This fall, Omaha’s newly expanded and transformed The Joslyn reopened to the public with a complete reinstallation by Snøhetta of the museum’s distinctive collections. The project includes numerous recent acquisitions, a full restoration of the original 1931 building—one of the finest Art Deco structures in the United States—and the debut of the new 42,000-square-foot Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion.
Phillip G. Shrager Collection © Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum
Always free and open to visitors, The Joslyn increased its gallery space by more than 40 percent to better showcase its wide-ranging and fast-growing collections. The reopened museum reorients the entrance sequence through three acres of redesigned public gardens and offers a refreshed visitor experience highlighted by an elevated entry garden featuring Mark di Suvero’s Bodacious (2001), one of many works in the Phillip G. Schrager Collection.
The expansion and renovation coincide with major urban revitalization across Omaha’s downtown and riverfront districts, where The Joslyn stands as a cultural landmark for the city and the broader Great Plains region.
© Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum
“We are delighted to welcome everyone back to The Joslyn,” said Jack Becker, executive director and CEO. “Snøhetta’s sensitive and innovative approach reimagines The Joslyn, enhancing our existing buildings and preserving cherished spaces to reveal 5,000 years of human creativity from the world’s diverse cultures.”
The original Joslyn Building, completed in 1931 and designed by John and Alan McDonald, stands alongside the 1994 Suzanne & Walter Scott Pavilion—the first U.S. commission by Norman Foster—within the museum’s public gardens. The new Hawks Pavilion, designed by Snøhetta in partnership with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, extends outward from an atrium that joins these earlier structures.
© Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum
In the Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion, a suite of light-filled galleries presents the first public installation of the Phillip G. Schrager Collection. Comprising 52 paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs that trace major developments in postwar and contemporary art, this gift is among the most significant in The Joslyn’s history. The collection features work by artists such as Richard Artschwager, Lynda Benglis, John Chamberlain, Richard Diebenkorn, Jim Dine, Tara Donovan, Robert Gober, Mary Heilmann, Jenny Holzer, Robert Irwin, Mike Kelley, Roy Lichtenstein, Morris Louis, Brice Marden, Laura Owens and Gerhard Richter.
The Hawks Pavilion also houses The Joslyn’s first dedicated works-on-paper gallery. Its inaugural exhibition, Ed Ruscha: Paper, showcases drawings, prints and photographs from Ruscha’s recent gift to the museum alongside selections from his personal collection. Born in Omaha, Ed Ruscha has donated 18 works spanning paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture that represent the breadth of his career.
© Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum
A commissioned work by Dyani White Hawk, Wopila (2023–24), is prominently installed in the Hawks Pavilion. This beaded painting is composed of nearly half a million glass bugle beads, woven into strips by Native beadworkers and mounted on aluminum. The shimmering, multidimensional piece features six hourglass-shaped symbols that reflect the Lakota aesthetic and a spiritual concept of balance between the cosmos and the earthly realm.
The three-acre grounds create a new entrance sequence and a series of sculpture gardens conceived as outdoor “rooms” that wrap the site. The landscape and architecture are woven together around a reflecting pool, while a new Great Lawn framed by native grasses and meadow plantings introduces seasonal color and variety.
© Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum
At reopening, The Joslyn introduced a free digital guide for both in-person and online visitors through the Bloomberg Connects cultural app. The guide features information on more than 50 works from the museum’s collection, including highlights from the Phillip G. Schrager Collection, and offers exclusive audio content about the architecture of The Joslyn’s three buildings. The Joslyn was originally gifted to the people of Omaha by Sarah Joslyn in memory of her husband, George.