The Union for Contemporary Art strengthens the cultural and social landscape of its community by using the arts as a vehicle to inspire positive social change. The Union uses the term “social change” as a broad umbrella to encompass a range of social and civic outcomes from increased awareness and understanding, to attitudinal change and increased civic participation. Recognizing that change on the individual level is directly linked to the building of public will and the development of policy that corrects injustice, The Union embraces the opportunity to foster social change every day through its programs, partnerships, and commitment to North Omaha. The Union serves both the artistic and local communities with meaningful opportunities for engagement. The organization’s studios, exhibitions, and outward facing public programming have contributed to an environment where all are welcome.
The Union for Contemporary Art
Vanessa German, Ritual Reckoning, 2019. Performance documentation.
Celeste Butler, Union Fellow, in Union for Contemporary Art studio.
Celeste Butler, 2021 Union for Contemporary Art Fellow, working on a Malcolm X memorial quilt.
Community members participating in a ceramics workshop in the Union Co-Op Ceramics studio.
Delita Martin, Night Bird, 2020. Mixed-media.
Patty Talbert, from the Reflection series, 2021. Installation view.
Allegra Hangen, a pilar for whom, 2020. Detail.
“It is an honor to be part of The Warhol Foundation’s mission to support the visual arts coupled with its commitment to specifically support the voices of women, POC, Native Americans, and LGBTQ. It is simply thrilling to be part of an organization where we get to see these values writ large and implement real change in real life ways in the visual arts community that still so needs to move forward in terms of social justice, equality, and diversity. We put our money where our mouth is. How many institutions actually do that?”
Deborah Kass, Artist