All exhibition lectures are free and open to the public. RSVP required.

Curator Talk - February 13, 6 P.M.

Alexandra Cardon, Chief Curator of Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center, will introduce the key themes of the new exhibition War Games. The talk will be followed by a tour of the exhibition for a closer look at specific paintings in the exhibit. You can learn more about War Games at the end of this page.
 

Exhibition Lecture - March 13, 6 P.M.

Archives versus Experiences: Native American Children in the Boarding School System

Susan Geliga, Ph.D will discuss working on the archives of the Genoa Indian School in Genoa, NE as well as present her research on Native American children during the boarding school era. Dr. Geliga (Sicangu Lakota) is an Assistant Professor of History and Native American Studies at University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), as well as a member of the Executive Council. She is also a co-director for the Genoa Indian School Digital Reconciliation Project at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus. 

This is a FREE event, but preregistration is requested.

Speaker: Susanna Geliga, Ph.D.

Exhibition Lecture - April 10, 6 P.M.

The Healing Power of Art

Creating portraits is a complex process that necessitates a series of profound interactions, fostering an environment conducive to open communication between the artist and the sitter. Mark Gilbert, Ph.D will discuss how such environments cultivate significant relationships that inspire reflection on often overlooked intersections of art, medicine, aesthetics, and ethics. Dr. Gilbert will emphasize how his experiences as an artist, particularly in engaging with individuals who have endured trauma and suffering, have led to nuanced insights regarding the therapeutic potential of art, impacting both the artist and the subject alike.

This is a FREE event, but preregistration is requested.

Speaker: Mark Gilbert, Ph.D.

Exhibition Lecture - May 10, 2 P.M.

War Games - Music of Lullabies, Nightmares, and Child's Play

UNO's Professor of Flute, Dr. Christine Beard, joined by talented students, alumni, and faculty from the UNO School of Music, will present a deeply moving concert featuring powerful compositions crafted to offer comfort, spotlight the harrowing impact of war on children, and give a voice to the voiceless. Experience music that serves as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path toward a brighter tomorrow.

This is a FREE event, but preregistration is requested.

Speaker: Christine Beard, Ph.D.

Exhibition Lecture - June 7, 6 P.M.

An Afternoon with Samuel Bak

Samuel Bak will join Chief Curator Alexandra Cardon via a live Zoom conversation to discuss the Museum’s current exhibition War Games, including Bak's 2024 series Tools of the Trade. This in-person program will include an in-depth look at how Bak’s works represent his fears for children whose lives and futures are destroyed by war while providing hope through his unending belief in humanity’s ability to mend and bring peace. After the 50-minute conversation, there will be a Q& A session.

This is a FREE event, but preregistration is requested.

Speaker: Samuel Bak

About the "War Games" Exhibition (Open January 22 - June 29)

War Games explores how Bak relates his childhood experiences - from his direct renderings of the Holocaust in his watercolors from 1945 to 1948 to a selection of his contemporary paintings and drawings. Through the presentation of toys and game pieces, Bak draws our attention to the realities of childhoods spent in zones of conflict and how children are pawns used by warring parties. The exhibition will dedicate one room to historic and contemporary instances of children human rights violations. The final room of the exhibition will showcase Mr. Bak’s 2024 series Tools of the Trade. These works represent his fears for children whose lives and futures are destroyed by war and the escalation of violence in the Middle East. As much as he mourns this age of destruction, he also depicts his unending belief in humanity’s ability to mend and his hope that somehow peace and reason will triumph.