HOME, a new exhibition featuring 25 local artists, will give visitors ideas on how to bring art into their own living spaces and raise money for a good cause at the same time.

The exhibition takes place at the Bancroft Street Market, 2702 S. 10th St., and will feature seven decorated rooms designed by Birdhouse Interior Design and Birdhouse Collectible owner Jessica McKay. Local artists will contribute pieces of all mediums, including textiles and furniture. A portion of the evening's proceeds will benefit the Union for Contemporary Arts' 2012 programs.

The show features work from Lynn Batten, Margaret Berry, Peter Cales, Julie Conway, Dana Damewood, Anna Dewey Greer, Wanda Ewing, Sarah Gupta, Amy Haney, Jamie Hardy, Victoria Hoyt, Andrew Johnson, Kim Reid Kuhn, Amy Nelson, Caolán O'Loughlin, Sarah Parys, Ben Petersen, Tana Quincy, Jesse Ross, Mike Scheef, Tracy Shell, Alison Van Volkenburgh, ChristinaVogel, Adrianne Watson and Ying Zhu.

During the opening reception, blogger Erin Loechner, of Design for Mankind and HGTV.com, will give a talk about artists using the Internet and social media for promotion, collaboration and inspiration.

Tickets for the opening reception are $30, and admission for the exhibition alone, which continues through Dec. 11, is $5. Get tickets by calling 402-577-0711 or by emailing design@birdhouseinteriors.com.

Works create unusual combinations for exhibit

The latest show at the Bemis Underground features work that's aiming to find beauty out of grit.

The contrasting work of artists Kim Reid Kuhn and Josh Powell will share the gallery space in "Golden Guts." One artist focuses on the chaos of the world and the other looks at the consistency of reality.

Powell will show his large-scale, mixed media pieces that feature animals personified with emotions. Kuhn's abstract pieces are a mash-up of reckless and calculated images. She gives little to no information about her abstract work, leaving viewers to draw their own conclusions.

The show opens with a reception on Dec. 2 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The two artists will give a gallery talk on Dec. 13 at noon. Both events are free and open to the public, and take place in the Bemis' lower level, 724 S. 12th St.

One-of-a-kind artsy gifts part of special sale

Studio Illuminata is the place to get artsy holiday gifts this weekend as part of its third annual Get Gifty sale.

Slated for Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., the sale includes work from artists Julie Conway, Kim Reid Kuhn, Amy Mather, Sue Schlesinger and Ying Zhu. Studio Illuminata is in Benson, at 2725 N. 62nd St.

House of Loom marks one year of event

The New BLK and House of Loom are celebrating one year of Drink 'n Draw events.

The New BLK hosted the first Drink 'n Draw event in December 2010, and a lively group of painters, cartoonists, drawers and sculptors came together to sketch from live, professional nude models and socialize as part of the process.

On Dec. 1, House of Loom will celebrate one year of the events in its private lounge. The event is open to artists age 19 and up. For Drink 'n Draw participants 21 and older, happy hour drink specials will be available. The event begins at 7 p.m. at the House of Loom, 1012 S. 10th St. and no photography is allowed.

Find details by visiting their Facebook site at facebook.com/drinkndrawomaha.

New UNL class puts art under investigation

A group of emerging curators are assembling a show on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus as part of an innovative new class.

Students in assistant professor Jeff Thompson's Curatorial Practice as Art Practice class put together "DRRRROP," a group of exhibitions that include investigations into art as environmental regeneration, experiments with context and placement, an obsessive altar to creativity, a tape release of recordings partially erased by a meteorite/electromagnet, an installation of 1,800 photographs from an online photo-sharing site, the reclamation of thrown-away art projects and a hands-on exhibition of local artists in a home-like space.

Student curators include Abbey Arlt, Scott Cook, Bentley Easler, Blair Englund, Teal Gardner, Amanda Heskett and Bryan Klopping. The show opens Monday at Eisentrager-Howard Gallery in Richards Hall on the UNL campus. A free reception will be Friday, Dec. 2 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the gallery.

— Staff writer Sarah Baker Hansen