Thirty-seven local artists from the Omaha and Lincoln areas will have their work displayed in at the Joslyn Art Museum for the next month. The exhibit, “Art Seen: A Juried Exhibition of Artists from Omaha to Lincoln,” opened in June and will continue to run through the beginning of October. 

The pieces range in focus and medium, celebrating what the Joslyn describes as “the vibrancy of current artistic movements in our area.” 

Through paintings, photographs, sculptures, graphic art, videos and utilitarian designs, the display highlights a realm of topics. The various works explore topics such as feminism, the formation and transmission of values and how are food is engineered and manufactured. 

While all of the featured works are certainly worthy of being displayed, a few talented individuals stood out. 

In the center of the exhibit floor rests Holly Kranker’s piece, “Here & Now,” capturing eyes immediately. It is only from a certain angle that you can truly tell what it is: a giant piece of corn. 

Made from materials like expanded polystyrene, fiberfill and recycled rubber tires, the 46” x 4848” x 117” cob is sure to catch people’s attention, drawing them in to read Kranker’s statement about the piece, aimed at tackling the unsettling sense of industrial farming.

“There are many unanswered questions [about industrial farming],” she wrote in her courtesy, such as, “What will be the true repercussions of pesticide-resistant crops and genetically modified food?”

Another standout was Matthew Sontheimer’s two featured works: “An Awkward Ruling—Stutter Included” and “Driving Sideways.”

Sontheimer’s collage type pieces feature a jumble of words, some crossed out, with arrows and pictures. It is the sort of artwork that makes you step back to appreciate it from afar and then step forward to view it as close as possible.

His inspiration stems from a sheet full of handwritten math calculations he saw in the third grade. 

“My work is a continual conversation using verbal and visual language to discuss and illustrate the endless field of questions and solutions I come across on a daily basis,” Sontheimer wrote. 

“Art Seen: A Juried Exhibition of Artists from Omaha to Lincoln” will be at the Joslyn through Oct. 11. The exhibit is free to all students with a valid student ID.