OMA ARTalks | Spring 2025 | Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts

Laurie Victor Kay (b. 1971) is a multi-disciplinary artist whose work blurs the lines between photography, painting, installation and digital mediums to address constructed imagination, idealization and a sense of the surreal. Her various bodies of work range from photographic series that reimagine and abstract the everyday to autobiographical mixed-media series that examine the psyche, vulnerability and contemporary culture. Throughout all her practice, she emphasizes seemingly opposing elements as a means to visualize psychological landscapes and the structural interactions between nature and the inorganic.

She studied painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and photography at Columbia College Chicago (BFA, 1995). Her work can be seen in permanent installations at UNMC’s Lauritzen Outpatient Center and Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, the Women’s Center for Advancement, May River Capital in Chicago, 4 World Trade Center in New York, Marriott Capitol Arts District, and Tenaska. She has exhibited throughout the United States and Europe, and her work is held in numerous private collections around the country. She is the recipient of numerous awards, has collaborated with companies across the globe, like Jim Thompson Thai Silk Company and Solé Bicycles, and has worked with an impressive roster of clientele, including the likes of Nike, The Red Cross, The New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, as well as several notable celebrities. She is a current member of the Healing Arts Advisory Board for the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

She currently lives and works in Omaha, NE.

Shawnequa Linder is a curator, photographer, and visual artist based in Omaha, Nebraska. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Studio Arts from Bellevue University in 2006. Her artistic practice investigates the dynamic interplay between chaos and harmony, manifested through nontraditional approaches to landscape and portraiture, utilizing a combination of bold color palettes and unconventional materials. Linder's work has been showcased in multiple solo and group exhibitions, including notable venues such as the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, the Museum of Nebraska Art, Gallery 1516, and the Fred Simon Gallery.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My research investigates the dynamic relationships between chaos and harmony, particularly as they pertain to nontraditional landscape and portrait compositions utilizing a blend of textures and colors. I am particularly interested in the interaction of light and shadow within my works, which contribute to depth perception and emotional resonance for the observer. Additionally, I explore various techniques and materials, thereby expanding the confines of conventional artistic practices to elicit a sense of wonder and curiosity. The objective of my work is to challenge the viewer's conception of beauty and to inspire a re-evaluation of their perception of the world through my artistic expressions.

Jen Day is a former Nebraska State Senator and the current Vice President of Development for Together of Metropolitan Omaha. She has over 12 years of experience in reproductive health advocacy and, as a state senator, led filibusters on bills to restrict or eliminate access to abortion. Jen believes that bodily autonomy and access to reproductive healthcare are fundamental rights and necessary for a healthy and civil society.

Jen lives in Omaha with her two sons, Canyon, 16, and Noah, 12, and her husband, Jon.

OMA ARTalks | Winter + Spring 2025