New Beginnings for Omaha’s Art Scene: The Inaugural Omaha Art Fair
This weekend marks the launch of the Omaha Art Fair, stepping up to fill the void left by the Omaha Summer Arts Festival after its 50-year run.
Adam Weiss, a seasoned artist based in Omaha, took the initiative to preserve the legacy of the beloved festival. With the Omaha Art Fair, set to debut on Friday, Weiss aims to continue the tradition.
“I started doing art shows when I was 18,” Weiss shared. “Did Summer Arts Festival for probably about 12 years, including the last three years down here in Aksarben, and it’s always been such a good show. Just couldn’t let it end without having something replace it.”
Weiss emphasizes the significance of art fairs like this in fostering community connections across diverse economic and social backgrounds, united in the appreciation of art.
“If you have $0 and you’re $100,000 in debt… you can listen to music the entire time, you can watch demonstrations, and you can enjoy an entire weekend looking at beautiful art and even creating some things with the kids to take home for free,” Weiss explained. “If you have lots of money and you want to fill up some walls on your house, please come on out and support the 160-some-odd artists and four local galleries doing demonstrations, so there’s just a little bit of something for everybody.”
In planning the fair, Weiss prioritized inviting back many of the artists who were staples of the Omaha Summer Arts Festival.
