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Experiences in Femininity

University of Nebraska Omaha- Student Run Exhibition

About

This FUSE grant awarded exhibition aims to feature artwork regarding feminine identity and appreciation. We are looking for art that exemplifies and celebrates the diversity of personal views, experiences, and appreciation of femininity and womanhood. Our desired scope of works for this exhibition features pieces by UNO students, staff, and alumni, all of whom are eligible to submit work for display consideration, regardless of gender identity.

Exhibition Concept

The exhibition, titled Experiences in Femininity (E.I.F), aims to explore the diversity and critical dialogue of the feminine experience. Managed by University of Nebraska at Omaha students, E.I.F. was founded in 2023 as a 2.5-week-long display in the UNO Criss Library and has occurred annually since.

Each year the exhibition expands and grows, with the support of faculty like Dr. Adrian Duran (CFAM), artists, and curators, the exhibition will continue in future years. Our mission is to carry on the momentum of the past years of work and create a vital legacy to UNO and beyond. The goal of the exhibition is to create an immersive environment that encourages reflection and dialogue, inviting visitors to engage with the complexities and nuances of gendered experience.

Like past years, the exhibition will feature works from a range of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, digital media, poetry, and more. A ‘call for art’ is advertised across UNO, open to all students of any identity – not only female artists. Each piece is then selected by a jury made up of the E.I.F. team and UNO faculty members based on the UNO student's knowledge and engagement with the theme. We judge artwork based on interpretation of the prompt, the written artist statement, and technical skill.

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Events and Engagement

To expand the student-led exhibition, additional programming has been added over the years, which we hope to continue into the 2026 exhibition. These events include an opening reception, complete with curator talks and catered refreshments.

Additionally, during the length of the exhibition’s run, there is a planned lecture series. Specific artists are asked to discuss their work at length, and members of the UNO Art History faculty discuss their scholarship relating to E.I.F.

In E.I.F.’s recent 2025 exhibition, a publication was added to further the legacy of the exhibition. This publication will highlight artists' work, scholarly research, and creative writing relating to the feminine experience. A limited number of copies will be made, allocated for E.I.F.’s budget, and will be available at our opening reception and lecture series to broaden the exhibition's reach.All of these additions highlight the rich capacities of our students and their engagement with contemporary feminist thought.

2026

Due to the exponential growth of Experiences in Femininity, we have been able to secure a space in the Ming Toy Gallery, located in Omaha, Nebraska for the 2026 exhibition. This space will allow us to expand our reach further into the Omaha community, as well as showcase the talents of the University of Nebraska Omaha students, staff, faculty, and alumni. The traffic from events such as Benson First Fridays and the well-established reputation of the Ming Toy Gallery will broaden the message of Experiences in Femininity and allow for more people outside of the University system to come in contact with the work that we do.

Publication

Because of the FUSE grant award, we will have funding to create a publication to work in tandem with the 2025 Experiences in Femininity art exhibition to complement the physical works. The exhibition will showcase artwork that explores feminine identity and appreciation. To deepen visitors' understanding we are creating a publication of critical essays, scholarly work, and creative writing that celebrate and reflect the diverse perspectives, experiences, and expressions of femininity and womanhood. This publication will be available to all attendees at the opening reception.