About

KEEP BENSON GOOD WEIRD

What is the Benson Creative District?

If you’re new here (or just need a refresher), the Benson Creative District (BCD) is the part of Benson where art, community, and local businesses come together to make the neighborhood a vibrant, creative, and welcoming place.

The BCD isn’t just one organization—it’s a collaborative effort between a few key groups working to make Benson the best it can be. Here’s a quick rundown of who’s involved and what they do!

Who Makes the BCD Happen?

Benson Business
Improvement District (BID)

Taking care of the nuts and bolts of the neighborhood’s infrastructure and upkeep.

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Benson Neighborhood
Association (BNA)

Strengthening community ties and
keeping neighbors connected.

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BFF Omaha

The creative powerhouse bringing art,
events, and opportunities to Benson.

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The Big Picture

Benson thrives because of the collective effort of these groups, plus all the business owners, artists, and residents who put their energy into making it special. Whether it’s keeping the streets clean, putting on amazing art shows, or making sure neighbors have a say in what’s happening, the BCD is all about collaboration.

If you ever want to get involved, have an idea, or just want to chat about it all—reach out! There’s always something happening, and we’d love for you to be part of it.

The History of the Benson Creative District

Once an independent town, Benson was annexed by the city of Omaha in 1917. Over the decades, it built a strong identity as a working-class neighborhood with a thriving business district, home to a mix of blue-collar workers, professionals, and an ever-growing artistic community. Like many historic neighborhoods, Benson saw economic shifts in the 1980s and 1990s that led to challenges, but it never lost its sense of identity. Ask anyone in Benson how long they’ve been here, and they’ll tell you a story that somehow predates yours—because in Benson, history is a point of pride. Once you’re a Bensonite, you rarely leave.

By the early 2000s, revitalization efforts, including the 2005 Maple Street Corridor Project, helped breathe new life into the neighborhood. Independent businesses, music venues, and artist-driven initiatives began to flourish, transforming Benson into a hub for creatives. With a unique blend of historic character and artistic energy, the neighborhood became known for its strong community spirit, summed up in slogans like “Keep Benson Bent” and “Keep Benson Good Weird.”

As Benson’s arts scene gained momentum, it became clear that creativity wasn’t just something that happened here—it was central to the neighborhood’s identity. In 2020, local leaders and artists helped shape Nebraska’s creative district legislation, ensuring that communities like Benson could receive state recognition and support for their cultural contributions. Soon after, a coalition of artists, nonprofits, business owners, and residents formed the Benson Creative District Coordinating Committee. Through extensive community input, the committee developed a strategic plan and secured Benson’s official designation as a Nebraska Creative District.

Today, the Benson Creative District is a driving force for artistic and economic growth, home to galleries, music venues, tattoo studios, bookstores, vintage shops, and more. Events like BFF Omaha’s First Friday art walks bring thousands of visitors each month, and public art continues to transform the landscape of Maple Street and beyond.

But at the end of the day, Benson isn’t just a state-designated creative district—it’s a neighborhood. A tight-knit yet welcoming community where artists, entrepreneurs, and longtime residents all find common ground. The Benson Creative District isn’t just about bringing in visitors or boosting the economy; it’s about strengthening what has always made Benson special—its people, its creativity, and its unshakable sense of place.

Land Acknowledgement

BCD acknowledges the historical legacy of colonialism by honoring and paying respect to the land, which was taken by conquest, along with the domination of the people who inhabited the land, and the imposition of white supremacy. We do it to raise greater public consciousness of Native sovereignty and cultural rights as a small step toward equitable relationship and reconciliation.

We acknowledge the historical legacy of colonialism and non-western ways of knowing that holistically link mind, body, spirit, and the human and non-human.

We acknowledge that the space we are in, and the land we are on, are part of who we are and how we know the world. Here in Omaha, we are on native UmoHo (Omaha) and Ochethi Sakowin land. “Ni Bthaska” is the UmoHo term for “flat water.”

Mission

Our mission is to advance creativity and the economic vitality in the historic Benson Community.

Vision

Our vision is to elevate artists, amplify Benson’s creative spirit, and serve as a hub for creative enterprise and expression in the Midwest.

Values

Creativity

Art is Everywhere - We value the arts in all aspects of our lives; beyond visual, and immersed into schools, businesses, community spaces, outdoors, parks, streets, alleys, etc.