Jul/Aug 08 - The Encounter Magazine

Old Market • Downtown • Riverfront

www.oldmarket.com | July/August 2008

Feature:

Save the Frogs

Condo Life: Beebe Runyan

Downtown Art:

Art Shops

Saddle

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the encounter | july/august 2008 3

Old Market Downtown • Riverfront

July/august 2008

P ublisher

Todd Lemke

e ditor

Sandra Lemke

A ssistAnt e ditor Linda Persigehl

A rt d irector / G rAPhic d esiGn

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e ditoriAl A dvisors

Rick Carey • David Scott

M ArketinG i ntern Taylor Irish

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All versions of The Encounter are published bimonthly

by Omaha Magazine, LTD, P.O. Box 461208, Omaha NE 68046-1208. Telephone: (402) 884-2000; fax (402) 884-2001. No whole or part of the contents herein may be reproduced without prior written permission of Omaha Magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. Unsolicited manuscripts are accepted; however, no responsibility will be assumed for such solicitations.

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6 Feature: It’s Not Easy Being Green .................................... 8 Faces: Omahans Can Be From Anywhere ...................... 11 Feature: Front-Line Friendliness..................................... 13 Downtown Art: The Hottest Art Shops ....................... 15 Faces: He’ll Fringe You ..................................................18 Cover Story: Music label, building, bar. Next? .............. 20 Condo Life: Beebe Runyan .......................................... 22 Old Market Map........................................................... 24 Calendar .......................................................................27 History: It’s Official: it’s The Durham ...............................

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departments

DoWnToWn hisTory

Union Station, ca. 1931

“

We don’t want to be an old, stuffy

”

museum.

6 july/august 2008 | the encounter

The Durham Museum Reinventing an Omaha landmark

by Robert Fraass | photo courtesy of The Durham Museum

S

hawna Forsberg pointed to workers busy at their task of restoring the cathedrallike windows in Union Station, home to The Durham Museum.

“The Great Hall is being preserved so it looks like when it first opened,” said Forsberg, the director of marketing and public relations for the museum. “We are trying very hard to make it have the feel of 1931.”

Preserving the past may be the goal in restoring the dazzling art-deco architecture of Omaha’s historic Union Station, but plans for The Durham Museum are all about making it a family attraction that embraces the 21st century.

On April 6, the long-familiar Durham Western Heritage Museum name was officially changed to The Durham Museum. The new moniker is part of a marketing strategy to better promote the museum’s nationally touring exhibits, which cover subjects ranging from history and culture to science and industry, as well as its first-class educational programs.

The marketing facelift includes a new website (www.durhammuseum.org), a new logo, increased promotion of specific exhibits, and work with the Omaha Convention and Visitors Bureau to advertise the museum regionally as a weekend tourist destination.

“We don’t want to be an old, stuffy museum,” Forsberg says. “We want The Durham to be a leisure time, family-oriented museum with something for everyone to enjoy.”

The Union Station, located south of The Old Market at 801 South 10th Street, was built as the Union Pacific Railroad train station in 1931. So, the history of Omaha and its proud railroad legacy are still integral to the museum’s mission, Forsberg said. But removing “Western

Heritage” from the name was important to “better reflect the museum’s expansive offerings, and to establish its role as a regional learning and cultural center,” museum officials stated in their namechange announcement.

“Western Heritage” carried the connotation that the museum was only about railroad history, Omaha history and “cowboys and Indians,” Forsberg said. New visitors would say, “I would have never guessed what the museum was about based on your name,” she said.

The Durham Museum’s improvements have gone far beyond architectural refurbishment of the Suzanne and Walter Scott Great Hall and new marketing strategies.

The Durham’s permanent exhibit space, which presents the history of Omaha and the region, was revamped and reopened in 2007.

The museum plans to host more traveling exhibits from world-class museums, such as the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, and The Field Museum.

*

The new 256-seat Stanley & Dorothy Truhlsen Lecture Hall, which opened in 2007, is the setting for The Durham’s expanded lecture series, made possible through partnerships with the Smithsonian and other museums. Recent Smithsonian events included a lecture and demonstration from the executive director of The Jazz Museum in Harlem, and a presentation on the ecology of the Amazon River Basin. The hall is also the site for “distance learning”, using Internet technology to provide students outside of

the Omaha metro with access to museum programs.

In 2010, The Durham Museum will host two traveling exhibits from Chicago’s Field Museum, the worldrenowned institution The Durham is trying hard to emulate.

“When you look at The Field Museum, it’s a place where visitors want to go to spend their recreation time,” Forsberg said. “On a smaller scale, we want this for The Durham Museum.”

Charles Durham “Western Heritage” may be gone from The Durham Museum name, but the name of the Omaha philanthropist responsible for the museum’s renaissance remains.

After the Union Station closed its doors, the Western Heritage Museum’s exhibits were unchanged—and unremarkable—from its opening in 1975 until 1995. That’s when Charles Durham and his wife Margre stepped in.

The Durhams, well known for their donations to the area’s educational and medical research institutions, poured their generosity into the Western Heritage Museum, providing the funding for major renovations, including the museum parking structure, infrastructure updates and the restoration of the Main Waiting Hall, renamed the Suzanne and Walter Scott Great Hall in 2007. “Durham” was added to the museum’s name in 1997.

Charles Durham made his fortune building his Omaha-based HDR, Inc. into one of the nation’s largest architectural and engineering firms.

Durham died at age 90 on April 5— one day before the announced name change to The Durham Museum.

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feaTure

?

“

nobody can stop

save the frogs, save the World

by Judy Horan | photos by minorwhitestudios.com

the fungus, but it can be treated in

”

captivity.

8 july/august 2008 | the encounter

T

he frogs you see hopping around the new Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion at the Henry Doorly Zoo are part of a rescue effort by the zoo to save the world’s amphibians. The creatures are disappearing at an alarming rate.

Not since the disappearance of dinosaurs 65 million years ago has there been such a rapid extinction as that now faced by the world’s amphibians, according to the zoo’s director, Dr. Lee Simmons.

“Right now there are over 6,000 named species, and we could lose one-third to one-half of the planet’s amphibians,” he says.

There is no fairy tale ending to this story. No amount of kissing will turn that frog into a prince or save its life. What it takes is intervention on a massive scale.

Omaha’s zoo, along with other zoos and organizations worldwide, has launched the Amphibian Conservation Initiative to address the issue globally. The Henry Doorly Zoo has joined the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the Amphibian Ark in a major conservation effort called the “Year of the Frog.”

3USHI 3ASHIMI 3EAFOOD $ISHES "EEF 4ENDERLOIN #HICKEN 4EMPURA

BLUE

henry Doorly Zoo to the rescue Why are amphibians disappearing? Factors include loss of habitat, air pollution and deforestation. However, the main problem is a chytrid fungus that has spread to every continent except Antarctica. “Nobody can stop the fungus, but it can be treated in captivity,�

Simmons says. And that’s what Omaha’s zoo is doing.

While other groups were debating what to do, the Henry Doorly Zoo took the initiative and set up a rescue unit four years ago with four people assigned full time to the conservation effort. “We’re bringing animals out of the wild, treating the fungus and breeding them to keep them from extinction,� Simmons says.

Once the fungus is eliminated from the ecosystem, they can released back into the wild. Zoos have set an ambitious goal to save 500 species out of 6,000.

The Omaha zoo will eventually end up with 10,000 amphibians.

Right now, there are 3,000. Some remain secluded in the zoo’s amphibian rescue center.

Others are on display in the Berniece Grewcock Butterfly and Insect Pavilion that opened in May. It’s the first time these endangered creatures have been on display.

They share a home in the 14,000-square-foot building with more than 1,000 butterflies, plus insects and exotic birds.

The Wyoming toad, which is totally extinct in the wild, is part of the Omaha zoo’s rescue efforts. Since 1995, 1,317 Wyoming toads raised at the zoo have been returned to the wild.

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“If we lose frogs and toads, there will be an explosion of mosquitoes and that could mean an explosion of malaria,” Simmons says. The deadly West Nile Virus also could flourish.

Frogs also are used in vital research.

“Skin secretions from some amphibians are being looked at by the pharmaceutical industry to treat conditions such as cancer,” Simmons adds.

Getting the Word Out Zoo people are out spreading the word about how people can help rescue the endangered species, says Elizabeth Mulkerrin, education curator.

The Omaha zoo’s education department created a poster that was adopted by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association and is now used worldwide.

Mulkerrin also developed an amphibian curriculum used in high schools. Teachers learn how to spot fungus on amphibians and send the input to a database so researchers can keep track.

“The teachers and students provide eyes and manpower,” Mulkerrin says.

“They also learn science.”

Groups such as Creighton University, the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission are involved with the zoo in the conservation effort.

The zoo also is studying nutrition for the amphibians to supplement the creature’s favorite diet of tasty crickets.

Efforts will continue until amphibians are no longer endangered.

“A university group figured out if we put all the salamanders in North America on one side of a scale and all birds and mammals --- bison, elk, geese --- on the other side, the salamanders would outweigh the animals by two to one,” Simmons says. “If you take that much living biomass out of the ecosystem, there has to be a ripple effect.”

Some biologists refer to amphibians as “the canaries in the coal mine.” They serve as a warning to other species.

“Nobody is smart enough to predict the effect of the extinction of the amphibians on the eco-system,” he said.

departments

DoWnToWn faces

“

i was good.

Just ask anybody back in Bingham-

”

ton, New York.

Philly-Born, new york-raised omahan Beyond enthusiastic about his adopted hometown.

by Leo Adam Biga | Photos by minorwhitestudios.com

O

maha Ambassador David Johnson Sr. is the smiley face for a city known for its friendliness. The robust 74-year-old U.S. Postal Service retiree, Air Force veteran and ex-jock is seldom without a smile on his mug. Everything about him exudes hospitality. From his effusive greetings that end in exclamation points — “Good fabulous morning to you!” — to his excitable, high decibel voice thick with streetwise New Yorkese, to his handshake, back slap or hug, he’s a walking-talking welcome mat. His wideeyed, breathless, hyper glee reminds you of a child.

Part Italian-American and part African-American, Johnson’s a Philly-born and Binghamton, New York-raised “wise guy” who arrived like a whirlwind in 2001 to be near his son, Creighton University law school grad David Johnson Jr., and his family.

He identifies as Italian-American Catholic but was raised by his African-American great aunt. His ex-wife and the mother of his two sons is black.

His photo albums are filled with Polaroids of paisans, not brothers, from back East.

Friends include real-life wise guys with names to match. Ethnicity aside, he said his warmth is why “everybody liked me.” His athletic ability helped. His hoops skills earned him the encounter | july/august 2008 11

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scholarship offers and the nickname The Black Whip. “I was good.

Just ask anybody back in Binghamton, New York,” he said. He spurned college for the military, then worked construction before his long postal career.

Scrapbooks detail his term as head of the world’s largest postal union, a spot he rose to from the workroom floor. “Unheard of,” he said. He hobnobbed with big wigs on Capitol Hill. He threw his support behind Cesar Chavez’s Farm Workers of America movement. Then there’s the later intrigue of international business dealings that once landed him in a Nigerian prison, and his commerce with gamblers, numbers runners and “the guys.” He once ran afoul of the law as a kid, taking the rap for friends. “But that,” as he’s fond of saying, “is another story.”

Johnson’s rich background is the blended face for Omaha’s cultural diversity. Ever since blowing into town he’s thrown himself into volunteering. He’s been recognized with the city’s Spirit of the Community Award, the Sertoma Club’s Service to Mankind Award and the Omaha Performing Arts Excellence Plus Award.

If his face seems familiar, you’ve likely seen his engaging smile and met his gregarious personality at The Holland or the Orpheum, where he ushers; or maybe you’ve seen him at the Durham Museum, where he’s a train greeter and tour docent. He’s often one of the first people tourists meet in his role as an Omaha Visitors Center ambassador.

He supports downtown, an area he knows intimately from walking everywhere there. He doesn’t own a car. He resides in the Old Market Lofts at 10th and Jones. His 9th floor unit offers a nice view of what are his personal stomping grounds and the object of his boundless energy and enthusiasm.

As a Downtown Omaha Inc. and Omaha Downtown Improvement District board member, he’s eager “to improve the quality of life downtown. This is my neighborhood, OK?” He loves being in the financial-cultural center of a city he’s adopted as his own, and that he feels has embraced him. When a fire in the Lofts displaced him, he was overwhelmed by “the generosity” of people he barely knew.

That’s typical of Omaha, he said, noting that successful people here “give back so much to the community”. He feels fortunate to have landed here.

“I’m truly blessed, man.”

departments

feaTure

Left to right: Don Egr, Bill Gordon, Jim Vose

“

To date, we’ve logged 93,124 volunteer

”

hours.

omaha ambassadors the First Faces Visitors see

by Heather Akerberg | photos by minorwhitestudios.com

“I

t’s the People. People,” answered Jim Vose, a volunteer of one-and-a-half years with Omaha’s Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), when asked what he most enjoyed about his volunteering job. That sentiment is unanimous among all of CVB’s volunteers; it’s the opportunity to meet and assist all kinds of folks from CVB’s two booths at Omaha’s Eppley Airport. In addition to the two visitor information booths at the airport, the Convention and Visitors Bureau operates a visitor information center on the southwest corner of 10th and Farnam Streets. All the centers are manned by volunteers, kindly referred to as Omaha Ambassadors.

The volunteers that assist at Eppley, called Airport Ambassadors, are all members of one of the three Golden K Kiwanis Clubs here in Omaha. The Kiwanis chapters involved are the Omaha Golden K Club, Loveland Golden K Club, and West Omaha Diamond K Club. The Airport Ambassadors program has been a project of the Kiwanis Clubs since 1984. It started with 11 volunteers and only one booth at the airport. The program now has 50 volunteers for the airport centers “To date, we’ve logged 93,124 volunteer hours,” says Don Egr, chair of the Kiwanis Airport Ambassador project.

The volunteers work on a rotating schedule— each working a four-hour shift every other week. The two airport booths are open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The downtown visitor information center is open seven days a week—closed on major holidays. On an average day, Airport Ambassadors assist approximately 100 people. However, on busier days, like during the College World Series or Berkshire Hathaway’s annual conference, an Airport Ambassador is likely to help 120 people in one shift. Since its inception, the Ambassadors have assisted nearly 850,000 visitors to Omaha.

“I like to help people,” said Egr, who has volunteered since 1997. “I enjoy meeting the encounter | july/august 2008 13

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people, and it gives me an opportunity to learn more about my community.”

All the visitor information centers have a large selection of maps and brochures, which include information on Omaha’s attractions, such as Henry Doorly Zoo and Lauritzen Botanical Gardens, and special events that they offer to visitors. The two airport booths are located on either end of the first floor at the airport and are easy to find due to their bright blue and green décor. The booths feature 42-inch TV screens that play an informational video about Omaha and its attractions, as well as the current forecast. The Convention and Visitors Bureau also publishes a 96-page Omaha 2008 Visitors Guide, which gives visitors the scoop on local accommodations, dining, attractions, nightlife, and annual events. The guide is free and available at any of the centers or online at www.visitomaha.com.

Frank Webber, who has been volunteering as an Airport Ambassador for more than 22 years, got involved when his Kiwanis Club asked for volunteers. A retired schoolteacher, Webber taught at Tech High School for 35 years. He agrees that meeting people is one of the bonuses of working at the airport. Many times, his volunteering has allowed him the chance to reunite with former students.

“They’ll walk by, and then they’ll turn around and say, ‘Mr. Webber!’”

Omaha’s Ambassadors answer a variety of questions each day, from where to eat or stay, to where to go fishing or how to spend an afternoon. Webber says he’s helped people from all over the world, and even assisted people in a few sticky situations. For instance, on one afternoon, he noticed a man standing in one of the airline’s ticket lines.

Nothing unusual about that, right? Until Webber and the man both noticed the man’s suitcase began to rock back and forth on its own. When the man opened his suitcase to investigate, he discovered that his cat had climbed in there to take a nap while he had been packing. The gentleman’s flight was leaving shortly, so Webber helped him secure a carrier for the feline and call the man’s brother to come and retrieve the animal. All in a days work for Webber and the other Airport Ambassadors.

Don Egr says the airport is a flurry of activity with all kinds of people coming and going, from governors and state senators to musicians and athletes. Egr remembers one afternoon when he assisted a young man from Venezuela who was new to the United States. The young man had come to Nebraska to play for the Lincoln Saltdogs, a minor league baseball team. Egr helped the young man make a few phone calls and eventually connected him with other players that had just recently arrived and were in the terminal.

So, beyond directing visitors to hotels and helping tourists decide what to do during their stay, the volunteers also offer visitors a taste of Omaha’s hospitality. They’re willing to help out in any situation, which truly makes them ambassadors in every sense.

DoWnToWn arT

?

“

hot shops art center

We

Fanning the Creative Flames of Omaha

dragged people out their homes, and their work

”

improved

dramatically.

by Kim Carpenter | photos by minorwhitestudios.com

W

hen printmaker and painter Amy Haney moved back to Omaha from San Francisco in 2003, she felt “really out of the loop” when it came to the city’s visual arts community. But that quickly changed when she procured a studio in Hot Shops, the first organization of its kind in Omaha. Founded in the late 1990s, the downtown art center not only provides artists with space to create, but also serves as a venue for the community to come together and experience the diversity of work created right here in Omaha.

The impetus behind creating Hot Shops was two fold. There was no one place where artists could come together to produce their work and support one another. “Artists needed space,” says Tim Barry, a ceramist and Hot Shops’ general manager. This dearth, in turn, affected how the community perceived local artists. Co-founder Les Bruning, Bellevue University’s art department chair, adds, “One of the things that didn’t exist at all was a place to show and sell work. The public culture of Omaha at that time was such that buying art from local artists was a totally foreign concept.”

What the art community needed, then, was a place to create work and make that same work available to the community. The former Serta Mattress Factory, at 92,000 square feet, the encounter | july/august 2008 15

provided that and more. “We sort of stumbled into the building,” remembers Barry. And what a building it is. The four-story, brick structure has 50 studios ranging from 500 to 800 square feet.

These studios are available to artists of every discipline, and several groups, such as the Omaha Printmakers’ Guild, headquarter their organizations within Hot Shops.

The facilities also feature four art galleries and several exhibition spaces as well as three “Hot Shops,” which anchor the entire enterprise: the Loken Forge, where father and son team Ron and John Loken do blacksmithing; the Crystal Forge, overseen by master glass craftsman Ed Fennell; and Bruning Sculpture (established by Les Bruning), a foundry where metal casting, welding and kiln firing takes place.

When Hot Shops opened in November 1999, its niche within the community became immediately apparent — the majority of studios were reserved from the beginning. Bruning says, “When we opened, the response was overwhelming. Before the opening night, two-thirds of the studios were filled.” Barry adds, “It didn’t take long. By the end of the year, we were full, and ever since we’ve had a waiting list of at least 20 people.” (That was evident during this interview, when an artist visited the Hot Shops office to inquire about the availability of studio space. He added his name to the waiting list.)

But Hot Shops provides more than physical space for artists to

work — it’s a place for artists to support one another. Whereas many artists often have to work in their basements, bedrooms and garages, the art center serves as a place for them to come together. “These artists come out of the isolation of their own studios,” observes Barry. “They are influenced by their colleagues. It’s a real eye-opener. They start to see the different processes.” Bruning agrees. “We dragged people out their homes, and their work improved dramatically,” he said. “Being a professor, I see that every day. When you’re in a creative environment, you see possibilities. You exchange ideas.”

And that kind of creativity extends broadly throughout the Hot Shops building. Citing collaborative projects that have brought together such eclectic groups as visual artists, writers, architects and actors, Barry says, “Ordinarily, their paths would not have crossed.”

Haney agrees. “Getting into Hot Shops really helped me meet other artists. I could be holed up in a little studio in some random building, but the teamwork and stability that exists has made me a better artist. Learning about other artists’ trades and having open dialogue is what makes having a studio at Hot Shops worth it. If I need advice personally or artistically, I find it there.”

As significant as these studio spaces are for artists, they also play a critical role in the community, influencing how we all experience and ultimately see art. Says Bruning, “Creating

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1 16 ad-encounter.indd july/august 2008 | the encounter

This is not an offer to sell, or solicitation of an offer to buy, real property. Purchasers should review the Federal Property Report prior to signing a contract. No federal or state agency has judged the merits or value, if any, of this property.

5/30/08 3:40:47 PM

this community allows people to see artists’ work, and it lets artists be paid for what they do.” Barry concurs. “It’s an education. People know what they like, but they don’t like what they don’t know.” For that reason, he continues, “There is importance in developing how we look at art. The key word is process. You can come and see the process. This,” he emphasizes, “is where you can see how art is made.” And what does that mean for the community? Barry says, “Hot Shops has a wealth of artistic knowledge. You can smell the linseed oil, you can feel the heat from the furnace, you can see sketches and you can kick the sawdust.”

Moreover, the community can take part directly in this creative process. Workshops taught by master artists and studio artists are open to the public, with classes including printmaking, glass blowing, life drawing and bead making, to name a few. And Hot Shops is planning on adding after school classes to make art more accessible to children, who may not have strong art programs in their schools.

Downtown Omaha’s revitalization, which has so far included the Qwest Center, Slowdown, Film Streams and several hotels, has only enhanced Hot Shops’ position as a contemporary art destination. The addition of the pedestrian bridge and the planned stadium to the cityscape will further underscore Hot

Shops’ role as a downtown cultural corridor, both for residents and visitors alike. Observes Barry, “They bring more people in and give us greater visibility.”

Fortunately, the art center can more than handle the increasing influx of people. “Hot Shops never becomes stale,” says Barry, “because there are always new pieces.

People can come and see something different every six weeks.” In this regard, visitors can take in new exhibitions every month, and they can purchase works created by Hot Shops artists in the gift store, which opened in December. Plus, says Bruning, “If they see anything on the walls they like, they can go to the gift shop and buy it.”

But most markedly, Amy Haney characterizes the creative spirit that fills the studios. “I’ve been graced by some really good people. The atmosphere is wonderful. Just wandering the hallways and studio spaces, you can get inspired or educated. Hot Shops,” she says, “is just another family for me.”

For information on Hot Shops artists, events, exhibitions, workshops and the studio store, visit www.hotshopsartcenter.com.

Hot Shops never becomes stale.

— Tim Barry

the encounter | july/august 2008 17

DoWnToWn faces

?

“

it’s a huge adrenaline

creative Vision

rush. Mak-

by Leo Adam Biga Photos by minorwhitestudios.com

ing some-

roy Davis is living a dream. From the time the Blair, Neb.-born Davis was a small boy accompanying his mother to her downtown Omaha office, he dreamed of being in the big city.

Fringes Salon & Spa, where he’s co-owner and star hairdresser at 10th and Jackson, is the hip, funky workplace he imagined. The condo loft above the French Cafe he owns and resides is the cool, modern, urban home he desired.

As an international creative team member with hair care manufacturer Rusk, Davis calls “the road” his home/workplace as well. He travels the world conducting demonstrations on stage in front of audiences of hairdressers.

“Essentially it’s to educate, inspire and motivate hairdressers about what’s going on in our company and in the industry,” he said.

The shows express his skill and fulfill a dream to perform.

Vision propels the 33-year-old forward. His lofty dreams drew his now business partner, Carol Cole, to hire him 13 years ago. Creativity sets him apart. “It’s extremely important to me,” he said. “Being a successful hairdresser is made up of a balance of the creative and the business aspects.” He considers himself first and foremost a hair artist.

“Creatively, I don’t think it’s different than any other art form. It’s just my medium is hair. All the design elements are there. I’m working with shape or form  texture, color, sculpting. I think it’s more fun because it’s a living canvas.”

Satisfaction is seeing the results of his handiwork on a client who leaves his chair looking fabulous.

“It’s amazing. It’s a huge adrenaline rush. Making somebody feel good about them-

body feel good about themselves and the way they

”

look is really powerful.

18 july/august 2008 | the encounter

T

departments selves and the way they look is really powerful.”

He’s at his best when clients give him free rein.

“I’m not a very good ticket taker or order taker,” he said. “The more limitations somebody puts on me I’m just turned off.

I’m very confident in myself and who I am and what I do.”

Achieving the best result is part compromise and part collaboration. The goal is to be, as the Fringes brand reads -- Edgeworthy.

“Part of the Edgeworthy brand is to inspire what’s beyond the fringe,” he said.

“What that means to us as a company is that we’re really the leaders in the fashion industry. We not only explore but also celebrate the diversity in ourselves as a team and in our clients.

“The other part of the brand is to push the envelope. To get into people’s world and listen where it is they’re coming from and what it is they’re looking for, and then pushing them just a little bit further.”

Besides going to the edge, he’s dispelled the notion that the Old Market can’t support more than one hair salon.

Four now operate there. He’s also laid to rest the idea that the Fringes corner spot is jinxed. Many businesses came and went before the salon, but Fringes is going on nine years there. He’s expanded the space to where it now occupies 2,500 square feet. The full-service, commission salon includes a spa, specialized treatment rooms, and pedicure-manicure areas.

Downtown’s growing residential base and hotel market bode well for Fringes, which sits across the street from the Embassy Suites and within view of condos.

“We’ve had a great run down here,” he said. “I think the future is going to be even better. There are definitely more people living downtown and the hotels have been so good to us.”

Davis’ own clientele comes from all over the region.

“People come in specifically because they want what I have to offer.”

MASSAGE in the Old Market

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relaxation, deep tissue, ayurvedic therapies, reiki OMaha Healing Arts Center 1216 Howard St. Old Market www.omahahealingarts.com

the

penthouses on

Call Carol Jones 402.490.2065

• Prime location and views

• 6-story atrium & rooftop deck

• Miele appliances & Sub-Zero refrigerator

• Concerige services

105 South 9th St.

downtown living redefined

coVer sTory

“

We certainly don’t follow a lot of the industry

”

patterns

and paths.

20 july/august 2008 | the encounter

saddle creek records Indie Music label Owners Keep turning the tables

by Heather Akerberg | photography by minorwhitestudios.com

L

andlord. Bar owner. Developer. Label manager. While Jason Kulbel of Saddle Creek Records expected a few of those titles, he could never have foreseen the others.

Kulbel moved back to Omaha in 2000 with the intent of assisting Robb Nansel, a friend from college, in opening a rock club. Nansel had been operating Saddle Creek Records since 1998. Together, Nansel and Kulbel have worked to grow the label into an independent music darling.

When they first started throwing the idea around, Kulbel and Nansel were focused

departments

on building a permanent rock venue, a thing they felt Omaha lacked, and a home for Saddle Creek’s offices and warehouse.

The project went through many changes and possible locations until they decided on the plot on 14th Street between Cuming and Webster. Besides being home to Slowdown, the duo’s rock club, and Saddle Creek’s headquarters, the mixed-use complex also houses Film Streams, a nonprofit theater, as well as retail spaces and apartments.

With the bricks and mortar in place, Saddle Creek now has a permanent home in Omaha. Though Omaha seems an unlikely place for a record label, many of Saddle Creek Records’ choices are unconventional. Unlike many major labels that give artists a small percentage from the sale of their music, Saddle Creek offers its bands a 50/50 split.

“We certainly don’t follow a lot of the industry patterns and paths. It’s good to be away from it for that reason, and [Omaha] is just a good place to hole-up and get some work done,” Kulbel said.

During the early days of the label, their band roster consisted solely of Omaha artists. Now the roster features several bands from other cities. No matter where the band is from, the quality of the music has remained the main focus.

“Our approach has always been to get a band in the studio, have them record a record, work on the record and have them out on the road,” Jason said.

The label has several bands on tour, including Neva Dinova, Maria Taylor, and Tokyo Police Club, which played to a Slowdown crowd in May and recently released their debut record. Kulbel is a huge supporter of offering live music to the fans. This passion for live music is what spawned the idea for Slowdown, which marked its first anniversary June 7th. Kulbel is pleased with the reception that the club has received.

“In the last year, I’ve put so much into this [club] that I’ve kinda fallen out of a lot of things that I was used to doing. There can be a hundred people in here, and I won’t know anyone but the bartender,” Kulbel said.

Slowdown is definitely a labor of love for Jason. He lives in one of the apartments in the complex and often finds himself spending much of his time working.

“At this point that’s just not my job—to know everyone in the room,” Kulbel added. “It’s more providing the room—making sure that something’s going on.”

Take one look at Slowdown’s calendar of events (www.theslowdown.com), and you’ll know that Jason’s doing a fine job.

Tapping the CWS Crowd at Pauli’s.

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

the encounter | july/august 2008 21

conDo life

“

in The Middle of Things

This downtown living Downtown living: at once energizing and peaceful

by Tina King | photography by minorwhitestudios.com is sometimulating their minds and accommodating their love of the arts were top priorithing that ties when William and Kathleen Steinke chose a retirement spot.

The former English teachers wanted to be able to walk to music venues, art makes you galleries, book stores, and independent restaurants as they had on favorite vacations to Chicago and New York City. They also wanted to stay in proximity to family members in Neand Iowa. want to do braska Downtown Omaha won their hearts – specifically the renovated six-story Beebe Runyan on 9 Street near ConAgra. more and condominiums “We wanted to be kind of in the middle of things,” says William Steinke.

So the couple left their five-bedroom, suburban Nebraska home with its Williamsburg see more style and moved to a one-bedroom condo with a combo of historic and modern style. Kathleen Steinke originally feared she would miss having her own yard for gardening.

“Now we just think of the Heartland of America park as our backyard,” she says. and think The couple’s first-floor view looks out over the park, and from the rooftop patio and community room residents can easily see what’s happening along the riverfront and the future creatively. pedestrian bridge. The Steinkes timed their walks to their favorite spots – 15 minutes to the

S

th

”

22 july/august 2008 | the encounter

Joslyn Art Museum and 10 minutes to the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.

“This (downtown living) is something that makes you want to do more and see more and think creatively,” William Steinke says. “It’s a very energizing place to be both from a historic perspective and from a modern perspective.”

That history is evident at Beebe Runyan, the 1913 former furniture warehouse once home to many davenports, dressers and beds. In the new entry hall, a suspended platform is covered in the building’s original tin ceiling tiles.

“It’s almost like an art piece,” William says.

New paintings hang on the adjacent walls as part of an alternating gallery curated by one

departments

• Beautifully appointed space for up to 725 • Wonderful food prepared by our own executive chef • Call today for a tour

1502 Cuming Street • 402-991-7400 Also home to InPlay gaming center and Stadium Bar & Grill

The Steinkes’ condo reflects carefully thought out professional design.

of the other condo owners.

Architects at the Leo A. Daly firm refurbished and left historic elements like exposed brick walls, wide-plank maple floors, and 12-to14-foot high wooden ceiling beams. New touches include glass elevators with visible mechanics, a glass panel atrium roof and frosted glass sliding doors.

Instead of taking the building back to its past, designers “let it look forward with a certain kind of elegance,” William says.

Inside their unit, the couple selected furnishings that relate to their love of history, books, music and art. They purchased the gazing eyes of their framed artwork “Missouri Catfisher” years ago, but it’s fitting for a couple now living steps away from the Missouri River.

The built-in ash kitchen cabinetry, black granite countertops and stain-

less steel appliances mix well with the exposed brick living room wall. Around the corner, a cozy study offers a wall of books, a small desk and an inviting couch on which to take in the couple’s latest book finds.

The master – and only – bedroom is separated by a chic frosted glass sliding door. The walk-in closet is tucked behind the main wall and is outfitted again with the ash built-in cabinetry.

The Steinkes welcome the downtown crowds that accompany big events, but also enjoy less hectic walks through the Old Market early in the morning. When the shops are just opening and people are out watering the plants, it truly feels like a small community, William says.

“It just seems very serene and peaceful here, but it’s also a very rich, modern life.”

Designer Frames Affordable Prices Convenient Hours Eye Exams

Early Morning Appointments Available

513 So. 13th Street Between Howard and Jackson

(402) 344-0219 the encounter | july/august 2008 23

10TH To 14TH STreeTS BeTween LeavenworTH & Farnam, omaHa

www.OldMarket.com

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24 july/august 2008 | the encounter

Merchants Attractions Old MArket / dOwntOwn / riverfrOnt

Antiques

Antiques & Fine Art...(16th St). ......... 341.9942 Fairmont Antique Mall...H4 .............. 345.1778 Joe’s Collectibles...H5 ..................... 612.1543 Retro Recycle...E5 ............................ 341.1969 Second Chance...G5 ........................ 346.4930

Book stores

Jackson Street Booksellers...H5 .....341.2664 New Realities Books & Gifts...E7 ..... 342.1863 Soul Desires Books & Coffee...G7 ...898.7600

Clothing & ACCessories

Lotus ...F4 .........................................346.8080 Namaste...E7 .................................... 341.7069 Nebraska Clothing Co...E8............... 346.6114 Nouvelle Eve...E6 .............................. 345.4811 Overland Outfitters...E8 ................... 345.2900 Paper Dolls...E7 (Passageway) ........ 763.8812 Retro Recycle ...E5 ........................... 341.1969 The Souq Ltd...E7 ............................. 342.2972 Trocadéro...E4 ..................................934.8389

Downtown hotels

Courtyard by Marriott...(10th & Douglas) .......

346.2200 DoubleTree Hotel...(16th & Dodge)...346.7600 Embassy Suites Hotel...F9 ...............346.9000 Hilton Convention Center Hotel .......998.3400 Hilton Garden Inn...(10th & Dodge) .. 341.4400 Redick Plaza Hotel...(15th & Harney) ..............

342.1500 Magnolia Hotel...(16th & Howard) ... 342.2222

home Furnishings

Crawdad’s...E5 ................................. 341.3930 Kraft DC ...(16th & Leavenworth)......342.2790 Niche ...F6 ......................................... 344.4399 Room...E7 ......................................... 342.7666 Zongkers Custom Woods ................ 344.7784

gAlleries

1301 Gallery...(13th & Nicholas) .......342.6452 Artists’ Cooperative Gallery...D7 ..... 342.9617 Bella’s Place Gallery...E4 ................. 342.4242 Bemis Ctr. for Contemporary Arts...K4 ..........

341.7130 Sirens at the Loft...F6 .......................933.3333 Everything Them...F6 ....................... 341.1156 Garden Of The Zodiac...E7 .............. 341.1877 Hot Shops...13th & Nicholas ...........................

342.6452 ...........................Images of Nature...

D5 341.8460 Jackson Artworks...G6 ..................... 341.1832 Nebraska Showcase Gallery...A8 .... 595.2122 Omaha ClayWorks...H5 ....................346.0560 Passageway Gallery...E7 .................. 341.1910 White Crane Gallery...E7 .................. 345.1066

heAlth serviCes

Acupuncture Libba Harmon, LAc .......................... 214.6265 Massage Therapy Sandy Aquila LMT...E3 .....................345.5078 Lisa Christensen LMT...E3 ............... 850.6651 Barb Rost LMT (19th & Douglas)...... 345.7500 Medical Dr. John Bartholet, DC...E3 .............. 342.2216 Downtown Chiropractic (2111 Douglas) .........

345.7500

Derek Fender, DDS...D4 ...................342.3901 Dr. Mark Goodman, MD...L1 ............280.5500 Dr. Stephen Peterson MD...L1..........280.5500 Dr. James Polerecky DDS (19th & Farnam) ....

341.7576 Dr. Ritch Miller DC (2111 Douglas) ... 345.7500 Heartland Pathology (310 S. 16th) ... 346.0195 Physical Therapy East & West Physical Therapy...E3 ..345.5078 Psychotherapy, EMDR, Hypnotherapy Jannette Davis, MS, CST .................341.2230 Cynthia Duggin, MSW, LCSW ..........345.5078 Jeff Stormberg, PhD (Psychotherapist).........

393.0642 Tim Swisher, MHR, LMHP, LADC ....341.2230 Pharmacy Depot Drug (1416 Dodge) ................. 544.DRUG

museums & AttrACtions

Omaha Children’s Museum...(500 S. 20th) ..........

342.6164 The Durham...J9 ...............................444.5071 InPlay...(16th & Cuming) ...................991.7400 Joslyn Art Museum...(24th & Dodge) ..............

342.3300 . Lauritzen Gardens...(100 Bancroft) 346.4002 Henry Doorly Zoo...(3701 So 10th St) .............

733.8401 Qwest Center Omaha (10th & Capitol)............

341.1500

olD mArket ProPerties

Brandeis Building .............................934.1224 Farnam 1600 Building ......................342.1616 Grubb/Ellis Pacific Realty ................345.5866 The Lofts at Soma...K5..................... 895.7662 Old Market Lofts...J7 ........................345.8000 Riverfront Place ................................397.4837 Shamrock Development/Paxton Building ......

934.7711 Skinner Macaroni Apartments...H1 .346.2346 The Greenhouse Apts...A9 ...............342.3100 TipTop Building...(16th & Cuming)....345.8000

PuBs & tAverns

Bar 415...E3 .......................................346.7455 Barry O’s ...E8 ..................................341.8032 Billy Frogg’s Grille & Bar...E5 ...........341.4427 Dubliner Pub...D4 .............................342.5887 J.D. Tucker’s Bar...E8 .......................934.5190 Julio’s...F2 .........................................345.6921 La Buvette Wine & Grocery...F7.......344.8627 M’s Pub...E6 ......................................342.2550 Mr. Toad’s...E8 ..................................345.4488 Myth Lounge...F6..............................884.6985 Nomad Lounge...(J8) ........................884-1231 O’Connor’s Irish Pub...F3 .................934.9790 Old Market Tavern...F8 .....................341.0191 The Stadium Club Sports Bar & Grill...E8.......

359.1290 T Henery’s Pub...C6 .........................345.3651 The Underground...F7 ......................341.3547 Upstream Brewing Co...G6 .............344.0200 Urban Wine Company...J7 ...............934.0005 Waters Edge Lounge @ Embassy Suites...F9 .....

346.9000

restAurAnts

Farrells Bar...(902 Dodge) ................884.9947 Ahmad’s...E8.....................................341.9616

the encounter | july/august 2008 25

Merchants Attractions Old MArket / dOwntOwn / riverfrOnt

Cornerstone

Mansion Inn

Billy Frogg’s Grille & Bar...E5 ...........341.4427 Delice European Bakery...E4 ...........342.2276 Falling Water Grille @ Embassy Suites...F9 ........

346.9000 Famous Dave’s...D6 .........................614.9333 Flatiron Café...(17th & Howard) ........344.3040 House of Lee...F4 .............................991.9330 Indian Oven...E7 ...............................342.4856 Joe Banana’s ....................................346.7227 Julio’s...F3 .........................................345.6921 La Buvette Wine & Grocery...F7.......344.8627 Liberty Tavern (10th & Davenport) ...998.4321 Little King...H21 ................................344.2264 Lucky’s 10-0-One (10th & Pacific) ...991.1001 M’s Pub...E6 ......................................342.2550 Matsu Sushi...B8 ..............................346.3988 Michael’s at the Market...C6 ............346.1205 Nicola’s...G3 .....................................345.8466 O Dining...A8..................................... 502.7888 Old Chicago...D6 ..............................341.1616 Omaha Prime...E7.............................341.7040 Passport Restaurant...H6 ................344.3200 Rick’s Cafe Boatyard........................345.4545 Sam & Louie’s Pizza...H6 .................884.5757 Spaghetti Works...F6 ........................422.0770 Stokes Bar & Grill...(E5) ................... 408-9000 Subway...E4 ......................................341.8814 Sullivan’s Steakhouse (222 S. 15th St.) ..........

342.4432 The Diner...D5 ...................................341.9870 The French Café...F7 ........................341.3547 The Paxton Chop House...B1 ..........341.1222 Trini’s...E7..........................................346.8400 Twisted Fork...E7 ..............................932.9600 Upstream Brewing Co....G6 .............344.0200 V. Mertz...E7......................................345.8980 Vincenzo’s Ristorante...D4 ...............342.4010 Vivace...E6 ........................................342.2050 Zio’s Pizzeria...F4 .............................344.2222

sPeCiAlty FooDs & CoFFee

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Business travelers welcome. Corporate rates available.

Fireplaces • Clawfoot tubs King and queen beds • Private baths • Satellite TV Free Wi Fi • Gourmet weekend breakfast When you need to get away without going away, call The Cornerstone Mansion.

140 N. 39th Street, Omaha

402-558-7600

www.CornerstoneMansion.com 26 july/august 2008 | the encounter

13th Street Coffee C0....G3 ..............345.2883 Aromas...I8........................................614.7009 Cubby’s Old Market Grocery...H3 ...341.2900 Delice European Bakery...E4 ...........342.2276 Hollywood Candy...F3 ......................884.7688 La Buvette Wine & Grocery...F7.......344.8627 Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream...H21 .......933.5280 MJ Java...B3 & F7 .............................342.5282 Old Market Candy Shop...F8 ...........344.8846 Patrick’s Market...(E1).......................884-1600 Soul Desires Books & Coffee...G7 ...898.7600 Ted & Wally’s Ice Cream...G5 ........... 341.5827

sPeCiAlty shoPs

Anarchy Comics & Games...E4 ........493.4955 Ashley Collectibles...E3....................934.3100 Big Brain Productions...H5 ..............342.2885 Chameleon...E7 ................................342.4444 Cibola of Omaha...F7 (509 S 11th) ...342.1200 City Limits...E3..................................345.3570 Drastic Plastic...F4 ........................... 346.8843 DSR Power Sports...E3 ....................991.1383 Etc. Gifts...F7 ....................................342.2846 eyebeads-gemstones...I3 ................ 346.4367 Garden Flowers...F7 ......................... 614.5661 Garden Of The Zodiac...E7 .............. 341.1877 Goldsmith Silversmith...F7 ...............342.1737

Homer’s Records...E5 ......................346.0264 Iron Decor & More...G5 ....................346.6123 Jay Welter Cigars...(18th & Jackson)345.1965 Kessler’s...H5 (1125 Jackson) ..........715.5888 Mairzy Doatz...F6.............................. 934.4815 Namaste...E7 .................................... 341.7069 New Realities Books & Gifts...E7 ..... 342.1863 Niche...F6 .......................................... 344.4399 Old Market Habitat Floral...E6 ......... 342.0044 Old Market Sundries...F8 ................. 345.8198 OM Gifts & Imports...E3 ................... 345.5078 Overland Outfitters...F8 ................... 345.2972 Perspective Jewelry...D4.................. 934.4416 Red Square...E7................................ 342.8878 SG Roi Tobacconist...F7 .................. 341.9264 Souq Ltd...E7 .................................... 342.2972 Tannenbaum Christmas Shop...F8 .. 345.9627 The Toy Chest...E7 (Passageway).... 341.0774 Trocadéro...E4 ................................. 934-8389

serviCes

At the Loft Spa...F6...........................505.4100 Michael Boyle, Attorney...E7 ............359.1000 Centris Federal Credit Union...C3 ...334.2000 Commercial Optical...G3 .................. 344.0219 Dietz United Methodist Church ....... 346.9115 Don Fiedler Law Offices...F7 ........... 346.6263 First National Bank...(F5) ..................885-2574 Fringes Salon & Spa...G8 ................. 345.0404 Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce...D2 346.5000 Omaha Convention & Visitors Bureau...B8 ....

444.4660 Hair Market Salon...E7 ..................... 345.3692 J P Cooke Rubber Stamps...F2 ....... 342.7175 Klein Law Offices...H3 ...................... 391.1871 Magical Journeys Carriage Service...E7 ........

453.6745 Movers Not Shakers ......................... 614.9770 Old Market Car Wash...J2 ................ 393.2819 Old Market Encounter ......................884.2000 Old Market Mini Storage .................. 342.0022 Old Market Web Site .....www.oldmarket.com Omaha Healing Arts Center...E4 ......345.5078 Omaha Public Library...(15th & Farnam) .........

444.4800 Omaha Yoga School...E7 .................346.7813 Pinnacle Bank...(10th & Douglas) ..... 346.9180 Security National Bank...(11th & Howard) ..........

344.7300 Sirens...F6 ......................................... 933.9333 Stinson, Morrison, Hecker LLP...C3 342.1700 Urbane Salon & Spa...B8 .................934.2909 Susie’s Baskets...D4......................... 341.4650 Sutera Law Offices...E6.................... 342.3100 Visions Framing Studio...K4 .............342.0020

theAtres & entertAinment

Blue Barn Theater...G6 ..................... 345.1576 FilmStreams...(14th & Webster) ........ 933-0259 Holland Performing Arts Center...(12th & Douglas) .............................................345.0606 Omaha Symphony...(16th & Howard)..............

342.3836 Opera Omaha...(17th & Farnam)....... 346.4398 Orpheum Theater...(16th & Farnam).345.0606 The Rose...(20th & Farnam) .............. 345.4849

Downtown and Council Bluffs Through 7/6: U.S. Olympic Swim Trials. Qwest Center Omaha. 455 N. 10th St. For more information, visit www.h2omaha.com Through 7/6: 2008 Shakespeare on the Green: Time Square Music & Greenshow. 7 p.m. Performance 8 p.m. Much Ado About Nothing: June 19-22, July 2 & 5, King Lear: June 26-29, July 3 & 6, Elmwood Park, UNO Campus, 60th & Dodge Streets.

7/10 – 8/14: Jazz on the Green.

Joslyn Art Museum’s free summer jazz concert series featuring some of the best local, regional and national jazz musicians, held outdoors on the museum’s east lawn and grand staircase. Show Thursdays from 7-9 p.m. Joslyn Art Museum, 2200 Dodge Street.

For more information, visit www.joslyn.org or call 342-3300.

Every Monday Night: New Play Reading Series, sponsored by Metro Community College and The Shelterbelt Theatre. The first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. on the Fort Omaha Campus in Room 110 of Building 10, new and developing scripts are read for the public. The readings are free and an open discussion follows each reading. Arrive early, as seating is limited. For more information or to submit a play for consideration, contact Scott Working at saworking@mccneb.edu

Through 8/1: Shelterbelt Theatre. Accepting submissions for Shelterskelter the 13th. The Shelterbelt Theatre is accepting scripts through August 1, 2008, for our annual Halloween scare-fest, Shelterskelter, this year in its 13th installment. For complete submissions guidelines and information, visit www. shelterbelt.org and click on the “submissions” link.

Through 8/14: ”Kids Rule” Summer Film Series at Marcus Theatres. “Kids Rule Summer Film Series, a summer movie program offered for kids and families, will play at select Marcus Theatre locations on Wednesday and Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. through 8/14. All movies are “kid friendly” with G or PG ratings. Admission is $2.50 and includes complimentary popcorn. The film series includes: Alvin & the Chipmunks; Spiderwick Chronicles; Horton Hears A Who; Nim’s Island; Bee Movie; Kung Fu Panda; Kit Kittredge: An American Girl; and Space Chimps. Participating Marcus Theatres include 20 Grand, Twin Creek and Village Pointe Cinema.

For more information, visit www.marcustheatres.com Through 8/16: Therman Statom: Nascita.

The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts is pleased to present Therman Statom’s Nascita, an ambitious exhibition comprising a multitude of site-specific glass and mixed-media sculptures. For over 25 years, Statom has revolutionized the glass medium, creating installations

of an architectural scale that reward the viewer’s imagination and sense of wonder.

Bemis Center, 724 S. 12 St. Through 8/23: El Museo Latino presents “Otras Bitacoras”. El Museo Latino at 4701 S. 25th Street in Omaha is pleased to announce the opening of the new exhibition, “Otras Bitacoras” (Other Records), Contemporary Photography from Merida, Yucatan. The exhibit presents a selection of works by 10 artists from Merida, including Mina Barcenas, Natassja Lopez and Francisco Martin. The exhibit is made possible in part by the Nebraska Arts Council.

Museum hours are Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday 1 p.m.-5 p.m., and Saturday 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Bi-lingual guided visits are offered for groups with advance reservations. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for college students, $3.50 for students and seniors, and free for museum members.

For more information, visit www.elmuseolatino.org or call 731-1137.

Through 8/26: Tempo of Twilight Concert Series at Lauritzen Gardens. In summer, Lauritzen Gardens extends its hours on Tuesdays until 8 p.m., allowing visitors to enjoy the garden during the twilight hours.

The garden is also host to Tempo of Twilight, a summer concert series through August every Tuesday from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. This year the concert series celebrates “an evolution of music”

July/August Calendar of Events as we travel through the decades, starting in the ‘40s era and ending with music of today, featuring a Saddle Creek Records artist. Admission to Lauritzen Gardens is $7 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12, and free for members and children under 6. The gardens’ regular hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. 100 Bancroft Street.

For more information, visit www.lauritzengardens.org or call 346-4002.

Through 8/31: Amazon Voyage: Vicious Fishes and Other Riches.

This summer, The Durham invites visitors to take a voyage along the most biologically diverse river in the world, The Amazon. Opening Saturday, May 31st, this exciting and immersing exhibit from the Miami Museum of Science reveals mysteries surrounding the Amazon’s complex ecosystem and explores the serious environmental and economic issues currently facing the Amazon such as poaching, illegal logging and overfishing. Visitors can reach into the belly of a giant catfish and find out what it’s been eating; does it really eat monkey skulls and tennis shoes? Or test their will and be shocked by the charge of an electric eel; literally! But don’t worry; it’s just a little one!

There are also live fish tanks where visitors can look under the river from below by placing their head inside a submerged bubble. With the support of the experts from the Henry Doorly Zoo, live piranha will also be on display giving visitors

an up-close view of these fascinating creatures. For more information, visit www.durhammuseum.org Through 9/15: The Sea Beneath Our Feet. The Durham Museum. Learn the story of the Ogallala Aquifer, formed millions of years ago beneath the Midwest. 801 S. 10th St. www. durhammuseum.org Through 10/5: Uncreated Light: Steve Joy Paintings, 1980-2008 Joslyn Art Museum. The richly constructed, abstract but accessible paintings of British contemporary artist Steve Joy are the focus of Uncreated Light. Inspired by spiritual journeys through several cultures and a personal existential searching, his paintings are carefully crafted and loaded with associations from the broad canon of the history of art. Cost is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, $4 for ages 5-17 and free for kids 4 and under. 2200 Dodge St. Visit www.joslyn. org or call 342-3300 for more info.

Through 10/5: Kidstructure Exhibit. Lauritzen Gardens, Omaha’s Botanical Center. Outdoor exhibit of playscapes custom-designed by area architects and contractors. KidStructure stretches the definition of traditional “playhouse” design. These unique and adventurous structures will encourage interactive learning, excitement and, most importantly, PLAY! 100 Bancroft Street. Visit www. omahabotanicalgardens. org for more information.

JULY EVENTS 7/1: Lecture: Amazonian Rhythms at The Durham.

Join UCLA professor, ethnomusicologist, anthropologist and musician Dr. Anthony Seeger for an evening of music and culture highlighting the Amazonian Indians. RSVP required.

For more information, visit www.durhammuseum.org or call 444-5071.

7/3: Kenny Wayne Shepherd & Fireworks Extravaganza. Stir Concert Cove at Harrah’s Casino. Tickets are available at the Harrah’s Gift Shop, by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW or at www.stircove.com 7/4: Omaha World-Herald Fireworks Night. A 24-year tradition for thousands of people in and around Rosenblatt Stadium. Fireworks by Grucci will present the biggest fireworks show west of the Mississippi after the Omaha Royals Baseball game. Choreographed to music. Show starts at 9:30 p.m. Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium, I-80, Exit #454/13th St. S. exit.

For more information, call 738-5100.

7/10 – 8/3: Shelterbelt’s Summer Stock. Four local artists have been selected to join us in producing a weekend of theatre each week in July. They are an eclectic and talented group: Bryan Poole is a musician, visual artist and improvisational genius.

He’ll create a fresh evening of storytelling, art and music on each of his nights; Doug Hayko is a cutting-

the encounter | july/august 2008 27

Downtown and Council Bluffs

Venues

Ameristar Casino

John Beasley Theater & Workshop

2200 River Road, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

(712) 328-8888, Ameristar.com

3010 Q St. (402) 444-3446. JohnBeasleyTheater.org

Joslyn Art Museum Artists’ Cooperative Gallery 405 S. 11th Street, Old Market, (402) 342-9617, www.artistco-opgallery.com. Regular hours & admission: Wed&Thur, 11am-5pm; Fri&Sat, 11am10pm, Sun, noon-5pm, free.

2200 Dodge Street, (402) 342-3300, joslyn.org.

Tues-Sat/10am-4pm; Sun/noon-4pm. $7 adults; $5 seniors & college students; $4 ages 5-17; free age 4 and younger; free to general public Sat/10am-noon.

Lewis & Clark Landing/Riverfront Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts & bemisUNDERGROUND

515 N. Riverfront Dr. on the banks of the Missouri River between the new Qwest Arena and the river.

724 S. 12th St., (402) 341-7130, bemiscenter.org.

Regular hours & admission: Tue-Sat, 11am-5pm, free.

Mid-America Center One Arena Way, Council Bluffs, Iowa, (712) 323-0536.

Blue Barn Theatre 614 S. 11th St., (402) 345-1576, www.bluebarn.org

Millennium Theatre

Civic Auditorium & Music Hall

Nebraska Showcase Gallery, Nebraska Council for the Arts, Burlington Building, 1004 Farnam St., (402) 595-2122, midamericacenter.com.

18th & Capitol streets, (402) 422-1212

ConAgra Foods Campus

Old Market

10th & Farnam Streets

Area of 10th to 13th streets, and Leavenworth to Harney streets.

The Durham 801 S. 10th St., (402) 444-5071, durhammuseum.org.

Regular hours & admission: Tues-Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun 1-5pm. $6 adults, $5 seniors, $4 ages 3-12, free 2 & under.

El Museo Latino 4701 S 25th St., (402) 731-1137. www.elmuseolatino.org.

Regular hours & admission: Mon, Wed&Fri/10am-5pm; Tues/1-7pm; Thurs/1-5pm; Sat/10am-2pm. $5 adults; $3.50 students & seniors; $4 college students.

Omaha Children’s Museum 500 S. 20th St., (402) 342-6164, www.ocm.org.

Regular hours & admission: Tues, Wed, Fri&Sat, 10am5pm; Thurs, 10am-8pm; Sun, 1-5pm. $5.50 adults & ages 2-15; $4.50, seniors 60+ & children under 2.

Opera Omaha 1625 Farnam, (402) 346-4398, ext. 111. www.operaomaha.org

General Crook House

Orpheum Theater

30th and Fort streets, (402) 455-9990.

16th & Harney streets. Ticket box used only for day-of or night-of performance only. See Ticket Omaha for pre-event ticket information.

Harrah’s Casino 2701 23rd Ave, Council Bluffs, Iowa. (712) 323-2500, harrahs.com

Qwest Center Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo

455 N. 10th St., (402) 422-1212, qwestcenteromaha.com.

3701 S 10th St., (402) 733-8401

Rose Theater Hitchcock Nature Center Honey Creek, Iowa, I-29 exit #61A, (712) 545-3283

2201 Farnam Street, (402) 345-4849, rosetheater.org Ticketmaster 402-422-1212 (402-475-1212) or online at ticketmaster.com

Horseshoe Casino 2701 23rd Ave., (712) 323-2500, horseshoe.com

Rosenblatt Stadium 1202 Bert Murphy Ave., 738-5100.

Hot Shops Art Gallery 1301 Nicholas St., (402) 342-6452, hotshopsartcenter.com

Ticket Omaha 1314 Douglas on-the-Mall, (402) 345-0606, TicketOmaha.org

Images of Nature 1115 Harney St. (402) 341-8460, mangelsen.com

Holland Performing Arts Center 1200 Douglas St., ground level, TicketOmaha.org, (402) 345-0606, or (402) 341-1811 (TTY).

28 july/august 2008 | the encounter

Sponsored by Pinnacle Bank edge performance artist that combines a stunning, three-dimensional environment with a contemplative sense of humor. He’s performed his in-your-face work all over town, at least east of 72nd Street; Susann Suprenant is a brilliant contemporary theatre artist and scholar specializing in innovative adaptations that both glorify the past and project the audience into the future; Katie F-S is a gifted performer and poet that has slammed her way across the country. Recently, she’s begun directing for the stage, transforming Slam Poetry into a choral, theatrical experience. Shelterbelt Theatre, 3225 California St. For more information, call 341-2757 or visit www.shelterbelt.org 7/11: Sammy Hagar & The Wabos Live in Concert. Stir Concert Cove at Harrah’s Casino. Tickets are available at the Harrah’s Gift Shop, by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW, or at www.stircove.com 7/12-7/13: Railroad Days at Kenefick Park. This event is a celebration of the railroad and the garden’s Kenefick Park. Families can enjoy rides on a miniature train, model railroads on display, children’s train activities, railroad music, historical lectures, displays of Union Pacific Railroad memorabilia and more.

Kenefick Park in Lauritzen Gardens, 100 Bancroft Street. Cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children ages 6-12.

Visit www.lauritzengardens.org or call 346-4002 for more information.

7/17: Lyle Lovett in Concert. Stir Concert Cove at Harrah’s Casino. Tickets are available at the Harrah’s Gift Shop, by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW or at www.stircove.com 7/18-7/20: Nebraska Kennel Club Total Dog Experience. Features conformation, obedience and rally, agility, entertainment and dozens of dog-related vendors. Cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children ages 3-12. Friday through Sunday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th St. For more information, visit www.nebraskakennelclub.com or call 346-3950.

7/20: Ween Live in Concert. Stir Concert Cove at Harrah’s Casino. Tickets are available at the Harrah’s Gift Shop, by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW or at www.stircove.com 7/20: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers swing through Omaha on their North American tour.

Great musical packages with legend Steve Winwood open every show.

Cost is $53-$97 a ticket.

Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th Street, at 7:30 p.m.

Visit www.ticketmaster. com, or call 402-341-1500 for more information.

7/21: Jonas Brothers Live. This teen band of brothers will perform at 7 p.m. at the Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th Street.

Tickets are $49.50-$75 at www.ticketmaster.com.

Call 402-422-1212 for more information.

7/21: Pat Benatar with Neil Giraldo. Stir Concert Cove at Harrah’s Casino. Tickets are available at the Harrah’s Gift Shop, by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW or at www.stircove.com 7/22: Dave Matthews Band at Qwest Center.

Cost is $63. Show starts at 6:30 p.m. at Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th Street.

Visit www.ticketmaster. com or call 402-341-1212 for more information.

7/22: “Come Home to Kanesville”. Announcing “Come Home to Kanesville,” the Winter Quarters musical, performed at the Historic Kanesville Tabernacle in Council Bluffs, IA. Showings are at 7 p.m. Drawn from eyewitness accounts and diaries, the song-‘n-dance musical is a story of love and faith set against the heartrending saga of the pioneer experience. The production is timed so you can visit the Nauvoo Pageant, then travel west along the Mormon Trail and continue the telling of the Church history story.

You’ll have an opportunity to visit the Kanesville Tabernacle Visitors Center, a replica of the original building in which Brigham Young was sustained as prophet and 2nd President of the Church, in Council Bluffs, IA, and then

cross the Missouri River to the Mormon Trail Center at Historic Winter Quarters, Omaha, NE, adjacent to the Pioneer Cemetery with its beautiful sculpture and grounds as well as the Winter Quarters Temple. Tickets are free but you must make reservations, as seating is limited and available for ages 8 and above only. Visit http://www.kanesville.org to learn more.

7/25-7/29: National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

Attracting more than 500 athletes each year, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games is the largest annual wheelchair sports event in the world. The multi-event sports and rehabilitation program is for military service veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to spinal cord injuries, amputations, or certain neurological problems. Competitive events at the Wheelchair Games include swimming, table tennis, weightlifting, archery, air guns, basketball, nineball, softball, quad rugby, bowling, handcycling, wheelchair slalom, power soccer, a motorized wheelchair rally and track and field. Exhibition events are also being planned. Athletes compete in all events against others with similar athletic ability, competitive experience or age. Events will take place at the Qwest Center Omaha, Northwest High School, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Thunderbowl and Mockingbird Bowling facilities, and the Henry Doorly Zoo. Admission is free, and the public is invited. For more information, contact Craig Enenbach, 2008 Games Coordi-

nator, at 402-995-3460 or at craig.enenbach@va.gov 7/25: Friday Night Music Series: Soldiers of Soul. Soaring Wings Vineyard, 17111 South 138th Street, Springfield, NE. Call 253-2479 or visit www. soaringwingswine.com for more info.

7/26: Fiddling Workshop in Avoca. The Old Avoca Schoolhouse in Avoca, NE, will be hosting a Twin Fiddling Workshop on Saturday for fiddlers who want to learn to play nicely together with their fellow fiddlers. Fiddlers of any age and experience level are encouraged to enroll.

Championship fiddler and fiddle book author Deborah Greenblatt will share some tunes, hints about arranging for two fiddles, playing back-up, etc. The workshop takes place from 1 p.m.–3 p.m. at the schoolhouse.

Pre-registration is required, and enrollment is limited.

The fee is $20.00 per fiddler, and the deadline to sign up is June 26. For more information, call 402-275-3221, or send an e-mail to g-s@ alltel.net.

7/29: Author Jackie Collins at Harrah’s. Jackie Collins, one of the world’s bestselling novelists, will make an appearance at Harrah’s Casino Council Bluffs. For more information, visit www.harrahs.com AUGUST EVENTS 8/2: Los Lonely Boys & Los Lobos in Concert. Stir Concert Cove at Harrah’s Casino. Tickets are available at the Harrah’s Gift Shop, by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW or at www.stircove.com

8/3-8/6: Omaha Royals vs. Colorado Springs Sky Sox. Omaha’s baseball team, a AAA division of the Kansas City Royals. Sunday at 1:35 p.m.; Mon. & Tues. at 7:05 p.m.; Wed. at 12:05 p.m. Rosenblatt Stadium, I-80 & 13th Street. Visit www.oroyals.com or call 402-738-5100 for more information.

8/9: Art in Bloom Festival. This unique, botanically influenced art show includes displays, demonstrations and sales by visual and performance artists.

Sculptures are on display throughout the garden.

Live music, dance, tours and children’s activities are also featured. Lauritzen Gardens – Omaha’s Botanical Center, 100 Bancroft Street, Cost is $7 for adults, $3 for children 6-12. Visit www.lauritsengardens.org or call 402-346-4002 for more information.

8/9: Night Sky Event in Pottawattamie County.

Hitchcock Nature Center(I-29 exit 61A. 5 miles north of Crescent, IA off the Old Lincoln HWY) Honey Creek, IA. Led by members of the Omaha Astronomical Society, participants will have the opportunity to observe the popular Perseid’s Meteor Shower from a Loess Hills ridge top. Meet at the park entrance. Event is at 8:30 p.m. Cost: $2.00 per person. Call 712-545-3283 for more information.

8/9: Buckaroo Bash in Elkhorn. The 9th Annual Buckaroo Bash is scheduled at Chance Ridge in Elkhorn from 6 p.m.-11:00 p.m.

Tickets begin at $60 per person and include dinner

and drinks. All proceeds benefit the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund (JCCF) and a contribution to a local youth organization in the name of Ak-Sar-Ben’s River City Roundup. The event includes the official introduction of the 2008 Ak-SarBen’s River City Roundup Grand Marshals’ – Mr. Steve Martin President and CEO of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska and his spouse, Dr. Amy Haddad. It also includes the presentation of the 2008 Heritage Award to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The evening will include live rodeo and western festivities, a catered meal, both silent and live auctions, all followed by music and dancing by Breakaway.

The Buckaroo Bash is the official kickoff to Ak-SarBen’s River City Roundup, scheduled for September 25-28 at the Qwest Center Omaha. It will include the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour – Omaha Round of the Ariat Playoffs, The AkSar-Ben Livestock Show and the Douglas County Fair. For more information or to order tickets, call 402-554-9600, x104 or visit www.rivercityroundup.org.

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8/12-8/15: Omaha Royals vs. Albuquerque Isotopes. Omaha’s baseball team, a AAA division of the Kansas City Royals. Tues.Fri. at 7:05 p.m., Rosenblatt Stadium, I-80 & 13th Street.

Visit www.oroyals.com or call 402-738-5100 for more information.

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8/16: Alice Cooper in Concert. Stir Concert Cove at Harrah’s Casino. Tickets are available at the Harrah’s Gift Shop, by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW or at www.stircove.com 8/16: Soaring Wings Winery Pig Roast. Music, food and your first glass of wine provided. Seating is limited and reservations are required. Book early! From 7 p.m.- 9:30 p.m. Soaring Wings Vineyard, 17111 South 138th Street, Springfield, NE. For more information, call 253-2479 or visit www.soaringwingswine. com.

8/16: Pottawattamie County Real Maple Syrup Pancake Feed. We tap the park’s maple trees and boil down the sap to make this delicious treat. Warm syrup tops off grilled pancakes, sausage, orange juice and coffee. Free will donations accepted. Botna Bend Park (I-80 exit #40, then south 8 miles on US HWY 59) Hancock, IA. From 8:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Call 712-741-5465 for more information.

8/17: Corporate Cycling Challenge.

Corporate, open (individual), and club divisions offered in the largest one-day bicycle event in the Midwest! Three tours available – 10, 25, and 42 miles long, featuring beautiful scenery and historical landmarks in a blend of urban and rural riding. Sponsored by Alegent Health.

Event runs 7:30 a.m.–1 p.m. at Heartland of America Park and Fountain, 8th and Farnam Streets. For more information, call 346-8003 or visit www.corporatecycling.com 8/20-8/24: Omaha Royals vs. Memphis Redbirds.

Omaha’s baseball team, a AAA division of the Kansas City Royals. Games Wed.Sat. at 7:05 p.m.; Sun. at 1:35 p.m. Rosenblatt Stadium, I-80 and 13th Street.

Visit www.oroyals.com or call 402-738-5100 for more information.

8/21-9/14: Doubt at the Shelterbelt. Snap! Productions at the Shelterbelt Theatre, 3225 California Street.

Cost is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors, students and military. Visit www.snapproductions.com or call 402-341-2757 for more information.

8/23: Bonnie Raitt in Concert. Stir Concert Cove at Harrah’s Casino. Tickets are available at the Harrah’s Gift Shop, by phone at 1-888-512-SHOW or at www.stircove.com 8/23: The ALS Keith Worthington Chapter Walk to D’feat ALS. Elmwood Park, with registration at the Pavilion. Registration starts at 9:00 a.m., the walk is at 10:00a.m. and music, food, clowns, and family fun will follow. More information at http://www.walkkwc.alsa. org or call 991-8788.

8/25-8/28: Omaha Royals vs. New Orleans Zephyrs. Omaha’s baseball team, a AAA division of the Kansas City Royals.

Games Mon.-Thurs. at 7:05 p.m. Rosenblatt Stadium, I-80 & 13th Street. Visit www.oroyals.com or call 402-738-5100 for more information.

8/28- 9/1: Septemberfest – Salute to Labor. 32nd annual event, including a midway, kiddie kingdom, three car shows, NASCAR 7-7 tour attraction, 3rd annual Karaoke contest Thurs. night, concert Fri. and Sat., International Food Garden, Labor Day Parade, petting zoo, fireworks and more. $25 Mega Ride tickets sold at HyVee stores (all rides for five days) Qwest Center Omaha, 455 N. 10th Street. Visit www.septemberfestomaha.com or call 402-346-4800 for more information.

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