BFF Omaha, or Benson First Friday, was founded in 2012 by artists themselves with the intention of building their community by getting Omaha citizens to engage the arts. They became a nonprofit in 2015 and have continued to grow as they hit 12 years in operation. According to Alex Jochim, Co-Founder and Executive Director of BFF Omaha, their goal is to “provide a social infrastructure that is integral to the community’s well-being and supportive of local artists, businesses, residents, commerce and the environment through interactive art programs.”

Since its inception, BFF has created new avenues for local artists to thrive. Anna Schmidt, a local artist and musician, believes BFF has transformed the art scene in Omaha “by providing a wide array of opportunities for new and unconventional artists.” Schmidt notes how welcoming and supportive the BFF community is to new artists by providing more visibility for creatives with smaller bodies of work or ones who are just starting out.

“Benson was the perfect arena for our programming,” says Jochim. “In 2012, there it was full of vacant storefronts and empty buildings. And the community was inherently supportive and filled with creatives already, mostly musicians at the time. As an Omaha native and artist myself, I also noticed a lack of artist opportunities and creative or positive progression in Omaha at the time.  So we decided to create an environment that we wanted to live within — rather than moving to another city.”

BFF uses what they call AEIOU as their method for engagement: Advocacy, Education, Inclusion, Opportunity and Unique experiences. As a regular vendor at BFF’s monthly event, First Friday, Schmidt praises the values that BFF upholds to bring community together. “BFF events are a far cry from stereotypes of stuffy, pretentious art shows. Everyone is welcome and included, and that’s the big reason why I enjoy and continue to vend at events.”

The most popular event BFF hosts is Frist Friday. “First Friday is our longest-run program, happening on the first Friday of every month, year-round,” explained Jochim when talking about their pilot program. “An event map provides visitors a guide to walkable sights and exhibitions located in neighborhood galleries and businesses.” BFF also has multiple programs that they use to bring attention and a safe space for artists, such as their Youth and Education program that provides professional development for kids and teens as well as weekly classes, monthly exhibits, workshops, and art kits; their Green Team and Public Art works towards environmental sustainability and cleaning up the neighborhood with community clean-ups, recycling and compost services, as well as annual public art projects to improve the area.

They also have multiple gallery locations, such as their Petshop, which also holds art studios, event spaces, and their headquarters as well as the MaMO Gallery, a converted semi-trailer that travels from March to December and partners with different communities, and their newer BFF Gallery, which opened in 2022. BFF has directly paid artists over $230,000 in 2023 alone, which added to 57% of all expenses.

The organization has many events throughout the year that they use to highlight different artistic endeavors and points of view. Some of these include:

• Their annual Pride, where they work to uplift LGBTQIA2S+ artists with exhibits, live visual arts and performances, musicians, workshops, community and youth engagement and public art.
• New American Arts Festival, which exists to celebrate Omaha’s immigrant and refugee communities, through their cultures, artists, and performers.
• PETFEST, BFF’s biggest annual arts and music festival.
• The BFF Ball and Art Auction, their yearly party that hosts a different theme each year and auctions off Omaha citizen’s artwork amidst food, dancing, and performances.

Benson was recently listed as Omaha’s first state-recognized Creative District. “I think we’ll be able to make strides among the creative community with the Creative District designation — and the amount of additional support that will provide,” said Jochim when talking about where he sees BFF Omaha going in the next few years.

“Eventually we envision moving into a larger facility housing additional artist studios, co-working spaces, community spaces, performance and exhibition spaces, etc. We also hope to have the capacity to begin outreach into other communities through partnerships, programming, and/or consultations.”

BFF also plans to look more towards accessibility. “In 2024, we aim to install new ramps, pave gravel lots and pathways, improve doorways and bathroom facilities, and provide mobility aids, audio-visual aids, and interpretation services during all programs and events.” According to a survey they did in 2023, 28% of the people who attended their events self-identified as disabled, and 96% of them felt BFF was accessible. “We see this as a need for BFF to improve accessibility to the best of its ability in order to accommodate these individuals more effectively moving forward,” commented Jochim.

BFF Omaha is striving to expand their current programs in the next few years and look to increase their effectiveness.

They are always looking for helping hands for their different programs and events. This year they have many exciting events to look forward to, including The Green Team Community Cleanups every other Sunday morning starting May 5th; The 4th Annual First Friday PRIDE on June 7th; The 11th Annual New American Arts Festival on August 2nd; PETFEST on August 17th; and The BFF Ball + Art Auction on November 8th. If you would like to volunteer, you can go to their website for additional information under the volunteer tab.

You can support them with a donation directly through their website. Another way to donate is to become a Friend of BFF Member, which gives you exclusive access to merchandise, monthly events, discounts at First Friday and more, with membership starting at $25 for students and artists or $40 for individuals. You are able to sign up online or mail them at BFF Omaha, 2729 N 62nd St, Omaha, NE, 68104.

It is another goal of BFF Omaha to give visibility to and collaborate with businesses in the metro. Businesses can become Program Partners by sponsoring events. Sponsorships allow BFF to keep their programming vibrant and growing. They are currently looking for partners for their First Friday Pride and the New American Arts Festival. If your organization is interested, you can email alex@bffomaha.org for more information.

“Every donation counts! 93% of BFF’s makeup is artists. And we are present, persistent, motivated, and resourceful! As creatives, a small donation to BFF has a BIG impact on the community,” says Jochim.

To learn more and to support BFF Omaha, you can go to their website at bffomaha.org, or follow them online @Bffomaha on Instagram and X, or BFF Omaha on Facebook.