May/June 2013 The Encounter Magazine

Sam Mercer

the old market’s godfather

Verbal Gumbo not a poetry slam

Corner Creperie

a different downtown lunch

oldmarket.com May/June 2013

Page 29

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On the Cover: Sam Mercer photo courtesy of his daughter-in-law, Vera Mercer. This

issue’s cover story is a small tribute to the man dubbed “the godfather of the Old Market,” who passed away February 5 at age 92.

Editor’s Letter: What If?................................................................ 6 Downtown Story: Kith................................................................... 8 Downtown Entertainment: Verbal Gumbo................................. 10 Downtown Living: Ros Mercio.................................................... 12 Downtown Fashion: Roomies..................................................... 15 Cover Story: Sam Mercer............................................................ 18 Summer Fun in Omaha:............................................................. 22 Downtown Face: Christian Gray.................................................. 27

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the encounter | may/june 2013

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

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8

36

Dear Readers,

I

HAD SOME OF the best interviews of my life getting ready for this issue. I left each meeting with inspiration sleeting into my brain. Questions of ‘why aren’t we?’ and ‘why don’t I?’ have been nibbling at me ever since.

Why isn’t art more talked about in North Omaha (pg. 8), and why aren’t we shouting that art is not some elitist club, understood and available to a privileged few?

Why don’t I feel comfortable getting in front of a microphone and sharing poetry inspired by my own life? Why don’t you (pg. 10)? Why do we think choosing one thing always means saying no to something else (pg. 36) and that having two passions means we’re not focused? What would happen if neighbors actually listened to each other and told each other what they needed (pg. 27)?

There’s more where that came from, these ‘what ifs’ and ‘how abouts.’ Dive into this magazine, why don’t you, and start looking at things from a slightly different angle.

Chris Wolfgang Editor, The Encounter Magazine

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Old Market Downtown • NoDo • SoDo

Midtown

May/June 2013 Editorial Staff Omaha Publications Editor Linda Persigehl

The Encounter Editor Chris Wolfgang

Assistant Editor Bailey Hemphill

Editorial Intern Mary Quinn (#26)

Creative Director John Gawley

Senior Graphic Designer Katie Anderson

Junior Graphic Designer

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New Convenient Downtown Location the encounter | may/june 2013

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DOWNTOWN STORY

Brigitte McQueen is director of The Union for Contemporary Arts, where Kith is held.

Kith:

Art + Food = Room for Conversation story by Chris Wolfgang | photos by Bill Sitzmann

The conversation starts out being about art, but it ends up being about, say, politics.

“I

-Brigitte McQueen 8

THINK THERE’S SOMETHING about sharing a meal together that gets rid of a lot of nonsense,” says Brigitte McQueen, director of The Union for Contemporary Arts. “Those conversations are what bring us together. It levels the playing field.”

In late January, The Union, an organization that provides studio fellowship programs for six months at a time, hosted its first monthly Kith dinner. It was an informal potluck shared by artists, local residents, and perfect strangers, heralded by nothing much more than a Facebook event. Why would a group like that come together at 24th and Burdette in a simple ranch building usually dedicated to the arts?

“The arts have not always been a conversation in North Omaha,” McQueen says. “A lot of the people who live in this area don’t think art is for black people or that black people make art. And I get why those thoughts are held, because you don’t really see it. Why would you go out of your way to engage with it? You change that,” she adds, “by making artists more visible in the community.”

When McQueen first posted the invitation on Facebook for a free community potluck at The Union, each of the 30 spots were spoken for within two hours. When she mentioned it later in The Union’s newsletter, people asked, “Can we just come?” So McQueen eked out space for 50 people around the Union’s common room. “I worked that space in a way I didn’t even know was possible,” she says a touch proudly.

The artists in residence had their studios open, so during the cocktail hour, guests milled around. The food was all on one table, beautifully set with flowers and china. Old R&B music played in the background. The gathering began around 6 p.m., and it was about 9:30 p.m. when the last person left.

may/june 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

Building the art community in North Omaha with potlucks at The Union.

The first Kith dinner yielded such beauties as Thai fish curry and Italian sausage lentil stew. McQueen, who studied at a pastry school, made a chocolate stout cake. Tim Shew, her husband and a chef at La Buvette, made a five-cheese mac-and-cheese casserole with toasted breadcrumbs on top. “People bring their A-game,” McQueen adds, still obviously impressed.

“This one woman showed up with these cupcakes, and everyone was like, ‘where’d you buy them?’, and she said, ‘Oh no, I made them.’ They were these caramel toffee…amazing. Beautifully done.” One couple brought a bottle of Bailey’s for the coffee at the end of the night.

Karin Campbell, curator of contemporary art at the Joslyn Art Museum, says, “I remember sitting in The Union’s main room pondering the fact that maintaining a community is really not rocket science. All it takes is a little bit of willingness to leave the house. It’s refreshing to sit at a table with living, breathing human beings.” Also, she confessed, there were Samoa cupcakes. “Mind. Blown.”

With the summer weather, there will be barbecues and outdoor movie nights. Hours will switch up from brunches to late cocktail parties and back again in order to make Kith open to every schedule.

Whatever the theme, whatever the time, the gatherings have only two rules: Everyone brings something to share, and you don’t sit next to someone you know. There are no cliques, no circles. Everyone interacts with everyone else. “It’s not just a bunch of artists sitting in this pocket,” McQueen says. “The conversation starts out being about art, but it ends up being about, say, politics.” Or films. Or food. Or about what it will take to make North Omaha thrive again.

“The things that separate us,” McQueen says with emphasis, “are stupid.

And they are stupid things that have been in place for generations.” With Kith, she’s inviting residents of the area to interact with people who might be coming into North Omaha for the first time in a setting that guests can’t help but associate with comfort, coziness, and conversation.

Artist in residence Victoria Hoyt sums up the appeal of Kith: “When you sit down for a meal, you talk about things you wouldn’t standing up in a gallery or chatting in a bar. You can go beyond small talk and make meaningful connections.” readonlinenow.com

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

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ENTERTAINMENT

Verbal Gumbo is not a poetry slam.

story by Chris Wolfgang | photos by Bill Sitzmann

F Sometimes it’s comedic, but there’s always a message.

-Michelle Troxclair 10

ELICIA WEBSTER’S VOICE produces chills up the spine. “And then he kiiiiissssssed me, and I melted.

Like buttah.”

Her friend, Michelle Troxclair, nods and waves a hand. “Mhm, girl, we know what that’s like.”

This is spoken-word entertainment. It’s theatrical, it’s heartfelt, it’s ethereal, and it happens every third Thursday of the month at House of Loom on 10th and Pacific streets. This is not your safe-bet night out. The words you’ll hear could be dark, could be sexy, could be hilarious. It could be anything really, which is why Webster and Troxclair, the open-mic evening’s organizers, call this night Verbal Gumbo.

Troxclair arranges the club’s random chaise lounges, velvet chairs, and embroidered hassocks on the dance floor.

Webster picks out the candles and incense. If guests outnumber the usual crowd of around 70, there might be a few people standing. A $5 cover charge gets you a simple meal, like Troxclair’s white chicken chili or her brother’s highly requested mac-and-cheese.

The evening begins around 7, giving guests enough time to sign up to speak if they wish, get their bowl, and settle into a seat. Troxclair is strict about minimizing distraction during the spoken word sets that begin about 8-ish. Of course, feel free to get up from your seat to wait for the massage therapist set up in the corner or the body painter off to the side as someone else speaks at the mic.

“For those who haven’t come here before,” Webster explains, “they’ll find out that it doesn’t matter what order you sign up in.”

Troxclair laughs and says, “It’s whoever I’m feeling like hearing at the time.” The two women make sure speakers alternate male and female, but other than that, there are few rules. People offer poetry about anything from relationships to violence to the triumph of breaking cycles. “Sometimes it’s comedic,” Troxclair says, “but there’s always a message.”

may/june 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

Michelle Troxclair (left) and Felicia Webster (center) show Omaha what spoken word is at House of Loom.

The only requirement is that “you respect the mic,” as Webster puts it. Verbal Gumbo creates a flow between audience and speaker, almost a conversation. The speaker shares his work, and the audience participates in the performance by responding verbally when something resonates.

“Say yes, say amen, say all right, honey!” Troxclair suggests. “You’re validating what they’re saying.”

About 15 people speak per night for about three to five minutes apiece.

If time’s not running tight, each person should feel free to offer two pieces.

A short intermission makes room for a few public service announcements and to refill a drink.

If the easily stage-frightened start to come out of their shells as the evening progresses, all bets are not off. Walk back to the sign-up sheet, add your name, and you’ll probably be called on. Deliver your offering with confidence that whatever you bring will be accepted. “This is not The Apollo,” Webster says. “You don’t get the hook.”

Let’s be clear. Verbal Gumbo is not another poetry slam. A poetry slam is an entertaining competition. “Spoken word incorporates story-telling,” Troxclair says, separating spoken word from slam. “It can be prose or poetry.” Historically, it’s an artistic—and sometimes secret—way to spread information. It’s an oral tradition shared by Africans, African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and many other cultures.

“You are disseminating information to get people to think, to move, to change, to progress, to become empowered,” Webster says. That recipe ensures that Verbal Gumbo, like its culinary counterpart, is savory, spicy, and never the same twice.

Sample the next Verbal Gumbo on Thur., May 16, or Thur., June 20. readonlinenow.com

the encounter | may/june 2013

11

DOWNTOWN LIVING

Ros Mercio

Italian Contemporary in the SoMa Lofts story by Chris Wolfgang | photos by Bill Sitzmann

I don’t have to drive on the weekends.

I can walk everywhere.

-Ros Mercio 12

I

T WAS THE Old Market specifically that sold Ros Mercio into moving to Omaha from Buffalo, N.Y. “It has a nice vibe and restaurants and art and culture,” she says. “It was just cool.”

Mercio settled into one of the 15 SoMa lofts at 11th and Leavenworth streets in December 2011, scaling down from a large house with three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a den. “I’m an empty nester,” she explains, “and I didn’t want to take care of a house, and I knew I wanted to be downtown.”

Friends in Toronto had inspired her to try the condo lifestyle for herself. “I wanted to get away from managing a lawn,” she says, “and I don’t have to drive on the weekends. I can walk everywhere.” She has about a 20-minute drive to her job as director of sales at Journal Broadcast Group in West Omaha.

Her SoMa loft is nestled back in a quiet courtyard, past the community garden with its once-a-week wine tastings. The nearby railroad can cause some noise, but she’s used to it. She shares the 1,050-square-foot condo with Tessa, a tiny, gray-and-white rescue cat from Buffalo. They’ve been together for three years, and Mercio says she still couldn’t say exactly who rescued whom.

Something else that’s made several moves with Mercio is one particular framed photo of her family’s farm in

may/june 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

Some of the few updates Ros Mercio (below) made after moving in include the granite and quartz countertops in the kitchen and the stainless-steel tile backsplash.

Tuscany. She has uncles and cousins there whom she visits every year. “It’s my happy place,” she says, noting that her favorite times to go are in May or September.

Of course, the trips make it easy to supplement her contemporary Italian decor. Carnival masks from Venice decorate the entertainment center, the light fixture in the bathroom is Venetian glass, and the blue-glass plates on the dining table are also Italian. But don’t be fooled. Though the table has a contemporary Italian look, it’s actually from Nebraska Furniture Mart along with the rest of the condo’s furnishings.

Aside from new furniture, Mercio only made a couple changes to the loft when she moved in.

Local designer CKF put granite and quartz countertops in the kitchen and marble in the bathroom, as well as a stainless-steel backsplash behind the kitchen sink. Mercio laughs and says the stainless steel shows water stains like mad. She says she knew it was impractical but couldn’t get it out of her head after she saw it in the showroom. “Every time I look at it, it makes me happy,” she confesses. “I don’t have any regrets.” readonlinenow.com

the encounter | may/june 2013

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The kitchen includes an island with a stovetop and Jenn-Air range hood. Mercio says it’s just one more example of the extra thought the developers put into the SoMa Lofts. After having built three homes of her own, she says she knows what it looks like when someone’s cut corners. “It’s a solid feel,” she says. “You don’t hear people walking around. It doesn’t feel like an apartment.”

Though she does love to entertain, she admits she doesn’t use the kitchen to its fullest because “that’s the thing about living downtown…I find myself eating out more.” Mercio doesn’t particularly have a favorite, but she does like walking to J’s on Jackson by herself. “But they know me at Stokes, they know me at Ahmad’s.”

The floorplan of the condo is small but open. The high ceilings and lots of windows keep the overall feel airy, set off with muted blues and grays. Mercio compliments the developers with making great use of the space with clever cabinets everywhere. The only area that she’s contemplating renovating is an odd workspace nook in the condo’s entrance. It looks ready to house a 10-year-old desktop computer. “That was the only thing I think they missed on,” she muses. She plans to expand the empty, dimly lit square to add on to her pantry, which currently houses a modest collection of shoes instead of cereal boxes.

She does have an extra storage room down the hall, in addition to her double, heated garage.

“You don’t realize how important it is until you have one,” she says with a laugh. “They did a lot of little extra things that maybe other builders wouldn’t have done.”

Every once in awhile, she’ll see a larger condo and wonder why she didn’t opt for more space, “but then I remember the whole point was to simplify my life.”

may/june 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

FASHION

We’ve all lived with a roommate or two who was a little less than ideal. That one was high-maintenance, this one was a slob, and that one was just plain loud. But sometimes to chase after what we want—a new job downtown, a presence in the music scene, a competitive arts fellowship—we have to live with some setbacks. For now.

At least we can look fabulous doing it.

Sidney of Henderson wears a watercolor dress (90) and gold chain mail necklace (38) from Nouvelle Eve. Photographer: Christian Behr Assistant: Ally Behr Models: Sidney, Carey, and Mariah with Sasha Models Hair and makeup: Cassie Broniecki with Bungalow/8 Special thanks for helping us showcase downtown couture: jLofts on the Market readonlinenow.com

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Carey of Lincoln wears a denim jacket (68), gray tank (46), denim shorts (89), leather band (115), bridle belt (99), and bullet necklace (18) from Nouvelle Eve. Tights from Flying Worm.

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Mariah of Omaha wears a floral hi-lo hem dress (98) and owl necklace (18) from Nouvelle Eve. Her peach wrist corsage (175) is made

by Michelle Zacharia with Souq.

readonlinenow.com

the encounter | may/june 2013

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COVER STORY This photo from 1974 shows Sam Mercer (center) discussing the growth and design of Omaha’s Old Market with Bob Cunningham (left) and son Mark Mercer (right).

He was a very smart, very worldly, and sophisticated character with great personal charm.

-Cedric Hartman

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may/june 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

Sam Mercer:

The Old Market’s Godfather

story by Leo Adam Biga | photo provided by Vera Mercer

C

ONTINENTAL BON VIVANT Samuel Mercer, who passed away in early February, was not a typical Nebraskan. Though he grew up to become the Old Market’s undisputed godfather, he started life as the son of prominent Omaha physician and landowner Nelson Mercer.

Young Sam was born and raised in privileged circumstances in London, England, and educated at Oxford and Yale. After living in Washington, D.C., he based his law practice in Paris, where he mostly lived the rest of his life, holding dual citizenship.

In Paris, Mercer cultivated relationships with avant garde artists. A watercolorist himself, he made artist Eva Aeppli his second wife. On his handful of trips to Omaha each year, Mercer cut an indelible figure with his shoulder-length gray hair, his trans-Atlantic accent, and his waxing on far-ranging subjects.

He spoke perfect French.

“He projected an aura of unpretentious aristocracy...I liked him immediately and enormously,” says designer Roger duRand, who with Percy Roche opened the Old Market’s first business, The Farthest Outpost.

With the death of his father in 1963, Mercer took charge of the Mercer Management company here. He appreciated the century-old brick warehouses—some Mercer-owned—comprising the wholesale produce market just southeast of downtown.

But it was designer Cedric Hartman who first advocated doing something with those buildings, which by the mid-1960s were largely abandoned and in disrepair.

Hartman, an acclaimed designer of lighting and furniture pieces made at his Marcy Street factory, recalls the genesis of the Old Market. He and Judy Wigton were partners in a high-end gift shop. Like Mercer, they admired the dying produce district’s buildings and in 1964, began meeting with him about these structures as potential sites for exciting, new ventures, such as fine shops, galleries, and restaurants.

“We were quite surprised to find such a person,” says Hartman.

“He was a very smart, very worldly, and sophisticated character with great personal charm. We were both wowed by him, and in his way he was with us.”

Wigton says, “He certainly had a great appreciation for old buildings and also a need to fill the empty places with new tenants.”

“He did respond to us in a great way,” Hartman notes. “We were a couple of really artsy kids and he was really artsy, so it couldn’t have been a better association. He was a kindred spirit in so many ways.”

Those early encounters formulated the vision for what became the Old Market.

“I remember we walked around the streets trying to imagine what could be done. I’d say, ‘Now look at this building, we could do this with it,’ and he’d just respond right in kind,” says Hartman. “I couldn’t have done that with anybody else. He hooked into all this stuff really fast.”

By 1968, Mercer moved strategically to gain control of a collection of buildings in what is now the Old Market. “Sam did not want anything said about the project until he could acquire options on enough other properties in the area to ensure the readonlinenow.com

the encounter | may/june 2013

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cover story

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success of the redevelopment,” says Wigton.

It was Mercer’s idea to make the groundfloor space of the former Gilinsky Fruit Company into a French restaurant. There, Hartman designed the Old Market’s signature spot, the French Café, as well as apartments above it. Ree Kaneko, a fellow Old Market pioneer, says the restaurant, opened in 1969, was “very important” in helping solidify and legitimize the Market.

“It was a risky thing for him to do,” Hartman says. “Who knew if that would work? However, it was a great success.”

More anchor attractions followed—Homer’s, M’s Pub, Mr. Toad, Spaghetti Works, Nouvelle Eve, the Firehouse Dinner Theater, the Bemis.

Designers duRand and Hartman advised Mercer and his son Mark, daughter-in-law Vera, and nephew Nicholas Bonham-Carter on this neverplanned but organically developed area. The Mercers created one of the Market’s most distinct features, The Passageway, and later opened their own distinguished enterprises—V Mertz, La Buvette, and The Boiler Room.

“We worked to shape the Old Market neighborhood in the most authentic and benign ways possible, gently guiding new tenants away from the clichéd and vulgar, and to more thoughtful and honest approaches to development of the beautiful old structures,” says duRand. “Even though Sam lived and worked in Paris, his presence was in every decision of significance in nurturing the Market. He made frequent visits to Omaha in the early days and was instrumental in bringing the city fathers around to acceptance, then eventual approval, and finally enthusiasm for the preservation and rebirth of our neighborhood. His passing leaves a permanent and poignant void.”

Sam Mercer viewed the Market as an evolving social experiment and art project aligned with his own desires. Mark says the family has continued that philosophy by encouraging unique ventures that “fit our tastes and interests.” He and Vera say creating new things is their passion. They vow to retain the vibrant charm of this historic neighborhood that Mercer lovingly made happen.

Samuel Mercer passed away Feb. 5 at his home in Honfleur, France. He was 92. Services were held at Trinity Episcopal Church in Omaha.

Read more of Leo Adam Biga’s work at leoadambiga.wordpress.com.

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Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power

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May 14-19

Durham Museum

Holland Performing Arts Center

Dinosaurs Alive! The Lost Valley

The Addams Family

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May 5

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the encounter | may/june 2013

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Calendar of Events

May

June

U African American Inventors Exhibit U A Jazzy Day of Giving (May 22nd) U JazzAfter5 - 1st and 3rd Fridays in May

U Urban Artist Collective Exhibit U JazzAfter5 - 1st and 3rd Fridays in June

July

August

U North Omaha Music & Arts Youth Camp U The Power & the Glory: Freedom’s Grace Exhibit U Annie the Musical Presented by LIAC, John Beasley

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May 25

The Color Run CenturyLink Center Omaha May 31 – June 2 Taste of Omaha

Heartland of America Park and Lewis & Clark Landing

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the encounter | may/june 2013

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For more detailed listings of events in May and June turn to page 45

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August 19-24

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26

may/june 2013 | the encounter

omahapublications.com

DOWNTOWN FACE

Christian Gray Listening to What Omaha Needs story by Kyle Eustice | photos by Bill SItzmann

A

S DIRECTOR OF inCOMMON, a nonprofit organization located at 13th and William streets, Christian Gray thrives on building relationships in the Omaha community.

Growing up in the affluent suburbs of Orange County, Calif., Gray was rarely exposed to the hardships many Americans face, but somehow he got the message that material wealth is not what life is about.

“When I began to juxtapose a wealthy lifestyle with the lifestyle of millions around the world, and even here locally in the United States, it began to bother me,” Gray admits. “It began to make me uneasy about what life is, and I began asking questions like ‘What is the purpose of life? Is it to be comfortable? Successful?’ I began to challenge a lot of those notions that I think were just part of the culture growing up.”

After graduating from the University of Arizona, where he met his wife, Sonya, Gray began seeking out places where he could help. His passion for helping the poor has taken him from Romania to India to South Africa and back to the U.S. During the process, he had time to really self-reflect on the bigger picture.

“I’m still trying to figure it out, but I think the purpose of life is to live wholly and richly,” he says.

“That doesn’t mean you have a ton of stuff or even a ton of success. It means you’re an authentic person, and you care about other people, and you’re part of a greater global community and humanity. I think that’s the answer. I think the way we go about that all looks differently. Locations can change and reflect how we can live that out. I think that’s the purpose of life, to really be a part of enriching the global community.”

Once settled in Omaha, Gray got to work on inCOMMON, which specializes in uniting readonlinenow.com

I’m still trying to figure it out, but I think the purpose of life is to live wholly and richly.

-Christian Gray the encounter | may/june 2013

27

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Christian Gray takes time from his work at InCOMMON for a laugh.

and strengthening vulnerable neighborhoods. He spearheads many subsidiary programs such as The Listening Project and Neighbors United. inCOMMON incorporates Asset-based Community Development (ABCD) practices into its work. ABCD is a best-practice that dates back to the 1970s. “We try to build upon a neighborhood’s pre-existing strengths,” he explains. “We have the Listening Project, where we train volunteers to go into the community and hear from its residents and try to build solutions to their problems.”

As a result of information gathered from The Listening Project around the Park Avenue neighborhood, inCOMMON is preparing to open a community center in June called Park Avenue Commons. Located on the corner of Park Avenue and Woolworth Street, the dilapidated Acme Rug and Carpet Cleaning building is getting a new life as a part of Gray’s vision.

“I had a growing compassion for the condition of people that are poor, and I wanted to be a part of creating better futures for our communities in that way,” Gray says. “Park Avenue Commons will provide easier access to social services, emergency and preventative services, and a place to come together as a community.”

Gray has many dedicated volunteers that share the same passion for helping the less fortunate. For example, Omaha resident Leslie Wells is gearing up for a recycling program in which he provides bikes for the homeless to collect recyclables from downtown businesses. Gray emphasizes it’s about building those relationships in order to cultivate community development and empowerment. “‘The single greatest cause for sustained poverty is isolation,’” he says, quoting Dr. Robert Lupton of FCS Urban Ministries. “If we look at poverty, at least in an urban context, as people living in an isolated community that are cut off from opportunities, then relationships are key because they allow people to bridge outside their limited ranges to a greater opportunity.

Strong neighborhoods require that people know each other and people are cooperative with one another and working to solve problems together.

The key to overcoming poverty is to have residents that know each other and work together.”

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Omaha DID

Watch for the new brand of Downtown Omaha.

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Downtown Omaha Omaha’s Old Market is a destination known by people from around the world. So are Downtown Omaha’s corporate headquarters. Renowned facilities such as the Holland Performing Arts Center and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and restaurants such as M’s Pub, Upstream, and many others are also very well-known, not only to locals but countless others. What do these all have in common?

The answer is that they all excel at what they do, and they each have a strong identity and brand.

While Downtown Omaha is comprised of numerous strong and successful brands, the DID realized that a brand for Downtown Omaha that represents all of the employers, bars, restaurants, hotels, museums, entertainment venues, residences, retailers, parks, services, and opportunities that are offered simply does not exist.

With the help of Rebel Interactive and input from many downtown stakeholders, Downtown Omaha now has a brand.

DO! Downtown Omaha is the answer to everything a person wants to know about the heart of our city. Where is the best place to work, to live, to go on a date, to celebrate an occasion, to stay the night, to shop, to see a Broadway show…DO! Downtown Omaha. It’s that simple—DO! Downtown Omaha.

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the encounter | may/june 2013

35

DOWNTOWN ART I want my work to look like a still from a movie, to tell a story.

-Ekapon Tanthana 36

Ekapon Tanthana Smile for the camera, darling. story by Mel McElroy | photos by Bill Sitzmann

W

HEN WORLDLY LOCAL photographer Ekapon Tanthana isn’t at a glamorous photo shoot or rubbing elbows with the fashion elite, he drills teeth. Mild-mannered dentist by day. Fashion photographer by night.

There is a method to his madness. Meticulous about his craft, he plans every detail of each shoot, carefully sketching out the images he wants to capture. His work has a signature look. It is, at times, dramatic with flights of whimsy.

Always tongue-in-cheek, he likes to push boundaries. With everything from nude models to bondage themes, it becomes clear after seeing his work that he is not your typical photographer. He’s an artist.

Tanthana did fashion photography for the first Omaha Fashion Show in 2006, which won him the Omaha Visual

may/june 2013 | the encounter omahapublications.com

Ekapon Tanthana (opposite), fashion photographer and dentist, showcases a few samples of his art.

Arts Award. He has worked in L.A. and New York but prefers Omaha. He is enamored with the Old Market and marvels at the explosion of creative energy on the local scene in recent years. He’s excited to be in the thick of it: creative people coming together to create art for art’s sake.

“Great thing about Omaha is everyone’s friendly in the community and helps each other out,” Tanthana says.

He has befriended all the local photographers in town. They help each other out by sharing equipment and contacts.

He chooses his work with great care and has to really be inspired by a project to pursue it. His eyes light up as he describes bringing his vision to light, that aha! readonlinenow.com

moment when a vision is captured. “There’s that moment when everyone in the room just feels it,” he says. “I want my work to look like a still from a movie, to tell a story.”

Locally, Tanthana has shown his work at the Professional Darkroom Gallery, Jackson Street Artworks, and Nomad. He’s also had his art featured in local magazines, publications in his native Thailand, as well as Omaha Fashion Week. He’s even been invited to be a guest speaker on his art at Creighton University and BW Thai.

Tanthana first discovered his passion for film at age the encounter | may/june 2013

37

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Art and dentistry: the dichotomy of Tanthana.

12, while attending boarding school in England. He has gone on to do artistic and fashion photography, most of which was shot locally on a shoestring budget. He worked with supermodel Samantha Gradoville at a shoot at the former French Café in the Old Market. He works with Rhodora, a local makeup artist who trained with Chanel and is a guest makeup artist for the brand. He has also worked with Payton Holbrook, a local hair stylist who has since moved to New York and does editorials and New York Fashion Week hair.

Tanthana says that juggling full-time dentistry with his numerous creative projects takes planning but is well worth the effort. Seeing his vision come to life is gratifying.

“I think of these images. They just come to me. Then I have to capture them,” he explains. “To me, being a success is someone being influenced by you, as you have been influenced by others.”

He says he couldn’t do photography full-time because he is so particular about his work. True to his art, he is ruled by inspiration—not always an option for a working photographer. He also adds that it can take time to fully dream up the visual designs he later creates.

Like his photography, Tanthana takes pride in his dental work. He shows off pictures of some of his patient transformations. One photo titled Meth Mouth is the before picture of a patient’s rotting teeth. The after picture is a stunning Hollywood smile. Beyond creating a beautiful, healthy smile for patients, Tanthana is touched by making a real difference in someone’s life.

Whether planning a shoot or crafting a smile, Tanthana leaves his distinct trademark of perfection.

38

may/june 2013 | the encounter

omahapublications.com

DOWNTOWN DINING

The Corner Creperie: A Different Downtown Lunch

story by Mandy Mowers | photos by Bill Sitzmann

Derek and Doan (Didi) Olsen bring a West Coast trend to Omaha.

D

EREK OLSEN POURS a careful ladleful of batter onto one of two crêpe griddles, about 16 inches in diameter.

Then he lightly spins a sort of crêpe trowel—a wooden dowel T’d with a smaller wooden handle—around and around, until the batter has thinned out across the whole surface.

The crêpe browns to golden in about a minute, at which point he takes a wooden spatula and lifts the crêpe away from the griddle to turn it over. Only 15 to 20 seconds on that side.

In the meantime, he’s been warming the portioned-out filling, which was made from scratch earlier that day. In this case, it’s quark and cheddar cheese, apple and bacon. And it is divine.

Sweet crêpes are served cold. The Citrus has lemon curd, macerated raspberry, and raspberry coulis—a bright tartness that brings some light to a cold and gray day.

Why crêpes?

“It was an idea my wife and I had from traveling—a versatile way to do both desserts and savory items,” Olsen says. Cities in Western Europe as well as larger U.S. cities, like Seattle and San Francisco, all have small, outdoor crêpe stands. It’s a quick and easy street food. “Our idea was to bring the crêpe stand indoors—keep it very easy, in and out, but put a roof over its head,” Olsen says.

This makes it an ideal breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack for people on the go, such as the faculty, staff, and

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We try to source as many items locally as we possibly can.

-Derek Olsen

the encounter | may/june 2013

39

downtown dining

Savory and sweet crêpes are made on a griddle right in the front window.

students of Creighton University. Located at 343 N. 24th St., The Corner Creperie is practically on campus.

As if on cue, a college-aged couple comes in and orders a few crêpes, which they, of course, Instagram before eating.

Certainly the Creperie is not just for Creighton folks. It’s close to Central High School and the Joslyn Art Museum, or worth the drive from any part of town.

In addition to this new restaurant, which opened December 8, Olsen and his wife Doan (Didi) also own The Nail Salon in the Old Market. They’re busy, especially as parents of an infant daughter.

As soon as Didi arrives, she helps some new customers at the register. Derek prepares their crêpes. You can tell that they’re small business owners, ready to do whatever task needs to be done.

And they’re invested in Omaha. It’s even part of their tagline: “Simple. Local. Portable. Delicious.”

“We try to source as many items locally as we possibly can,” Olsen says.

Their proteins come from four Nebraska farms. Their coffee beans—they offer almost as many coffee drinks as crêpes—come from A Hill of Beans Coffee Roasters in Omaha. Even the metalwork in their furniture was done by Chris Kemp at the Hot Shops.

The creation of their menu was also a communal effort. The Olsens collaborated with Brian O’Malley, a faculty member at the Metro Culinary Institute. They later added Chase Grove, a recent Metro Culinary grad, to their staff.

Grove helped develop the new menu, which debuted in May. He says they’ll make it refreshing for the summer and try some creative takes on familiar foods. “We’re doing things people will recognize, but do them in a new and surprising way,” Grove says.

40

may/june 2013 | the encounter

omahapublications.com

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Dodge St

Capitol Ave

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N. 15th St

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Omaha Chamber Of Commerce S. 13th St S. 13th St

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Building, 1914-1915

Leavenworth St

1892-1893 H9 Omaha Fire House, 1903-1904 H10 Windsor Hotel, 1885-1887 H11 Omaha Bemis Bag Company, 1887-1902 H12 Anheuser-Busch Beer Depot, 1887 H13 Union Pacific Passenger Terminal, 1931

H8 Morse Coe Building,

H7 Hotel Howard, 1909

1886-1887

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1879

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1880-1881

H4 Millard Block,

Building, 1880

H3 Baum Iron Company

1885-1889

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Jones St

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10 Jackson St

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NORTH/SOUTH NUMBERS 10-19 (NUMBERS 1-9 ON PAGE 42)

41

Merchants Attractions OLD MARKET / DOWNTOWN / RIVERFRONT

ANTIQUES

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

621 Pacific St, Omaha • 402-345-3438

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

The Old Market’s

BEST PATIO Serious about our Food.

Crazy about our Beer.

11th & HARNEY OLD MARKET

42

may/june 2013 | the encounter

Bar 415...E15.......................................402.346.7455 Barry O’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 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 Havana Garage Cigar Bar...G15............402.614.3800 House of Loom...(1012 S. 10th St.).... 402.505.5494 J’s on Jackson...H6...............................402.991.1188 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 Maria Sangria...F14..............................402.504.4901 Myth Lounge...F16.............................. 402.884.6985 Nosh Wine Lounge...G11...................... 402.614.2121 O Dining & Lounge...G14......................402.502.7888

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 Parliament Pub...C5............................ 402.934.3301 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 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

BOOKSTORES

Jackson St. Booksellers...F17..............402.341.2664 Soul Desires/Urban Abbey...G16 ........402.898.7600

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

All About Me Boutique...G15................402.505.6000 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 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 The Flatiron Cafe...(17th & Howard).... 402.344.3040 Hiro 88...D16....................................... 402.933-5168 Indian Oven...G15................................ 402.342.4856 J’s on Jackson...H6...............................402.991.1188 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 Little King...F4..................................... 402.344.2264 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 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

FLOWERS

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

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N. 16 St

N. 16 St

N. 16 St

N. 16 St

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Davenport St

Chicago St

Cass St

California St

Mike Fahey St

Burt St

Cuming St

Izard St

N. 15 St

N. 15 St

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Mike Fahey St

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N. 14 St

N. 14 St

N. 14 St

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N. 10 St N. 10 St

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

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N. 34 St S. 34 St

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N. 33 St

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readonlinenow.com N. 12 St

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

Downtown Omaha Map

tD r

the encounter | may/june 2013

43

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 Simply Fabulous...G4........................................... 402.812.2193 Urban by Design...E16..........................................970.214.7608 Zongkers Custom Woods...(S. 3rd St.)...............402.344.7784

HOTELS

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

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 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 Garbo’s Salon & Spa...X22..................................402.933.8988 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 NT Nails............................................................... 402.991.7676 Pana 88...............................................................402.934.7262 Parmida Home Concepts....................................402.504.9267 Peerless Art Gallery.............................................402.876.5309 Prairie Life Fitness...W22....................................402.916.5000 Three Dog Bakery...X23...................................... 402.715.4500 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

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

44

may/june 2013 | the encounter

Cibola Old Town 7236 1st Ave Scottsdale, AZ 480-990-1700

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...H4........................................ 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 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..............................402.706.7818 Nebraska at the Market...E19............................ 402.346.3975 Old Market Sundries...G16.................................402.345.8198 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

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 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 Edgeworthy, a Fringes 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

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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 Jennifer Steinkamp: Madame Curie. Through May 12 at Joslyn

Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. A sixty-foot wide, multi-channel, synchronized work that takes its name from scientist Marie Curie, who is known for two Nobel prizes and gardening. Tu-W/10am4pm; Th/10am-8pm; F-Sat/10am4pm; Sun/12-4pm. $8 adults, $6 seniors & students, $5 ages 5-17.

402-342-3300 – joslyn.org

Ten Masterworks from the Whitney Museum of American Art. Through May 12 at Joslyn Art

Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Ten masterpieces by the leading American artists of the early 20th century show the emergence of modernism and abstraction. Tu-W/10am4pm; Th/10am-8pm; F-Sat/10am4pm; Sun/12-4pm. $8 adults, $6 seniors & students, $5 ages 5-17.

402-342-3300 – joslyn.org

A Year with Frog and Toad.

Through May 12 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. Come join Frog, Toad, Turtle, Mouse, Lizard, Snail, and the birds as they sing about the best way to spend your year—with a friend. F/7pm; Sat/2&7pm; Sun/2pm. $18, free for members. 402-345-4849 – rosetheater.org

Nature Connects. Through May

19 at Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. See 27 sculptures made from LEGO® bricks in fourteen individual displays. Daily/9am-5pm. $7 adults, $3 ages 6-12, free for members and kids 6 & under. 402346-4002 – lauritzengardens.org

readonlinenow.com

We Want the Vote: Women’s Suffrage on the Great Plains.

Through May 26 at Durham Museum, 801 S. 10th St. Learn how the region contributed to the suffrage movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Tu/10am8pm; W-Sat/10am-5pm; Sun/15pm. $8 adults, $6 seniors, $5 ages 3-12, free for members and kids 2 & under. 402-444-5071 – durhammuseum.org

The Art of Puebla Exhibit.

Through June 29 at El Museo Latino, 4701 S. 25th St. Features a selection of traditional pottery known as Talavera from the State of Puebla. M, W, F/10am5pm; Tu, Th/1-5pm; Sat/10am2pm. $5 adults, $4 students, $3.50 seniors & ages K-12, free for members.

402-731-1137 elmuseolatino.org

Raul Colon: Tall Tales and Huge Hearts. Through July 28 at

Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Explore Raul Colon’s watercolor illustrations of Dr. Jill Biden’s Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops, and Frank McCourt’s Angela and the Baby Jesus. Tu-W/10am-4pm; Th/10am-8pm; F-Sat/10am-4pm; Sun/12-4pm. $8 adults, $6 seniors & students, $5 ages 5-17. 402-3423300 – joslyn.org

MAY Omaha Symphony: Intention and Emotion—How an Artist Creates. May 5 at Joslyn Art Museum, Witherspoon Concert Hall, 2200 Dodge St. Program featuring the music of Bach, Rota, Wolf, and Tchaikovsky. 2pm. $30. 402-3450606 – omahasymphony.org

May/June Calendar of Events The 39 Steps. May 9 – June 15

at Blue Barn Theatre, 614 S. 11th St. Adapted by Patrick Barlow, this onstage show is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 characters, and good, old-fashioned romance. Th-Sat/7:30pm; Sun/6pm. $25 adults, $20 seniors & students.

402-345-1576 – bluebarn.org

Spencers: Theatre of Illusion.

May 10 at Orpheum Theater, 409 S. 16th St. This husband-wife team described as “modern-day Houdinis” presents a big, high-tech stage show that combines drama, comedy, romance, and suspense.

7:30pm. $15-40. 402-345-0606 – omahaperformingarts.org

Color Me Rad 5K. May 11 at

Mid-America Center, 1 Arena Way, Council Bluffs. Wear white and get plastered with a different color of paint at every 1K of the run. Registration is required by May 8. 9am. $45. colormerad.com

Gretchen Parlato – 1200 CLUB.

May 11 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Gretchen Parlato’s sultry voice and unique phrasing draws listeners into her R&B music. 8pm. $25. 402-3450606 – omahaperformingarts.org

Illuminite Run. May 11 at TD

Ameritrade Park Omaha, 1200 Mike Fahey St. A 5K night run through a course complete with interactive light displays and various music stations with an afterparty light show featuring Porter Robinson. Registration is required. $50 by May 10, $65 race day. 515321-4847 – illuminiterun.com

Omaha Symphony: The Wizard and I—The Musical Journey of Stephen Schwartz. May 11-12

at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. The creator of the hit musicals Wicked, Godspell, and Pippin is celebrated with a cast of Broadway performers led

by Stephen Reineke, conductor of the New York Pops. Sat/8pm; Sun/2pm. $15-78. 402-342-3560 – omahasymphony.org

Mother’s Day Brunch. May 12 at

Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft St. A relaxing environment, delicious food, and botanical beauty for any mother or grandmother to enjoy her special day. 10am-2pm. $26. 402-346-4002 – lauritzengardens.org

AIA Lecture: Marlon Blackwell Architect. May 16 at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, 724 S. 12th St. Marlon Blackwell Architect is a design-centered critical practice that has produced awardwinning and environmentally responsive projects since 1990.

7pm. $10. 402-341-7130 – bemiscenter.org

The Iguanas – 1200 CLUB. May

17 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. New Orleans’ multi-cultural rhythms course through the heart of The Iguanas and their music. 8pm. $25. 402-345-0606 – omahaperformingarts.org

Omaha Symphony: Stravinsky’s Petrouchka. May 17-18 at Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Featuring Terrence Wilson on piano, Prokofiev’s fiery concerto and Stravinsky’s

the encounter | may/june 2013

45

Sponsored by Pinnacle Bank spellbinding ballet score create a tour de force performance.

8pm. $25-75. 402-342-3560 – omahasymphony.org

An Evening with Garrison Keillor. May 21 at Holland Per-

forming Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Over 3 million listeners on more than 450 public radio stations hear Radio Hall of Famer and Grammy® winner Garrison Keillor each week on “A Prairie Home Companion.” 7:30pm. $25-85. 402-345-0606 – omahaperformingarts.org

Omaha Symphony: Satisfaction’s Music of the Rolling Stones. May 24-25 at Holland

Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. The Omaha Symphony joins Rolling Stones tribute band Satisfaction to showcase rock ‘n roll at its finest. 8pm. $25-70. 402-342-3560 – omahasymphony.org

Italian & Mediterranean specialties served in“the Old Market’s most beautiful dining room,” complemented with the area’s largest selection of Italian wines.

1108 Howard Street

Next to Normal. May 30 – •

342-2050

www.VivaceOmaha.com

The Old Market’s favorite spot for lunch & dinner.

June 22 at SNAP! Productions, 3225 California St. This Pulitzer Prize-winning, contemporary musical is an emotional powerhouse that addresses issues of grief, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and suburban life. 402-341-2757 snapproductions.com

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. May

31 – June 16 at The Rose Theater, 2001 Farnam St. The favorite biblical story of Joseph and his “Coat of Many Colors” comes to vibrant, musical life. Th-F/7pm; Sat-Sun/2pm. $20-25. 402-3454849 – rosetheater.org

JUNE Omaha Symphony: The Midtown Men. June 1-2 at

Award-winning food & wine list – open late 7 nights a week.

Call for reservations.

M’s Pub 46

422 S. 11th Street

•

342-2550

www.MsPubOmaha.com

may/june 2013 | the encounter

89th Annual Santa Lucia Festival. June 6-9 at Lewis & Clark

Landing, 515 N. Riverfront Dr. Festival featuring carnival rides, food, and nightly musical entertainment. Daily/12pm-12am.

Free admission. santaluciafestival.com

World Oceans Day. June 8 at

Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, 3701 S. 10th St. Make a splash and celebrate World Oceans Day with educational activities. 9am-1pm. Free with regular paid zoo admission. 402733-8401 – omahazoo.com

Renoir to Chagall: Paris and the Allure of Color. June 8 –

September 1 at Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge St. Exhibition featuring the works of Degas, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Cassatt, Matisse, Cezanne, and more. TuW/10am-4pm; Th/10am-8pm; F-Sat/10am-4pm; Sun/12-4pm. $8 adults, $6 seniors & students, $5 ages 5-17. 402-342-3300 – joslyn.org

Omaha Symphony: Flights of Freedom. June 9 at Jos-

lyn Art Museum, Witherspoon Concert Hall, 2200 Dodge St. Program featuring the music of Shostakovish, Kernis, Vaughn Williams, and Beethoven.

2pm. $30. 402-345-0606 – omahasymphony.org

ZOOm. June 15-16 at Omaha’s

Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, 3701 S. 10th St. See classic and antique cars while exploring animal exhibits. Daily/9am-3pm.

Free with regular paid zoo admission. 402-733-8401 – omahazoo.com

Moo at the Zoo. June 29-30

at Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, 3701 S. 10th St. A fun-filled country and agriculture-themed event with eating contests, games, animals, and more. Daily/9am-5pm. Free with regular paid zoo admission. 402733-8401 – omahazoo.com

Holland Performing Arts Center, 1200 Douglas St. Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer of the original Jersey Boys cast perform solid-gold hits from the ‘60s. Sat/8pm; Sun/2pm. $15-78. 402-342-3560 Italian & Mediterranean specialties served omahasymphony.org in“the Old Market’s most beautiful dining room,” complemented with the area’s largest selection of Italian wines.

1108 Howard Street

•

342-2050

www.VivaceOmaha.com

omahapublications.com

Happier

Photo: Š 2011 Bryce Bridges Photographic

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