BENSON CREATIVE DISTRICT
ART & EXHIBITIONS
SORT OUT
SORT OUT is an exhibition of mixed-media works created using paper materials collected from the streets of Manchester, England and the East Village, New York City. The acts and decisions involved-what to select or discard, what to cut out or leave behind—reflect the daily behaviors of those of us living in a world of information overload
The materials gathered from the streets express the difficulty of navigating the overwhelming flood/influx of information. Meanwhile, the abstract paintings convey the preciousness and transience of our finite time.
These works invite reflection on whether one spends life actively or passively.
Contradictions in Practice
A series of works defined by unresolved relationships. Ordinary paintings sit beside pieces that drift into the strange and unexpected. Styles clash, marks interrupt, and visual systems scatter. The pieces coexist through contrast, each holding its own visual logic.
PARROQUIA
Parroquia is a show revolving around love , devotion , and heartache. This body of work channels agony, upheaval, and the grief of losing lovers. Getting over a lover is not a straight line from pain to peace; it's an active unweaving of trauma and distress. There's not one way to heal, or get over a love interest. These are my works about that and I hope you find some affirmation in it.
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
The Problem Horse
The Problem Horse:
Petshop Gallery presents a new project by visual artist Rachel Cox. Composed of entirely appropriated and sourced photographs from Cox’s own collection, The Problem Horse is an interactive image + text installation offering contemporary interpretations of the practice of horse breaking.
About the Artist:
Rachel Cox is an artist and educator with a deep commitment to crafting image-based works of art which challenge cultural and social conventions pertaining to reproduction and care. Cox holds an MFA in Photography from the University of New Mexico. Her work has been featured widely in the U.S. and abroad with recent exhibitions at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, the National Portrait Gallery, the Joslyn Museum of Art, the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, and the Des Moines Art Center. Cox’s projects have been recognized with numerous awards including an Iowa Arts Project Grant, the 2024 Visionary Project Award through Film Photo & Kodak, a Puffin Grant, and was selected for the 2025 Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, hosted and exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC.
Cox’s prints are included in the collections of The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, The Des Moines Arts Center, The Southeast Museum of Photography, The Museum of Contemporary Photography, The Musee de l’Elysee, and The University of North Texas Special Collections. Rachel Cox currently lives in Iowa City, IA where she is an Associate Professor of Photography at The University of Iowa.
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
Conversion
Michelle Brannen thrives as a creator. Since 2015, her studio space has been a 1.5 acre farm in
the Benson neighborhood that she owns and operates alongside her husband, Mark. Michelle is
a native plant enthusiast, food sovereignty proponent, community connector, preserving
powerhouse, and mother to three young children.
Holly Lukasiewicz is an artist, educator and environmentalist creating flora-based works inspired
by the ephemerality each season offers. She is deeply grounded in local agriculture and
sustainable design practices as they relate to the well being of our local and global
communities.
The Art of Hope
Curated by Sarah J. Bird, founder of the Omaha art initiative Moments with Purpose, join BFF Gallery for a powerful exhibition featuring artworks and creations made by participants from Heartland Family Service.
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
Thursday Gallery Nights
Petshop Gallery (5-7pm)
MaMO Gallery (5-7pm)
BFF Gallery (5-7pm)
5905 Maple St - BFF Education Room (5-7pm)
Ming Toy Gallery (5-8pm)
Maple St. Construct (5-7pm)
CHOICE Custom Framing and Gallery (11am-6pm)
SCraw Art Gallery (4-6pm)
Radial Arts Center (4-6pm)
Star Deli Gallery (11am-10pm)
Ted and Wally’s (11am-10pm)
“Look for the sandwich board”
**Participating locations and open hours are subject to change
Family Sundays: Kids Artist Showcase
Children are invited to display their drawings, paintings, crafts, sculptures, and other creations for the community to enjoy.
Benson First Friday: September 4
Soak up the last stretch of summer with one more big night of art, music and community in Benson!
September First Friday features the final SUMMER OF PETFEST outdoor concert and our last outdoor BFF Artist Market of the season, plus visual art, live performances, gallery openings and more throughout the Benson Creative District.
Plan your night and learn more at bensoncreativedistrict.org/firstfriday
Check back Thursday before First Friday for the FINAL event lineup!
Would You Just LOOOK At It? by Electricradbolt
Walk with us through the valley of Electricradbolt‘s wonderfully wicked whimsical creations. A 3D tapestry of fibers, clays, papers, and other mixed media hand crafted into magical life forms from Electricradbolt’s universe. Would you just LOOOOK at it?!
Would You Just LOOOK At It? by Electricradbolt
Walk with us through the valley of Electricradbolt‘s wonderfully wicked whimsical creations. A 3D tapestry of fibers, clays, papers, and other mixed media hand crafted into magical life forms from Electricradbolt’s universe. Would you just LOOOOK at it?!
Would You Just LOOOK At It? by Electricradbolt
Walk with us through the valley of Electricradbolt‘s wonderfully wicked whimsical creations. A 3D tapestry of fibers, clays, papers, and other mixed media hand crafted into magical life forms from Electricradbolt’s universe. Would you just LOOOOK at it?!
Family Sundays: Kids Artist Showcase
Children are invited to display their drawings, paintings, crafts, sculptures, and other creations for the community to enjoy.
Would You Just LOOOK At It? by Electricradbolt
Walk with us through the valley of Electricradbolt‘s wonderfully wicked whimsical creations. A 3D tapestry of fibers, clays, papers, and other mixed media hand crafted into magical life forms from Electricradbolt’s universe. Would you just LOOOOK at it?!
For What It's Worth
August First Friday come take a look at a lifetimes worth of photographs taken by Cecilia Saldana and celebrate her first solo show!
Printed Memoria: Prints and Sculptures
Printed Memoria brings together prints by Oria Simonini, Víctor López, Heczar Gómez, Mari Mariel, and David Manzanares, alongside sculptures by Manzanares.
Benson First Friday: August 7
Benson First Friday returns for the 13th Annual New American Arts Festival, a celebration of immigrant, migrant and refugee communities!
Plan your night and learn more at bensoncreativedistrict.org/firstfriday
Check back Thursday before First Friday for the FINAL event lineup!
Sunday Artist Pop-Up Series
A weekly showcase of local artists, makers, and creators at Edge of the Universe.
Sunday Artist Pop-Up Series
A weekly showcase of local artists, makers, and creators at Edge of the Universe.
Family Sundays: Kids Artist Showcase
Children are invited to display their drawings, paintings, crafts, sculptures, and other creations for the community to enjoy.
Sunday Artist Pop-Up Series
A weekly showcase of local artists, makers, and creators at Edge of the Universe.
Sunday Artist Pop-Up Series
A weekly showcase of local artists, makers, and creators at Edge of the Universe.
Who do you think you are?
Cynthia Smith is a native Nebraskan, self-taught artist, and physician whose work explores themes of identity, duality, and change.
Rickrack or Champion
Come revel in the menagerie. The rodeo clown returns for a limited time with Rickrack or Champion, an exhibition and book release by Quentin Patrick Fortney.
Hello, Goodbye
Webb’s work examines the emotional complexities of rural life through themes of spiritual fear, memory, nostalgia, and environmental unease. Influenced by American Realism, Southern storytelling traditions, and years spent as a farm laborer in Mississippi, Webb creates dark, atmospheric landscapes with an acidic palette, exploring the psychological weight of place.
Benson First Friday: July 3rd
First Friday is back for a hot, sweaty holiday weekend in Benson! Come out for artist markets, gallery openings, live music, cold treats, local biz, and all the creative independent spirit that makes Benson an American Beauty. ✨
Plan your night and learn more at bensoncreativedistrict.org/firstfriday
Check back Thursday before First Friday for the FINAL event lineup!
Sunday Artist Pop-Up Series
A weekly showcase of local artists, makers, and creators at Edge of the Universe.
Sunday Artist Pop-Up Series
A weekly showcase of local artists, makers, and creators at Edge of the Universe.
Family Sundays: Kids Artist Showcase
Children are invited to display their drawings, paintings, crafts, sculptures, and other creations for the community to enjoy.
Sunday Artist Pop-Up Series
A weekly showcase of local artists, makers, and creators at Edge of the Universe.
Impotent Rage
“Impotent Rage” is defined as a state of anger, fury, or frustration paired with the inability to act effectively, change the situation, or exert control. Recognizing 250 years of the USA.