Humanities Nebraska

10/14/2026

10/05/2026

Discover what the life of an early Nebraska settler was like! Women pioneers and homesteaders played an important part in the development and heritage of Nebraska. In this program, Marge Saiser and Lucy Adkins will honor them, featuring excerpts from diaries and letters of plains women of the past. In addition they will share poems they have written about the history and experiences of their own plains’ families.

10/02/2026

Attend with a friend and learn about Threads of Wisdom! In late 19th- and early 20th-century Czech homes, women embroidered decorative wall cloths called kuchynky (“little kitchen”) or kuchařsky (“cook”) cloths. Featuring flowers, household motifs, and sometimes pointed bits of advice, these simple stitched pieces brought beauty and practicality to kitchens and other spaces throughout the home.

09/29/2026

Blues music fans, this one is for you!

This Thursday - Learn about blues history, the different types of blues songs, and more at this musical presentation with C.A. Waller!

Humanities Nebraska

09/29/2026

Reserve your spot now!

FREE! Reserve your spot now; tickets are now available:

An Evening with Dr. José Valentino Ruiz
Hispanic Heritage Celebration — Concert & Workshops

Thursday, October 1, 2026 | El Museo Latino
4701 South 25th Street, Omaha, NE 68107

El Museo Latino proudly presents An Evening with Dr. José Valentino Ruiz, a Hispanic Heritage Celebration bringing together music, learning, and community. The day includes a Lunch & Learn workshop (12:00–1:00 p.m.), a pre-concert presentation at 6:30 PM, and an evening Concert 7:00-8:00 PM featuring the premiere of original compositions Dr. Ruiz has dedicated to Magdalena Garcia and El Museo Latino.

Dr. José Valentino Ruiz is a multi-Latin GRAMMY® and EMMY® Award-winning flutist, saxophonist, and bassist and a 2026 Billboard Latin Power Player honoree. He is a tenured Associate Professor and founding Coordinator of Music Business & Entrepreneurship at the University of Florida, a U.S. Speaker on Creative Economy & Global Arts Entrepreneurship, and Founder & CEO of JV Music Enterprises.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-dr-jose-valentino-ruiz-tickets-2002259373686?aff=oddtdtcreator

09/18/2026

Attend with a friend and enjoy the music of Ireland! From Sligo to the Ring of Kerry, David Marsh brings the spirit of Ireland to life through jigs, reels, rebel songs, and sing-alongs. Featuring accordion, penny whistle, bodhrán, and Northumbrian pipes, his music weaves together Irish legends, history, and stories of immigration. With 20+ years of experience, David has performed with local Irish bands Paddywhack and Ellis Island throughout the Midwest.

09/18/2026

Join us for this engaging speaker event in Ponca! Few people realize Nebraska played a role in the Civil War. From 1861–1865, the territory sent about 1/3 of its male population to fight, witth more than 200 losing their lives. By 1890, over 100,000 veterans lived in Nebraska, helping shape its communities, cities, and path to statehood. 🇺🇸

This presentation explores their stories and lasting impact on Nebraska.

09/17/2026

Join us for this engaging speaker event in Ponca! Few people realize Nebraska played a role in the Civil War. From 1861–1865, the territory sent about 1/3 of its male population to fight, with more than 200 losing their lives. By 1890, over 100,000 veterans lived in Nebraska, helping shape its communities, cities, and path to statehood. 🇺🇸

This presentation explores their stories and lasting impact on Nebraska.

09/17/2026

Join us in supporting the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

09/11/2026

On September 20, 2001, just days after the heart-wrenching events of 9/11, historian David McCullough came to Nebraska to deliver our Governor's Lecture in the Humanities. It was the same evening that President George W. Bush addressed the nation, and we were able to show that address on screen to the audience at the Joslyn Art Museum before the lecture. People who attended McCullough's talk still mention it to this day; here are a few excerpts of his comments:
“One of [Abigail Adams’] favorite lines… particularly during the darkest of times, was the line from one of her favorite English poets: ‘Affliction is a good man’s shining time.’ We could also say affliction is a good nation’s shining time…I have drawn more I think from the lines written by John and Abigail Adams in the last six or seven days than I did in all that time prior to now. It all is still entirely applicable…So it seems to be that on this evening where we are celebrating the humanities and the importance of the humanities in life, where we’re still in a state of stunned disbelief about what happened last week and inner grief and worry, but also uplifted by so much that we’ve seen, that this old theme of freedom and education has never, ever been more valid and relevant…Last week I think made all of us take stock about what matters in life, what matters in our personal lives. But it also has made us take stock of who we are as a people and where we came from. And we came from people who ought to be our inspiration and our guide every day we serve as Americans.”