All exhibition lectures are free and open to the public. Due to limited seating RSVP is required.

Exhibition Lecture – Thursday, Februray 19, 6PM

Art from Trauma: Lessons from Listening to Genocide Survivors in Rwanda

Dr. Herndon will present on the work of memory and the transformative power of language and story to confront trauma and its haunting ability to shape minds and lives across generations. She will share her work of listening to Rwanda genocide survivors and how even in Nebraska we are connected to them, how we choose to acknowledge the human rights violations, and move towards peace and hope. This is a FREE event, but due to limited seating  preregistration is requested. You can learn more about Justice and Hope at the end of this page.

Speaker:  Gerise Herndon, Ph.D.

Exhibition Lecture – Thursday, March 5, 6PM

Bosnia: Who Remembers? Who Denies? 

Dr. Minor will explore the historical and cultural impact of still life painting in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. This is a FREE event, but due to limted seating preregistration is required. 

Speaker: Lana Obradovic, Ph.D.

Exhibition Lecture – Tuesday, April 14, 7PM

In Conversation, Debórah Dwork and Elise Loehnen

Renowned Holocaust historian Debórah Dwork joins New York Times best-selling author and cultural commentator Elise Loehnen for a compelling conversation on rescue, morality, and the human choices that shaped history. Drawing from Dwork’s seminal scholarship, including Saints and Liars, and Loehnen’s work examining culture, ethics, and inner life, the evening explores how stories of aid, risk, and conscience continue to resonate today. Open to the public.

Speakers: Deborah Dwork, Ph.D and Elise Loehnen

Location: Strauss Performing Arts Center

Exhibition Lecture – Thursday, May 14, 6PM

A Conversation with Maja Ruznic

Artist Maja Ruznic and Chief Curator Alexandra M. Cardon will discuss how art can build collective memory, the restorative and reflective power of nostalgia, and the function of the artwork as a gateway for conversations on difficult topics.  This is a FREE event, but due to limited seating preregistration is requested.

Speaker: Maja Ruznic

Exhibition Lecture – Saturday, June 6, 6PM

A Conversation with Samuel Bak

Join us for a live zoom conversation between artist Samuel Bak and Chief Curator Alexandra M. Cardon, as they discuss key ideas in Samuel Bak’s recent work.  This is a FREE event, but due to limited seating preregistration is requested.

Speaker: Samuel Bak

About the "Justice and Hope" Exhibition (Open January 21 - June 28)

Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center is a space where art is the gateway to a conversation on human rights, Holocaust education, and genocide. Justice and Hope presents the Spring 2026 exhibition and explores how artists Samuel Bak, Dinh Q. Lê, Mladen Miljanović, Serge Nitegeka, and Maja Ruznic use intertwining personal narrative and historical facts to commemorate conflicts and denounce humanity’s inability to forgo violence. The exhibition poses questions on reconciliation and how we might learn from history to build better futures.