Brandi Bentley
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Brandi Bentley is a cosmetologist by day and a photographer/painter by night. She likes to express individuality through different forms of art, working with mixed meda,acrylics, and photography. She doesn’t conform to a particular style of art. She feels as though each image should be as individual at the subject

Caroline Hurley
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Caroline graduated college with a degree in mixed media and design. After spending five years as a full time graphic artist, she has recently jumped into the freelance field. She works with photography and design – also commissioned oil paintings.

She is inspired by the varying degrees of human neuroses and the light of consciousness. She is very drawn to darkness and light creating balance.

"Although character portraiture has been my main study in oils, I am looking forward to expanding existing ideas and experimenting with new thoughts and mediums in the years to come."

Cathy Jager

Cathy has always found beauty in images that others may find different. She’s been doing artwork since she can remember, and has recently taken up photography. "I’m finding it very fulfilling because there is instant gratification, and taking those images and making them into artwork combines the two things I love to do."

Chelsea Smith
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Chelsea Smith’s recent work specializes in self portraiture and conceptual images. She expresses her artistic skill through her unique vision using the lens. Chelsea has always been a creative soul and her passion lies in creating images where she places herself and subjects within worlds where the impossible becomes possible. She has always had a passion for the lens and after capturing special moments of others decided to follow her craft further by expanding her ranges from portraits to conceptual art. Her images speak for themselves.

Cindy Shumake

Growing up Cindy excelled in music and theater as a way to express herself. While pursuing degrees in religion and psychology at Midland College, she took introductory courses in oil painting and water color and enjoyed them as other ways of personal expression. Cindy has always been intrigued by art therapy as she observed it while working with troubled teens at Cooper Village, Boys Town, and Addictions and Behavioral Health Services Inc. Using various mediums, Cindy is ready to explore some of her own issues using her very own "art therapy."

Eddie Talmadge

Does stuff and goes. A performance artist as well as sculpture and painter with a flair for the unusual.

Elizabeth Stayer
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Elizabeth is a portrait photographer who finds that her style of photography usually only fits a small niche of society. "I realize there isn’t much demand for photographs like mine, however this is how I prefer to express my creativity. I like to collaborate with and shoot alternative models. My works are deemed ‘overly sensational’ from those who do not understand. Au contraire, they aren’t sensational enough!!"

Gerad Pefung

Born in Cameroon, West Africa, Gerard Pefung grew up being exposed to the rich traditions and culture of Africa. In 2001, he moved to Omaha where he attended Benson High School. Working under the instruction of his teacher and mentor, Mrs. Astra Patterson, Pefung studied various art forms, mediums and styles. He later went on to further refine his technique at Metropolitan Community College.

Working mainly in painting and mixed media, Pefung begins with numerous sketches that serve as a way of understanding his subject. When moving on to paint he allows himself to be unrestrained by any specific guidelines, be it tool or material, thus allowing the canvas, his environment and his state of mind and emotion determine the outcome of his work.

Pefung has exhibited his work in Douala, Cameroon, Nebraska, Iowa, Tennessee and Illinois. He is currently a mentor at the Kent Bellows Studio and Center for Visual Arts.

Jeff Mack
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Jeff Mack is an artist based in Omaha, Nebraska. He developed his technique by attending workshops, seminars and through classes at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha. Jeff is currently focused on direct metal sculpture. In addition to sculpture, he creates works in glass enamel, art jewelry, pen and ink, and painting.

Jody Mitchell
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Jody was born in Sioux City Iowa and raised in rural Nebraska. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Dana College. At Dana College he began to hone my craft in painting as well as experimenting in printmaking, sculpture and photography. Combining the elements of these disciplines with graphic design, he endeavors to create an interesting and unique visual experience through color, texture and movement. Finding inspiration in the occidental and experimenting with symbolic imagery, he strives to develop other levels in his art that are always relevant to any age.

Continuing to perfect his craft, He has found a focus on three major genres: painting, box construction and found object creations. Sometimes combining these genres in new and interesting ways. "My art is consistently, ‘edgy yet refined.’"

Julia Kappenman

Julia Kappenman is a graduate of the University of Nebraska. Her BFA has an emphasis in drawing and painting. She is a very craft oriented person and has participated in several groups that she was able to use her skills. Sewing costumes, whether for medieval or renaissance groups or for the Lincoln Community Playhouse stage or for drag artists on the "Q" stage. Middle Eastern Dance, cake decorating, and a variety of other activities. She is currently working for a local insurance company.

Kreteaka Henshall

Primarily a photographer. Grad of Metro Comm College w/ degree in photography. I have an obsession with repeating patterns.

Lisa Wheeler

Lisa has a degree in liberal arts and languages. She has played with a number of mediums, including needle arts that she learned from her mother and grandmother. Currently she enjoys working with collage and photography.

Lori A. Livingston-Hubbell
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Born and raised in the Benson neighborhood of Omaha Nebraska, the child of a housewife mother and exhibit production manager/artist father. Lori graduated from Benson high school and studied fine art at the university of Nebraska at Omaha and graphic art and illustration at the studio academy of art and design. Her recycled art is comprised of found and discarded objects, jewelry components, wood, gold leaf and old law books. Her love of junk collecting came as a result of living with her grandmother who never threw anything away as a result of living through the Great Depression. She has shown and sold her work internationally and had her own line of custom painted furniture when she lived in England. She also makes jewelry and wine. Professionally she is a certified phlebotomist and real estate agent.

Mark Sabaliauskas II

Mark Sabaliauskas, is a sixteen year old student at Creighton Preparatory High School. He enjoys passion and true emotion in artwork, and tries to achieve it "the best I can in my paintings." He has been painting only about a year, and really enjoys the acrylic medium.

Michael Pysh
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A native of Omaha, Micheal has lived here most of his life. He really enjoys the act of applying paint to canvas using layering to create intriguing textures and the illusion of depth. The abstract portion of his work is more of an expression of emotional energy, than any sort of planned idea. "Whatever happens…well, happens." The addition of the stylized portraits in combination with the abstraction is his way of adding structure to the chaos. His digital work is usually a combination of multiple photographs combined to make the standard portrait into something much more visually stimulating.

Ruby V.C. Dalton-Martin
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Ruby V.C. Dalton-Martin is an artist in many forms. She has been a costume designer for 12 years and also creates custom jewelry. In addition to these creative endeavors she is also a singer, having sung with the Omaha Symphony in the chorus for both Porgy & Bess and Handel’s Messiah. For this event her work with photography takes center stage. Ruby has been guiding herself through learning the art of photography for the last 4 years. Taking up a passion that she shares with her grandfather Merlin Davies. Her esthetic leans towards architecture and nature, but strays often to various subjects that catch her eye.

Shari Berger

Shari Berger is a local artist who ‘catches bad guys’ by day.
Having spent the last several years surrounded by professional storytellers, she’s always looking for the deeper story that can be portrayed through her art. She has a B.A. in Fine Art and Computer Graphics. She has a teenager, a cat, a deep-seeded fear of clowns, and a plethora of other issues. She currently lives in Omaha, in an apartment that is most likely haunted.

Sophia
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Sophia describes herself as, “5’3” and growing closer to the ground. I have a hard time acting like a proper young lady and making normal faces. My sense of humor is horrific. Vincent Price and Edgar Allan Poe are my heros. I love gore make-up, painting, writing, zombies, dead things in jars, Jesus art, Emily the Strange, Daria, and anything black and lacey. My brain is always one hundred steps in front of my mouth, and I have a hard time holding my tongue. I’m not much of a ‘people person’…so I tend to keep myself wrapped up in many things such as make-up, writing, reading, sometimes modeling, and my artwork. I know who I am, love who I am and how I came to be this way. I may not always be able to show it the way I’d like to, but I’m having the time of my life the only way I know how; doing what I love with people I love any and every chance I get.”

Steve Gray
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Steve has been behind a camera since the late 50’s, and has shot a wide variety of subjects… everything from architecture to wildlife, to underwater. But his recent exploration into creating the stranger theme-based images has been, by far, the most rewarding for him. "A lot of my current work is a bit dark, a bit mysterious and a bit edgy. I like my photography to have a dream-like appearance – something you’re more likely to see with your eyes closed, rather than open."