Recently, we stumbled upon a great interview with Susan Thomas, executive director of the Omaha Creative Institute (OCI), over at the organization’s website. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Omaha Creative Institute, I encourage you to do so.
Here are the questions Susan answered in OCI’s interview:
- How did you start working with Omaha Creative Institute?
- What had your involvement in the arts community been before joining Omaha Creative Institute?
- Why do you think Omaha Creative Institute is special?
- What are the goals of Omaha Creative Institute and how does it plan to achieve them?
- What would you tell someone who is nervous about taking a workshop?
- What do you want Omaha Creative Institute’s role to be in Omaha?
To learn more, we sent her a few questions of our own. You’ll find her responses below the video, which was included with her answers on OCI’s website.
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Silicon Prairie News (SPN): What is the Omaha Creative Institute?
Omaha Creative Institute (OCI): Omaha Creative Institute is a pathway to creativity that is accessible to all. It is an affiliate of Hot Shops Art Foundation, a non-profit organization.
SPN: Who belongs to it?
OCI: Omaha Creative Institute belongs to the city, and the people that participate in it are not only from Omaha but from the region and range from teenagers to older adults, from artists to architects, from professionals to college students. We are grateful to those community and art enthusiasts that have supported us as members, participants, or financial supporters since inception.
SPN: Where might we see the organization’s impact in and around Omaha today?
OCI: We have been able to reach out to all kinds of people who have spent very little time in downtown Omaha and have begun to find a way to connect with the arts community. We’re pleased they and others see us as a connector to the broader community and a variety of arts, artists and creative endeavors. We have provided artists for team building workshops in organizations large and small and have offered activities that have been done jointly by family members and friends anxious to experience something together.
SPN: What impact would OCI like to have 15 years from now?
OCI: Omaha Creative Institute intends to broaden our role as a hub of creative activity that strengthens the connections between the artistic community and the whole of the metropolitan area. We intend to have a larger physical presence in North Downtown Omaha, which we see as a pivotal part of development for the city that can act as a bridge between North Omaha and the Old Market and downtown areas. We expect to have a real impact on artists living in Omaha. We want to provide multiple ways for them to gain a broader audience and find opportunities allowing them to support themselves financially through their artwork.
SPN: How can people get involved?
OCI: Right now we’re in the process of putting together our programs for May through September. We have some exciting additions to what we offered at this same time last year. Our classes will be held at places in midtown and west, as well as downtown. People can take a broader variety of creative classes including food art and creative writing, in addition to studio and musical arts. It’s quite easy to get involved. Come see what we’re offering in the next few weeks; see what you like and give it a try!
SPN: What are your thoughts on our city’s creative culture – what stands out to you as its brightest spot and where can improvement be made?
OCI: I think that one of the most exciting things about Omaha’s creative culture is that it has grown significantly over the last decade. It’s become a more attractive place for artists to live and work and a thriving environment for others to enjoy creative activity. Also there is an incredible willingness by non-profits to enter into partnerships to support each other and to make the most of the resources each organization brings to an event or a project. I think that an example of a really bright spot is the North Downtown Alliance which is a vibrant group of businesses like Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture and Slowdown, non-profits such as Film Streams and Omaha Creative Institute, academic institutions like Creighton University, hotels such as Hilton Omaha, and area residents. This group has gotten together recognizing that our common interests bring people to the North Downtown neighborhood; keep your eyes open for more collaborative efforts in that part of town. Improvement in Omaha’s creative culture would certainly benefit from increased support from philanthropic groups, forward thinking business and city government. Great strides are being made, and I’m excited about the progress of our great partners and neighbors.
