowed time. Hotblood — Term describing horses of Arabian or Thoroughbred blood; they are speedy and Vaulting — Equestrian sport involving gymnasfine-boned. tic exercises done on the back of a moving hors Oxer — Single fence consisting of two elements Vertical — Straight up and down fence without which make a spread jump. width, creating a difficult obstacle.

For more terms, visit worldclasshorseshows.com/show-jumping-101/glossary-of-terms/

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omahapublications.com

<< Also on the website is a map of the course’s design. No two courses are ever the same. Jumps are numbered and have flags to indicate directions: A red flag is right, a white flag is left. There are different types of jumps. For example, the Oxer has two verticals that are close together, making the jump wider. A Combination denotes two or three jumps in a row, with no more than two strides between each. But there is more to The International than watching horses jump. It’s a family and fun event. During the daytime Equine Expo when admission is free, visitors can experience what it’s like to be around the 1,200-pound animals. They can also learn about eight different breeds of horses. “Kids love to get close to the horses,” Runnels says. “They can jump over the mini-jump course just like a horse. Families will enjoy visiting all the interactive displays.” Face painting, equine toys, clothes, jewelry, and a living historical display of cavalry days will be part of the fun. Daytime competition with riders and horses begins each day at 9 a.m. The International’s goal is to “foster and develop international-caliber athletes with the equestrian sport,” according to Runnels. Competitors come from many countries for the almost two-hour shows. Last year’s winner out of 97 competitors was from Germany. Who will enjoy The International? “Everybody. From 3 years old to 80 years old,” Runnels says. “It’s such a phenomenal sport.”

Getting the most out of The International: • Stop at the Greeter’s Table. Look for a volunteer and ask questions. “There will be a lot of volunteers to answer questions,” Runnels says. “They will wearing the same colored tops and khakis.” • Pick up a program. Everything you want to know about where to go and what to do—and terms that are used in the horse world—are in the program. • See horses warm up in the warm-up area. • Be on time for the opening ceremonies at 7 p.m. Special entertainment on both nights will feature the Strategic Command’s joint color guard and the Omaha Police Department’s mounted patrol. Singer Marcello Guzzo and the comic act of Tommie Turvey will also perform. “It’s amazing what Turvey does with his horse,” Runnels says. The Omaha Symphony will play on Saturday night. • Stay for the Victory Gallop at the end. “It’s really cool,” Runnels says.

The International Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13.

• 9 a.m. International Experience Expo opens. No tickets required. • 7 p.m. Opening Ceremonies. $25 and $35; $10 for students and military; $150 for VIP seats. For tickets, call Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-300, order online at ticketmaster.com, or call the CenturyLink box office at 402-341-1500.

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the encounter | march/april 2013

FEATURE

Believe the Omahype story by Kyle Eustice | photo by Bill Sitzmann

I can’t say it was my idea initially. It was definitely a team effort. -Will Simons 20

MAHA RESIDENT WILL Simons has worn many hats. As the managing editor of the now defunct Omaha City Weekly, he flexed his journalistic prowess while balancing a music career in the local band Thunder Power and jumpstarting his own business venture, Omahype. The curated online events calendar aims to provide locals with all of their entertainment needs. It solves the problem of having to sift through several different websites and papers just to find out what’s going on, plus it’s optimized for mobile operating systems. Simons had a little help coming up with the concept. “I can’t say it was my idea initially. It was definitely a team effort. I used to interview local musicians at a previous job. One of those interviews was with Laura Burhenn, who, at the time, was a recent Omaha transplant from D.C. She was about to release the debut album for her group, The Mynabirds,” Simons explains. “She mentioned that she was in the early stages putting together an online youth culture-oriented events calendar and blog for the Omaha area and asked if I’d liked to help out. Of course, I said yes. With a background in arts and entertainment journalism, I knew Omaha sorely needed a one-stop website that listed all the best events in town for a younger, more culturesavvy audience. What sealed the deal was when Laura told me that two of the most talented web designers in town, Dave Nelson and Cody Peterson [of Secret Penguin], were already on board to help build it.” Getting it off the ground hasn’t exactly been simple. To run Omahype successfully, obtaining multiple advertisers

march/april 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

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We’re creating something fresh. is key for Simons and the rest of the team. People are slowing coming around, but with all four founders having time-consuming day jobs (and rock careers), it’s difficult to juggle it all. However, Simons is working on a solution. “The biggest challenge is generating enough money from advertising to justify someone working for Omahype full-time. I am transitioning into a part-time situation at my job so I can direct most of my energy toward Omahype,” he says. “Aside from advertising, we’re seeking sponsorships from companies with employees and customers in sync with the readers of Omahype. We also plan on throwing more events. Our goal at Omahype is to support, nurture, and expand the cultural landscape of the city.” Peterson is currently working on Omahype’s redesign and once that’s done, Simons assures visiting Omahype will be a “beautiful and intuitive experience.” In addition, browsers will discover the most relevant listings for concerts, art galleries, comedy shows, and independent films. Also, local restaurant reviews and concert photographs are popping up more regularly. Simons is optimistic. “With the new redesign, we hope to realize our goal of having an online calendar that is the one go-to source for all of the Omaha area’s best events and major cultural happenings,” he concludes. “Who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to expand to [other] cities at some point. Oh, and an office space would be nice, too [laughs].” In the meantime, Simons and crew have executed a handful of fundraising events to help generate funds. They are planning on throwing more music events to keep up the momentum. Most recently, Omahype sponsored its third annual Rock-n-Shop event at Slowdown on December 14. It featured a slew of prominent Omaha bands such as All Young Girls Are Machine Guns, Noah’s Ark Was a Spaceship, Laura Burhenn of The Mynabirds and, of course, Thunder Power. Several local vendors were also on hand to showcase their goods. If Simons keeps this up, Omahype could very well be the go-to calendar for all of Omaha’s “cool kids.” readonlinenow.com

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the encounter | march/april 2013

DOWNTOWN FACE

Elle Lien Lynch

It was the absolute perfect place for me to land for my first film. -Elle Lien 22

Nebraska’s Hunter-Gatherer

story by Chris Wolfgang | photo by Bill SItzmann

“I

F THIS WERE a movie set,” says Elle Lien Lynch, gesturing to the coffee shop, “everything that you see would be something that the set dec buyer would have to find and buy. The one thing I wouldn’t have been responsible for would have been the things you and I, the actors, touch.” Suddenly, the ceramic mug on the table seems glamorous. A prop. Last December, Lien finished her work as set-decorating buyer for Alexander Payne’s film Nebraska. The movie, estimated for a late 2013 release, follows “an aging, booze-addled father [as he] makes the trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim a million-dollar Publisher’s Clearing House sweepstakes prize,” according to IMDb. Though Lien had no prior experience in the industry (she’s the former owner of closed downtown restaurant Daily Grub), Deidre Backs, a friend who had worked with Payne in film, suggested she submit her resume for the set-decorating buyer position. “Being a local is a huge plus as a buyer,” Backs says of the reasons she encouraged Lien, “because locals know where all the bodies are buried. And with her history of running a restaurant, I knew

march/april 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

The ability to track down vintage furniture and the necessary odd knick-knack is one of the reasons Elle Lien Lynch ended up working for Alexander Payne’s upcoming film, Nebraska.

that handling the accounting side of the job would be no sweat.” Though Lien says she knows Payne from around town, he had no idea she had applied for a job on Nebraska. “My resume got tossed into a pile with a bunch of other people,” she says. Still, something about it obviously caught the eye of set decorator Beauchamp Fontaine. “I am a hunter,” Lien says, referring to her experience in interior design and buying vintage furniture. “I put that on my resume. I’m a hunter-gatherer. I find old things and breathe new life into them.” She started work in Norfolk, Neb., last September for a month of preproduction before filming began in October. Lien says she went into the experience without knowing much about the film besides the fact that Payne was directing. “Everything’s very vague,” she says. She read the script on her first day at work. When Payne noticed her in the film’s office one day, he told her, “Welcome to the circus.” “I think he was surprised to see me there,” she recalls. While Lien says that Fontaine determined the look and feel of a set, she would occasionally defer to Lien’s Midwest background. “These are my people,” Lien says with a laugh. That familiarity with small-town Nebraska culture was probably helpful considering that much of what Lien found to decorate the sets (oh, and every item had to shoot well in both color and blackand-white, thanks to the look of the film) was in people’s garages or thrift stores. “If it had been ordering curtains or buying new things, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much,” she adds. “I would have been fine, but I loved this job.” She delightfully describes her responsibilities as speed shopping with someone else’s money. Of course, she came from running her own restaurant where “you have your finger on absolutely every aspect of everything.” Working on Nebraska, Lien said she was more like a piece of a puzzle. “It’s very structured,” she says, describing how within the set decorating department, there’s the set decorator (Fontaine); the set decorating buyer (Lien); the lead man, who’s in charge of getting the stuff to the set, returning it, and storing it; and the set dressers, who place and install the various pieces in the set. But wait, there’s more. Set decorating is a department within the art department. And, surprise, the art department is also a department within the art department. Then there’s scenic and prop. “You all feel like you’re doing your part,” Lien says, “but it’s just so big and decentralized.” When asked if she’d like to work on a film again, she says, “I would love to be a lead man. But it all appeals to me. It was the absolute perfect place for me to land for my first film.” Though she and husband Joey Lynch had been seriously contemplating a move to New Orleans to be closer to more film industry opportunities, Lien credits Nebraska with gently changing her mind. “I felt like maybe it was why we didn’t move,” she says. “I felt a real sense of pride in this place.” readonlinenow.com

the encounter | march/april 2013

COVER STORY

story by Mandy Mowers | photos by Bill Sitzmann

Let’s Get Icky Talking With Icky Blossoms

EREK PRESSNALL’S ENTHUSIASM is warm and contagious. Get him talking about creating music or playing live, and he’ll get a light in his eyes and say, “I love it.” He’s the veteran, been in a few bands before, and brings a certain sense of knowing how things go. On tour, bandmates would call him Daddy Derek because he’d lay down the law about making too many stops: “Nope. We’re either getting Burger King, or we’re not eating.” Nik Fackler wears a ridiculously huge pair of gloves, monstrous and furry. He’s fun and young, but he’s directed a feature-length film, Lovely, Still, which stars Martin Landau and Ellen Burstyn— and Elizabeth Banks and Adam Scott. Film will always be part of his life, he says (he’s been directing the band’s music videos), but it’s good to do music now, while he’s young. And then there’s Sarah. Sarah Bohling has babydoll eyes; her lids might close if she tilted her head back. And she has big pouty lips. When you hear her sing in her smooth, sultry voice, it suddenly makes sense: She was born to be a rock star. Icky Blossoms is big on being greater than the sum of its parts. (The line is used on their website, www.ickyblossoms.com.) The three individuals started exploring musically together last winter. Something clicked, and soon their collaboration became Icky Blossoms—an indie-rock band with a sexy beat, heavy on the synthesizers. Saddle Creek Records picked them up, and their self-titled debut album came out in July. Then they went on tour, playing 36 shows before the year’s end. They played in Dallas, San Francisco, Philly, Chicago, even Canada. Shoe and accessory design company Cole Haan invited them to play at a New York Fashion Week after-party. Each band >>

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It was really exciting to get out there and play our music for people who have never heard of us. -Derek Pressnall

the encounter | march/april 2013

cover story << member received a sweet pair of boots—and each raised a foot in salute They did grow weary of the loop of tour, and the food: teebs, tubs or subs. as they talked about it. “Teebs. Taco Bell. Tubs, like tubbies. Like Cheez-Its. Gross gas station food. “It was really exciting to get out there and play our music for people who Subs. Subway,” explained Bohling. have never heard of us,” said Pressnall. Being on tour, slammed together like a family on a road trip, they Even more exciting was returning to a city, like Denver, a few months learned to communicate in new ways, learned to fight like siblings and later and discovering they had a community developing, a pocket of fans get over it quickly. who knew the words to their songs. And, of course, they grew as musicians and as performers. They got “People even came in their Perfect Vision masks,” Bohling said, refer- ideas for how to improve their current show and ideas for creating new ring to their song’s music video. In it, a guy and a girl destroy a house, stuff, the emphasis always on their live performance. finally setting fire to it, and put on their dust masks emblazoned with Icky They’re playing in Austin, Texas, at the annual music and film festival Blossoms’ logo before fleeing the smoke. South by Southwest this month. Find out when to catch them here in Omaha on their website, Facebook, or Twitter.

march/april 2013 | the encounter

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If you are a frequent reader of this magazine or this column, you probably know your way around Downtown Omaha. However, the thousands of visitors, the special occasion locals, and even some of the in-and-out employees don’t necessarily know their way around downtown or all that we have to offer. A new Downtown Vehicular and Pedestrian Wayfinding Signage System will help with that! In total, 88 new signs will highlight 27 downtown attractions, and direct drivers and pedestrians to their desired destinations. It’s like an on-street GPS system that not only directs you where you want to go, but suggests the many other museums, theaters, event venues, and shopping districts that make Downtown Omaha what it is. Just like every other project that has transformed Downtown Omaha, this could not have happened without a wide variety of partners and supporters. The Downtown Improvement District is proud to lead and contribute to this effort and thanks the City of Omaha, the Convention & Visitors Bureau, the Peter Kiewit Foundation, Midtown Crossing, the Mutual of Omaha Foundation, the William and Ruth Scott Foundation, HDR, First National Bank, Creighton University, the Downtown Omaha Inc. Foundation, RDG Planning & Design, Poblacki Sign Solutions, Vic Gutman & Associates, and former mayor Mike Fahey for their contributions to this effort. So, venture out, let the signs be your guide, and enjoy Downtown Omaha! This column is part of a series detailing the activities and efforts of the Omaha Downtown Improvement District (DID) to further strengthen Downtown Omaha. Joe Gudenrath Executive Director Omaha Downtown Improvement District the encounter | march/april 2013

DOWNTOWN FACE That’s what docents do; we help each other. -Norma Fuller 34

Joslyn Art Museum Docents: Passion, Commitment, Friendship, Creativity...and Norma

story by Suzanne Smith Arney | photos by Bill Sitzmann

F YOU DON’T know the names, you recognize the faces. Visitors to Joslyn Art Museum on 24th and Dodge streets enjoy the tours offered by well-trained docents, and aficionados have their favorite guides. Surely, the face at the top of that list belongs to Norma Fuller. Last year she led well over 100 tours, and she’s been at it since 1970. “I love it here,” she says simply. In addition to the Education Department, museum areas that have felt the “Norma touch” include the Board of Governors, Acquisition Committee, and Joslyn Art Museum Association (JAMA). Norma and husband Jim will be moving to Wyoming this spring; to say she’ll be missed is a monumental understatement.

march/april 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

Fuller “makes a connection” with freelance art writer Suzanne Smith Arney in Joslyn’s ConAgra Foods Atrium.

When Fuller answered a newspaper ad for Joslyn docents 42 years ago, there was no Department of Education. Art enthusiasts planned tours among themselves over lunch, sharing tips, information, and friendship. She’d arrived three days prior, in tears over leaving Washington, D.C., a Masters in Art History program at Georgetown University, and studio classes at the Corcoran. What she found at Joslyn was “an oasis.” “The Docent Program has so much to offer,” she says. Ask any of the docents, and their responses will be similar: The program inspires a love of art and learning, and a desire to share that passion with others; camaraderie; special opportunities and activities, plus discounts in the museum shop and cafe. Susie Severson, Director of Adult Programs (including docent training), says, “In many respects, docents are the ‘face’ of the Museum—often the first warm welcome, the first smile, the first impression visitors have to the Museum and its collections. Last year—a record-setting year in terms of attendance—Joslyn docents conducted over 1400 individual tours. Within the past six months alone, they served over 7200 visitors. This quick reflection on the numbers confirms the docents’ role as amazing public servants. They are respected beyond measure.” But she cautions that it is a serious commitment. Candidates must complete a twoyear series of classes in art history, touring techniques, and the Joslyn collection. Information and a downloadable application form (deadline August 23) are available at the website. Sharon Jackson learned firsthand the challenge and the rewards during her second year of training. She’d chosen to study an 18th-century painting by Peyron but was disheartened to find what little information she could was in French. Remembering that Fuller offered a tour in French, she asked for help. Though readonlinenow.com

the two had never met, Fuller translated the primary document, reviewed Jackson’s paper, and offered tips for its presentation. “She went way beyond expectations,” said Jackson. “She became a mentor.” Fuller responded, “That’s what docents do; we help each other.” Docents bring varied backgrounds to the program, so you’re sure to find someone who can pronounce Danish names, explain lithography, or connect an art style to its political environment. Most docents relish study. Jane Precella, Joslyn’s retail manager, said, “I’ve seen Norma in the cafe studying for a tour like a grad student cramming for an exam.” Yet there’s variety in preparation, too. One docent always watched Saturday morning TV so that she was up on the latest superheroes. Creative expression is another perk of the program. Docents delight in tailoring a tour, step by step, as they listen to their particular group, and some docents develop customized tours. Fuller has found special satisfaction in two adult programs, Art Encounters and Visualizing Literature Book Club. “Making just the right connection is as euphoric to me as making just the right brush stroke,” she says. As Fuller’s time of making her mark on the Joslyn nears an end, Director Jack Becker comments, “Norma is a remarkable and talented person who for over 40 years has shared her love, passion, and knowledge of the visual arts to literally thousands and thousands of lucky individuals. Omaha owes her a huge thanks, and Joslyn Art Museum will miss her talent and inspiration.” The next time you take a tour at Joslyn, put a name with the face and enjoy the unique perspective your docent brings to the tour. You’ll never get another just like it.

the encounter | march/april 2013

DOWNTOWN DINING We’re casual, you know, spaghetti and meatballs. -Maria Szablowski 36

Malara’s

Welcomes you into an Italian kitchen. story by Chris Wolfgang | photos by Bill Sitzmann

WO ELDERLY GENTLEMEN are just getting up from the table. “We don’t work here,” the one in the knit sweater says gallantly, “but we could probably seat you.” They probably could at that, if they’re some of the regulars who have been gracing Malara’s Italian Restaurant since it opened on 22nd and Pierce streets in 1984. Caterina Malara, an American by

way of Argentina by way of Italy, first put her name to a small carryout shop as a way of providing for her young family. “There weren’t any tables or anything,” says her daughter, Maria Szablowski. “We mostly served sandwiches then.” Decades later, Malara’s has expanded in both

march/april 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

Caterina Malara’s own daughter and niece highly recommend her chicken parmesan and fried ravioli (top).

size and menu, and Szablowski is now the restaurant’s manager. “We make pretty much everything ourselves,” she says. Her favorite is the fried cheese ravioli, though her niece, Ashley Gomez, is torn between her grandmother’s lasagna and the Italian cheesecake. Malara’s serves strictly Italian comfort food, and the food is prepared accordingly. “We’re casual, you know, spaghetti and meatballs,” Szablowski says. Recipes are vague, if there are any at all. “It’s a pinch of this, a pinch of that.” Gomez adds that when Malara teaches her kitchen a new recipe, she’ll say, “No cups! You judge yourself.” With such a home-style method, dishes are surprisingly consistent. Szablowski says that if Malara had her way, the menu would be constantly filled with new items. For the sake of the staff, they introduce one or two new dishes every so often while keeping on staples like the homemade cheesesticks, chicken parmesan, and ricotta cannoli. Still, the matriarch is very much present in her restaurant. “She’s here everyday,” Szablowski says. “We can’t keep her away.” Malara still cooks a bit, but is less hands-on. “She watches you like a hawk,” Gomez says with a laugh, but adds that Malara is very patient, especially with her greatgrandchildren, a few of whom work in the kitchen. The fact that the restaurant is family-run is inescapable, from the daughter waitressing on weekends to the photos of great-grandkids on the wall. Even if staff members aren’t family strictly speaking, they may as well be. Szablowski and Gomez compare notes on which employees have been with them the longest: “Maki, the bartender, has been here for 22 years. Then there’s Marilyn, the cashier, she’s been here for 20. And Amy and Kathy and …” If all you need to enjoy the cozy ambience is a dessert and a drink, consider having a sour crème puff under the original tin ceiling at the bar. Though Malara’s serves a full bar, wines and beers carry the day. Especially for Malara herself. “Mom loves her glass of Lambrusco every night,” Szablowski says with a smile.

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N. 16th St

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Jones St

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Antique Annex...F16............................ 402.932.3229 Fairmont Antique Mall...E17.................402.345.9746 Flying Worm Vintage...E16...................402.594.7061 The Imaginarium...D16.........................402.594.7061 Joe’s Collectibles...F16......................... 402.612.1543 J & S Antiques...D16........................... 402.306.6231 Second Chance Antiques...F16........... 402.346.4930

ART

Anderson O’Brien Fine Art...F16...........402.884.0911 Artists’ Cooperative Gallery...G15..........402.342.9617 Bemis Ctr. for Contemporary Arts...E18.402.341.7130 FAME....................................................402.341-3930 Farrah Grant Photography...G16...........402.312.8262 Gallery 616...F17...................................402.214.3061 Garden Of The Zodiac...G15.................. 402.341.1877 Hot Shops Art Center...D2....................402.342.6452 Images of Nature Gallery...G14............. 402.341.8460 KANEKO...F17...................................... 402.341.3800 Love’s Jazz & Arts Center...(24th & Lake)..................... 402.502.5291 Old Market Artists Gallery...G15...........402.346.6569 Omaha ClayWorks...F17......................402.346.0560 Passageway Gallery...G15..................... 402.341.1910 Sirens at the Loft...F16.........................402.933.9333 White Crane Gallery...G15.....................402.345.1066

ATTRACTIONS & ENTERTAINMENT

Blue Barn Theatre...F17.......................402.345.1576 Brigit Saint Brigit Theatre...F17............402.502.4910 CenturyLink Center Omaha...H7.......... 402.341.1500 The Durham Museum...H19.................402.444.5071 Film Streams...D4................................ 402.933.0259 Henry Doorly Zoo...(3701 S. 10th St.).402.733.8401 Holland Performing Arts Center...E12.402.345.0606 Joslyn Art Museum...(2200 Dodge St.)......................... 402.342.3300 KANEKO...F17......................................402.341.3800 Lauritzen Gardens...(100 Bancroft St.).402.346.4002 Love’s Jazz & Arts Center...(24th & Lake)...................... 402.502.5291 MJ Carriage Service...(11th & Howard).402.453.6745 Ollie the Trolley......................................402.597.3596 Omaha Children’s Museum...(500 S. 20th St.)............. 402.342.6164 Omaha Symphony...A16...................... 402.342.3560 Opera Omaha...(1850 Farnam St.)......402.346.7372 Orpheum Theater...B15....................... 402.345.0606 The Rose Theater...(2001 Farnam St.).402.345.4849 TD Ameritrade Park Omaha...E3..........402.546.1800 Ticket Omaha...(www.ticketomaha.org)........................ 402.345.0606

BARS, LOUNGES & PUBS

Bar 415...E15.......................................402.346.7455 BarryO’s...G15......................................402.341.8032 Billy Frogg’s Grill & Bar...F15................402.341.4427 Blue Sushi Sake Grill...E15.................. 402.408.5566 Capitol Lounge & Supper Club...G11... 402.934.5999 Denim & Diamonds...F14.....................402.504.4901 DJ’s Dugout Sports Bar/Blazin’ Pianos...G11................ 402.763.9974 The Dubliner Pub...E15........................ 402.342.5887 Eat the Worm...E16..............................402.614.4240 Embassy Suites Old Market...H16....... 402.346.9000 Farrell’s Bar & 9th St. Deli...H11...........402.884.8818 Havana Garage Cigar Bar...G15............402.614.3800 House of Loom...(1012 S. 10th St.).... 402.505.5494 J.D.Tucker’s...G15................................402.934.5190 Jackson St.Tavern...F14.......................402.991.5637 Julio’s Old Market...D16...................... 402.345.6921 La Buvette Wine & Grocery...G16........ 402.344.8627 M’s Pub...F15...................................... 402.342.2550 Mr.Toad’s...G15................................... 402.345.4488 Myth Lounge...F16.............................. 402.884.6985 Nosh Wine Lounge...G11...................... 402.614.2121 O Dining & Lounge...G14......................402.502.7888

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O’Connor’s Irish Pub...E16...................402.934.9790 Old Chicago...F15..................................402.341.1616 Old Market Tavern...G16....................... 402.341.0191 Old Mattress Factory Bar & Grill...E6....402.346.9116 Rock Bottom Brewery...F15.................402.614.9333 Roja Old Market...E14...........................402.346.9190 Sake Bombers @ Blue...E15............... 402.408.5566 The Stadium Club Sports Bar & Grill...G15..................... 402.359.1290 The Slowdown...D4..............................402.345.7569 Stiles Pub...E15....................................402.991.9911 Stokes Bar & Grill...F15....................... 402.408.9000 T Henery’s Pub...F14........................... 402.345.3651 Twisted Fork Grill & Bar...G15.............. 402.932.9600 The Underground...G16........................402.341.3547 Union Pizzeria & Sports Bar...C2........ 402.932.2929 Upstream Brewing Company...F16..... 402.344.0200 Urban Wine Company...G18................ 402.934.0005 Waters Edge Lounge @ Embassy Suites...H16............. 402.346.9000 The Zin Room...B14..............................402.991.0660

Rock Bottom Brewery...F15..................402.614.9333 Roja Old Market...E14........................... 402.346.9190 Shuck’s Fish House...(19th & Leavenworth)................. 402.614.5544 Spaghetti Works...F16.......................... 402.422.0770 Spencer’s @ Hilton Garden Inn...G12...402.280.8888 The Stadium Club Sports Bar & Grill...G15.................... 402.359.1290 Stokes Bar & Grill…F15.......................402.408.9000 Subway...E15.. 402.341.8814 Sullivan’s Steakhouse...B13................. 402.342.0077 Trini’s Mexican Restaurant...G15..........402.346.8400 Twisted Fork Grill & Bar...G15...............402.932.9600 Union Pizzeria & Sports Bar...C2......... 402.932.2929 Upstream Brewing Company...F16......402.344.0200 V.Mertz...G15.......................................402.345.8980 Vincenzo’s Ristorante...E15...................402.342.4010 Vivace...F15..........................................402.342.2050 Wheatfields Express...F15.....................402.991.0917 The Zin Room...B14.............................. 402.991.0660 Zio’s Pizzeria...F16................................402.344.2222

BOOKSTORES

FLOWERS

Jackson St. Booksellers...F17..............402.341.2664 Soul Desires...G16 ...............................402.898.7600

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

All About Me Boutique...G15................402.505.6000 American Apparel...D4.........................402.346.3000 Basic Tease...D16................................. 402.991.2869 Curbside Clothing...G16 Drastic Plastic...E16.............................402.346.8843 Flying Worm Vintage...E16................... 402.594.7061 The Lotus...E16....................................402.346.8080 McLovin’...G19...................................... 402.915.4002 Nebraska Clothing Co...G15 .................402.346.6114 Nouvelle Eve...F15.................................402.345.4811 Old Market Sundries...G16................... 402.345.8198 Overland Outfitters...G16.....................402.345.2900 Reserve Goodwill in the Market...E16...402.342.4102 Second Chance Antiques...F16............402.346.4930 Souq, Ltd...G15.................................... 402.342.2972 Trocadero...E15....................................402.934.8389 Urban Outfitters...D4.............................402.280.1936

DINING

801 Chophouse at the Paxton...C14.... 402.341.1222 Ahmad’s Persian Cuisine...G15............402.341.9616 Billy Frogg’s Grill & Bar...F15................402.341.4427 Blue Sushi Sake Grill...E15.................. 402.408.5566 The Boiler Room...F17..........................402.916.9274 Capitol Lounge & Supper Club...G11... 402.934.5999 Denim & Diamonds...F14.....................402.504.4901 The Diner...F15.....................................402.341.9870 DJ’s Dugout Sports Bar/Blazin’ Pianos...G11................ 402.763.9974 Eat the Worm...E16..............................402.614.4240 Falling Water Grille @ Embassy Suites...H16................. 402.346.9000 Farrell’s Bar & 9th St. Deli...H11...........402.884.8818 The Flatiron Cafe...(17th & Howard).... 402.344.3040 Hiro 88...D16....................................... 402.933-5168 House of Lee & California Bowl...E16 ..402.991.9330 Indian Oven...G15................................ 402.342.4856 Jackson St. Tavern...F17......................402.991.5637 Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen...C14.......... 402.342.3662 Joe Banana’s (1022 S.10th St.)...........402.346.7227 Julio’s Old Market...D16.........................402.345.692 Liberty Tavern...G7.............................. 402.998.4321 M’s Pub...F15...................................... 402.342.2550 Matsu Sushi...G14............................... 402.346.3988 Michael’s at the Market...F14...............402.346.1205 Nicola’s Italian Wine & Faire...E16....... 402.345.8466 O Dining & Lounge...G14......................402.502.7888 O’Connors Irish Pub...E16....................402.934.9790 Old Chicago...F15 .................................402.341.1616 Omaha Prime...G15..............................402.341.7040 PepperJax Grill...D16.............................402.315.1196 Rick’s Cafe Boatyard...K7.................... 402.345.4545

Garden Flowers...G16...........................402.614.5661 Old Market Habitat...G15..................... 402.342.0044 The Paisley Poppy...B14.......................402.991.6970

HEALTH & FITNESS

Acupunture Omaha Healing Arts Center...E15........................... 402.345.5078 David Bole L.Ac............................. 402.345.5078 Ellen Zinn L.Ac.............................. 402.345.5078 Elizabeth Harmon - Acupuncture...402.991.5753 Ayurvedic Healing (both at Omaha Healing Arts Center) Dr.Rajesh Kotecha...E15............... 402.345.5078 Joyce Librunner, LMT...E15...........402.740.0366 Dental Derek Fender, DDS...E15.............. 402.342.3901 James Polerecky, DDS...C15.........402.341.7576 Omaha Dental Spa (at the Loft)...F16...................... 402.505.4424 Fitness Anytime Fitness...F18....................402.991.2333 Kempo Karate...(19th & Farnam).. 402.905.6865 Omaha Yoga School...G15.............402.346.7813 Massage Therapy Old Market Massage...E15............402.850.6651 Omaha Healing Arts Center...E15...... 402.345.5078 Rachel Andress, LMT................... 402.345.5078 Sandy Aquila, LMT........................ 402.345.5078 Julia Beutler, LMT......................... 402.345.5078 Lisa Christensen, LMT...................402.850.6651 Kirstin Kluver, LMT........................ 402.345.5078 Joyce Linbrunner, LMT..................402.740.0366 Tara Thompson, LMT....................402.706.7398 Medical Commercial Optical Co...E16.........402.344.0219 Creighton Family Healthcare...D19.402.280.5500 Downtown Chiropractic...(21st & Douglas)............. 402.345.7500 Ritch Miller, DC............................. 402.345.7500 Heartland Pathology...A14.............402.346.0195 Physical Therapy Bobby Escolas, CMHT (Hypnotherapist).................. 402.990.2979 Jannette J. Davis, MS, CST...G13.402.341.2230 Cynthia Duggin, MSW, LCSW...E15........................ 402.345.5078 East & West Physical Therapy...E15........................ 402.345.5078 Chanell Jaramillo, MTP, CMH, HHP...E15.............. .. 402.689.0905 Jeff Stormberg, PhD...C14........... 402.393.0642 Tim Swisher, MHR, LMHP, LADC...G13.................. 402.341.2230 Pharmacy Depot Drug...C11.........402.544.DRUG

621 Pacific St, Omaha • 402-345-3438

We’ve Refreshed!

Fresh Look • Fresh Menu Same Fresh Brewed Beer!

11th & HARNEY OLD MARKET

the encounter | march/april 2013

N. 16 St

Davenport St

Chicago St

Cass St

California St

Mike Fahey St

Burt St

Cuming St

Izard St

N. 15 St

Izard St

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N. 11 St F

Mike Fahey St

TD Ameritrade Park Omaha

Cass St

Lodging

Pubs, Taverns & Lounges

Restaurants

Parking

The Old Market District Interstate On-Ramp/Off-Ramp Railroad Walking Path/Trail

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Harney St

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Midtown Crossing Map

Dr Riverfront

N. 12 St N. 12 St N. 12 St

N. 14 St

N. 10 St N. 10 St

N. 13 St N. 13 St N. 13 St N. 13 St

N. 34 St S. 34 St

N. 33 St

S. 33 St

N. 32 Ave

Nicholas St

N. 31 Ave

S. 31 Ave

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Farnam St

Douglas St

Dodge St

Turner Bl vd

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S. 31 St

40 N. 12 St

NORTH/SOUTH NUMBERS 1-9 (NUMBERS 10-19 ON PAGE 40) Turner Blvd

Downtown Omaha Map

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omahapublications.com

CenturyLink Center Omaha

Merchants Attractions OLD MARKET / DOWNTOWN / RIVERFRONT

HOME FURNISHINGS

Habitat Restore...(24th & Leavenworth)..............402.342.0044 Iron Decor & More...F16......................................402.346.6123 Julia Russell...F12................................................402.891.0691 Niche...G15..........................................................402.344.4399 Room...G15.........................................................402.342.7666 Zongkers Custom Woods...(S. 3rd St.)...............402.344.7784

HOTELS

Courtyard by Marriott...H12 ...............................402.346.2200 DoubleTree Hotel...B/C10....................................402.346.7600 Embassy Suites Old Market...H16.......................402.346.9000 Fairfield Inn and Suites...C2.................................402.280.1516 Hampton Inn...E2.................................................402.345.5500 Hilton Garden Inn...C2 ........................................402.341.4400 Hilton Omaha...G7 ..............................................402.998.3400 Holiday Inn...E2.....................................................402.341.0124 Homewood Suites...D2 .......................................402.345.5100 Hotel DECO XV...B14........................................... 402.991.4981 Magnolia Hotel Omaha...A16 .............................402.342.2222

MIDTOWN CROSSING

The Afternoon...W23...........................................402.933.3809 Arian’s Barber Shop...W23..................................402.505.8767 Blanc Burgers + Bottles...V23.............................402.502.3686 Callahan Financial Planning...V23.......................402.341.2000 Cantina Laredo...W21.........................................402.345.6000 Coldstone Creamery/Rocky Mountain Chocolate...X22.............. 402.359.1719 CRAVE...W22......................................................402.345.9999 Definitive Vision...W23.........................................402.502.7323 Delice European Bakery...W23............................402.505.9500 Element by Westin...X21.....................................402.614.8080 Fashion Cleaners...X22........................................402.916.1987 Glo Lounge...X23................................................402.342.4505 The Grey Plume...W22........................................402.763.4447 Ingredient...X23...................................................402.715.4444 Marcus Midtown Cinema...X23..........................402.345.0102 Pana 88...............................................................402.934.7262 Parmida Home Concepts....................................402.504.9267 Portovino Ristorante...W22.................................402.885.6800 Prairie Life Fitness...W22....................................402.916.5000 Republic of Couture...W22..................................402.933.7555 Three Dog Bakery...X23...................................... 402.715.4500 Tru Salon & Spa...X22.........................................402.933.8988 Wohlner’s Neighborhood Grocery and Deli...X21.402.551.6875 Verizon Wireless by Z Wireless...X23...................402.991.1180

MUSIC SHOPS

Antiquarium Records...D15................................402.345.0294 Homer’s Records...E15.......................................402.346.0264 Drastic Plastic...E16...........................................402.346.8843

OLD MARKET PROPERTIES

902 Dodge Condos...G11................................... 402.215.7118 Brandeis Building...A13......................................402.345.6564 Farnam 1600 Building...(1905 Harney St.).........402.342.1616 Grubb/Ellis Pacific Realty...F15..........................402.345.5866 Harney Street Apartments...G18.........................402.934.7510 Old Market Lofts...K3......................................... 402.346.1000 Riverfront Place...C14..........................................402.397.4837 Shamrock Development/Paxton Building...C14..402.934.7711 Skinner Macaroni Apartments...D17..................402.346.2346 The Cornerstone Apartments...F15.................... 402.346.0510 The Greenhouse Apts...H13............................... 402.341.3200 TipTop Building...C2............................................402.345.8000

SPECIALTY FOODS & COFFEE

13th Street Coffee Co...E16.............................. 402.345.2883 Aromas Coffeehouse...G18................................402.614.7009 Bliss Bakery...G18...............................................402.934.7450 Blue Line Coffee...D3.........................................402.932.0294 Cubby’s Old Markey Grocery...E17..................... 402.341.2900 Hollywood Candy...D16...................................... 402.346.9746 La Buvette Wine & Grocery...G16.......................402.344.8627 Nosh Wine Lounge...G11.....................................402.614.2121 Old Market Candy Shop...G16............................402.344.8846 Patrick’s Market...C15.........................................402.884.1600 Red Mango...D4................................................. 402.933.8815 Scooter’s Coffeehouse...F16.............................. 402.991.9868

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Soul Desires...G16 ............................................. 402.898.7600 The Tea Smith...F15...........................................402.932.3933 Ted & Wally’s Ice Cream...F16.............................402.341.5827 Urban Wine Company...G18...............................402.934.0005 Wheatfields Express...F15...................................402.991.0917

SPECIALTY SHOPS

Ashley’s Collectibles...E15..................................402.934.3100 Basic Tease...E16...............................................402.991.2869 Cibola of Omaha...G16.......................................402.342.1200 City Limits...F16................................................. 402.345.3570 Cornerstone Gem & Bead Co...E16................... 402.346.4367 DSR Power Sports...E15..................................... 402.991.1383 Goldsmith/Silversmith...G16..............................402.342.1737 Green St. Cycles...D4........................................ 402.505.8002 Havana Garage Cigar Bar...G15..........................402.614.3800 Iron Decor & More...F16.....................................402.346.6123 J.P. Cooke Rubber Stamp Co...D16...................402.342.7175 Jay Welter Cigars...(18th & Jackson).................402.345.1965 Kessler’s...F17....................................................402.715.5888 The Lotus...D16..................................................402.347.8080 Machu Picchu Imports...D16 Nebraska at the Market...E19............................ 402.346.3975 Old Market Sundries...G16.................................402.345.8198 OM Gifts & Imports...E15.................................. 402.345.5078 Overland Outfitters...G16..................................402.345.2900 Perspective Jewelry...E15..................................402.934.4416 Red Square...G15.............................................. 402.342.8878 Reserve Goodwill in the Market...E16................402.342.4102 SG Roi Tobacconist...G16...................................402.341.9264 Simply Fabulous...E17........................................402.812.2193 Studio 13...(1736 S. 13th St.).............................402.934.1111 The Summit...(1601 Dodge St.).........................402.341.5555 Susie’s Baskets...E13.........................................402.341.4650 Takechi’s Jewelry...(17th & Harney)...................402.341.3044 Tannenbaum Christmas Shop...G16................. 402.934.8389 Visions Custom Framing Studio...E17............... 402.342.0020

With the most delectable

contemporary american cuisine in the Old Market, V.Mertz has something for everyone. $35 Three-Course Prix Fixe Menu • Tues. - Thurs. Award Winning Wine List Old Market Passageway • 1022 Howard St. Reservations Recommended • Call 402.345.8980 Reservations Online • www.vmertz.com General Manager • Certified Sommelier Matthew E. Brown Certified Sommeliers David Eckler, Chris Walter Executive Chef Jon Seymour Sous Chef Jacob Newton

SERVICES

Banking & Finance American National Bank...C14......................402.457.1070 First National Bank...F16.............................402.885.2574 Pinnacle Bank...G12....................................402.346.9180 Security National Bank...G16...................... 402.344.7300 Commercial Alliance Group...G18................................... 402.344.7700 Clark Creative Advertising...D16.................402.345.5800 J.P. Cooke Rubber Stamp Co...D16.............402.342.7175 Market Media.............................................. 402.346.4000 Vic Gutman & Associates............................ 402.345.5401 Information Downtown Omaha, Inc.................................402.341.3700 Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce...D15..................... 402.346.5000 The Encounter Magazine.............................402.884.2000 Old Market Business Association...(www.oldmarket.com) Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau...G14.402.444.4660 Omaha Downtown Improvement District......402.916.1796 Omaha Public Library...C13.........................402.444.4800 Legal Boyle & Associates, PC...F16....................... 402.706.7810 Cullan & Cullan...F15.................................... 402.397.7600 Don Fiedler Law Offices...C14......................402.346.6263 Klein Law Offices...H16.................................402.391.1871 Stinson, Morrison, Hecker LLP...E14.............402.342.1700 Sutera & Sutera Law Office...F15.................402.342.3100 Other Big Brain Productions...F17..........................402.342.2885 Movers Not Shakers...H13............................ 402.614.9770 Old Market Mini Storage...(501 Pacific St.)..402.342.0022 Salon & Spa At the Loft Spa...F16..................................... 402.505.4100 Fringes of the Old Market Hair Salon...G16..402.345.0404 The Hair Market Salon...G14.........................402.345.3692 The Nail Shop...(9th & Douglas)...................402.595.8805 Rain Salon...(1006 S. 10th St.)......................402.991.9974 RARE...E15...................................................402.706.9673 Sirens Salon & Day Spa...F16.......................402.933.9333 Urbane Salon & Day Spa...D15.....................402.934.2909

Contemporary and traditional Jewelry & Gifts

Best of the Southwest in the Midwest

Lilly Barrack-GL Miller-Calvin Begay and our Silversmith Jim Robinson

Expert repair work Custom designs Silver and 14K Gold Old Market 509 S 11th St Omaha, NE 402-342-1200

Cibola Old Town 7236 1st Ave Scottsdale, AZ 480-990-1700 the encounter | march/april 2013

Visit us in the historical RILEY BUILDING at 1016 Douglas On The Mall, 402.346.9180 or online at pinnbank.com.

T H E

W A Y

B A N K I N G

S H O U L D

B E MEMBER FDIC

Downtown and Council Bluffs ONGOING EVENTS Through 3/2: Omaha Fashion Week. KANEKO. Join us for the

Midwest’s Premier Fashion Event. Strut the red carpet and sit front row to premier the 2013 fall/winter collections designed by the regions top independent fashion designers. Tickets from $20-65. 1111 Jones St. 6-10 pm. For more information, visit www.omahafashionweek.com or call 402-5993283.

Through 3/16: A Behanding in Spokane. Blue Barn Theatre.

In this darkly comical new work from the acclaimed playwright Martin McDonagh, the mysterious gun-toting Carmichael has been searching for his missing left hand for decades. Enter two bickering lovebirds with a hand to sell, and a hotel clerk with an aversion to gunfire, and soon life and death are up for grabs. A Behanding in Spokane turns over American daily existence, exposing the obsessions, prejudices, madness, horrors, and above all, the absurdities that crawl beneath it. 614 S. 11th St. For more information, visit www.bluebarn.org or call 402-345-1576.

Through 4/13: The Tide Effect Exhibit. El Museo Latino. Photog-

raphy exhibition by Plinio Avila. $5 general admission, $3.50 K-12 & seniors, $4 students w/ID, free for members. 4701 S. 25th St. M, W & F/10am-5pm; Tu & Th/1-5pm; Sat/10am-2pm. For more information, visit www.elmuseolatino.org or call 402-731-1137.

Through 4/13: Itty Bitty City.

Omaha Children’s Museum. Kids can “Be Big” in this city created just for them, complete with all things that make a city run...and a city fun. From an airport and ambulance to the bank, restaurant, construction site, expressway and TV studio, kids will get to work and play this 10,000 sq ft metropolis. They’ll have help from everyday heroes and a special alliance of superheroes, too. Fun and educational daily programs will help kids save the day! $2 (in addition to regular museum admission, $9). 500 S. 20th St. Tues-Fri/10am4pm; Sat/9am-5pm; Sun/1-5pm. For more information, visit www. ocm.org or call 402-342-6164.

Through 5/1: The Met: Live in HD. Film Streams. Opera Omaha

and Film Streams have collaborated to bring the Metropolitan Opera’s award-winning series to Ruth Sokolof Theater with showings live on Saturday afternoon and encores on Wednesday night. Berlioz’s Les Troyens (Jan. 5 & 9), Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda (Jan. 19 & 23), Verdi’s Rigoletto (Feb. 16 & 20), Wagner’s Parisfal (Mar. 2 & 6), Zandonai’s Francesca da Rimini (Mar. 16 & 20), and Handel’s Giulio Cesare (April 27 & May 1). $24 general admission, $20 Film Streams members and Opera Omaha subscribers, $10 full-time students with ID. 1340 Mike Fahey St. W/6pm; Sat/12pm. For more information, visit www.filmstreams. org.

Through 5/12: Jennifer Steinkamp: Madame Curie. Joslyn Art Museum. Jennifer Steinkamp’s multi-channel, synchronized video work, Madame Curie, 2011, presents a sixty-foot

march/april 2013 | the encounter

March/April Calendar of Events wide projection of swirling, intertwined flowers that glide across the gallery wall in a seemingly endless process. This work takes its name from the scientist Marie Curie (1867–1934), who is best known for receiving two Nobel Prizes and was an avid gardener. $8 adults, $6 seniors & students, $5 ages 5-17. 2200 Dodge St. TuW, F-Sat/10am-4pm; Th/10am8pm; Sun/12-4pm. For more information, visit www.joslyn.org, or call 402-342-3300.

Through 5/19: Nature Connects. Lauritzen Gardens. See

27 sculptures made from LEGO® bricks in fourteen individual displays as you tour the garden. Learn how nature is interconnected just like the 500,000 LEGO® bricks that were used to build these amazing larger than life sculptures. Recurring daily. 100 Bancroft St. 9am5pm. For more information, visit www.lauritzengardens.org or call 402-346-4002.

Through 5/26: We Want the Vote: Women’s Suffrage on the Great Plains. Durham Museum. Learn how the region contributed to the suffrage movement. Though it was a fairly radical concept in 1848, as the decades passed women from all backgrounds began to understand they needed the vote. Recurring daily. $8 adults, $6 seniors 62+, $5 children ages 3-12, free for members and children 2 & under. 801 S. 10th St. Tu/10am-8pm; WSat/10am-5pm; Sun/1-5pm. For more information, visit www.durhammuseum.org or call 402-4445071.

MARCH 3/1-2: Omaha Symphony: Mozart. Holland Performing Arts

Center. Nicholas Cleobury featuring Susanna Perry Gilmore, violin. Program includes one of Mozart’s profound final symphonies and one of his exotic early concertos, featuring Omaha Symphony’s new concertmaster in her solo debut with the orchestra. Recurring daily. Tickets $25-75. 1200 Douglas St. 8pm. For more information, visit www.omahasymphony.org or call 402-345-0606.

3/1-17: George and Martha: Tons of Fun. The Rose Theater.

In this hilarious musical, hippos George and Martha may seem like opposites, but they can’t help but have tons of fun together. But when Martha ruins George’s painting and George refuses to let Martha in his secret club, they stop having tons of fun and start having tons of fights. $18 general admission, free for members. 2001 Farnam St. F/7pm; Sat/2&7pm; Sun/2pm. For more information, visit www.rosetheater.org or call 402-345-4849.

3/2: Greg Proops—1200 CLUB Live at the Holland. Holland

Performing Arts Center. Greg Proops, improvisational comedian and Whose Line Is It Anyway? alumnus, is known for his encyclopedic material, which is why his hit podcast is called The Smartest Man in the World. Each podcast contains a tidal wave of Proops’ thoughts— often eloquent, sometimes profane, and always funny. As part of The Rite of Spring celebration, Proops will delve into the contro-

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3/3: The Joffrey Ballet—Le Sacred du Printemps—The Rite of Spring. Or-

pheum Theater. The Joffrey Ballet expresses a unique, inclusive perspective on dance, proudly reflecting the diversity of America with its company and repertoire. The company will perform The Rite of Spring, Age of Innocence and In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated during their Omaha performance. Tickets from $35-69. 409 S. 16th St. 7:30pm. For more information, visit www.omahaperformingarts.org or call 402-345-0606.

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est farm shows in the Midwest. Come see everything for the farm and ranch. More than 900 exhibits and over 600 companies. Antique tractors and equipment on display. Recurring daily. Free admission. 455 N. 10th St. W/9am-4pm; Th/9am-3pm. For more information, visit www.showofficeonline.com or call 402-346-8003.

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3/6-7: Annual Triumph of Agriculture Expo. CenturyLink Center. One of the larg-

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rience the beauty and prestige of Orchids! Growers from the Midwest will show their blooming plants in various displays and have them judged for awards. Recurring daily. $6 general admission. 100 Bancroft St. Sat-Sun/10am-4pm. For more information, visit www.lauritzengardens.org or call 402734-4112.

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3/2-3: 26th Annual Omaha Orchid Show and Sale. Lauritzen Gardens. Expe-

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versies surrounding this great work. Tickets from $35. 1200 Douglas St. 8pm. For more information, visit www.omahaperformingarts.org or call 402-345-0606.

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3/9-10: Omaha Symphony: Irving Berlin: From Rags to Ritzes. Holland Per-

forming Arts Center. An all-star cast joins the orchestra for a lavish tribute to America’s most beloved songwriter. Hear Berlin’s timeless genius in songs including “Cheek to Cheek,”“There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “Blue Skies” and “God Bless America.” Recurring daily. Tickets from $15-78. 1200 Douglas St. Sat/8pm; Sun/2pm. For more information, visit www.omahasymphony.org or call 402-342-3560.

3/10: Glamour and Glitz: DCHS 3rd Annual Costume Collection Runway Show and Exhibition. Swanson Conference Center Institute for the Culinary Arts. Enjoy this exhibition, featuring twentieth century eveningwear from the golden age of fashion in the 20s through the statements of personal freedom in the 60s. 32nd & Sorensen Pkwy. For more information, visit www.douglascohistory.org or call 402-455-9990.

readonlinenow.com

Family Spectrum is the ONLY magazine that caters to the needs and interests of busy parents in the Omaha area. Family Spectrum features articles from local experts at Boys Town, Children’s Hospital, National Safety Council – Nebraska, Lutheran Family Services, and many more, along with ideas for family adventures from Nebraska Travel & Tourism and submissions from kid writers!

fiSh, foSSilS, and fun

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Going Behind the Wheel

CALL 402.884.200 To Advertise

the encounter | march/april 2013

3/15-17: 58th Annual O’Reilly World of Wheels. CenturyLink Center. Check out

America’s finest hot rods, customs, trucks, and motorcycles. Special appearances include Wrestling Superstar Adam “Edge” Copeland, co-star of FOX’s Sons of Anarchy Christopher Douglas Reed (“Filthy Phil”) and Spongebob Squarepants. Recurring daily. $15 adults. $5 ages 6-12, free for children 5 & under. Discount tickets available at O’Reilly Auto Parts. 455 N. 10th St. F/3pm-10pm; Sat/11am-10pm; Sun/11am-7pm. For more information, visit www.autorama.com or call 402-341-1500.

YEARS

3/17: Omaha Symphony: Back in Style: What’s Old is New. Joslyn Art Museum. Preconcert talks with Joslyn curators begin at 1pm and 1:25pm. Concert: Debussy-Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun; Bach-Ricercare from Musical Offering; Ravel-Le Tombeau de Couperin; Scheonberg-Brettl Lieder for Soprano and Orchestra; Stravinsky-Pulcinella: Suite. Jennifer Zetlan, vocalist. $30 general admission. 2200 Dodge St. 1pm. For more information, visit www.omahasymphony.org or call 402-345-0606.

1983 - 2013

3/12: Distant Worlds: Music from FINAL FANTASY. Holland Performing Arts Center.

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Distant Worlds features musical selections from throughout the entire 25 year catalogue of great FINAL FANTASY music. To create this unique multimedia experience, the concert incorporates a symphony orchestra, choir and renowned vocal and instrumental soloists, along with projected HD video direct from the FINAL FANTASY game developers, Square Enix. Tickets from $30. 1200 Dodge St. 7:30pm. For more information, visit www.omahaperformingarts.org, or call 402-345-0202.

3/22-23: Omaha Symphony: Sam Harris’s Don’t Stop Believing: Music of the ‘80s Featuring Debbie Gibson. Holland

Performing Arts Center. Revisit power ballads, synth pop and big hair with Star Search champion Sam Harris and teen icon Debbie Gibson. With the Omaha Symphony, they will take you on a trip down memory lane. Recurring daily. Tickets from $25-70. 1200 Douglas St. 8pm. For more information, visit www.omahasymphony.org or call 402-345-0606.

3/29-4/14: Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. The

Rose Theater. When Lily has to share the spotlight with her new brother and no one pays attention to her purse, she has to learn how to share her frustrations in a healthy way! Ages 4 & older. $18 general admission, free for members. 2001 Farnam St. F/7pm; Sat/2&7pm; Sun/2pm. For more information, visit www. rosetheater.org or call 402-345-4849.

omahapublications.com