Ground Rules: Temporary & Ephemeral Public Art at The Ashton – Omaha, NE

Is an artwork’s cultural value determined by how long it remains in a place, how visible it is, or whether it becomes a lasting part of the built environment? What happens when the value proposition of public artwork extends beyond the object to include the memories, relationships, and shifts in perception a temporary encounter can set in motion?

Join us at the Ashton on Friday, November 13, from 12:00 pm –1:00 pm for a conversation about how temporary public art responds to the changing conditions of a place, and interrupts the routines of everyday life in ways that permanent works may not, with Elise Armani, Assistant Curator for Twentieth Century Art at the Joslyn Art Museum, artist and facilitator Andrea Joy Pearson, choreographer and dancer Lauren Simpson, and theater maker and Amplfiy’s development lead Zoella Sneed. Together, they’ll consider what happens when we stop assuming that lasting longer means mattering more.

Free and open to all. Please RSVP if you’d like to attend to help us plan.

The Ashton is wheelchair accessible and located in Millwork Commons, a walkable and bikeable district off the number 4 Metro Transit Omaha bus line. If you have any accessibility needs, please contact us at info@amplfiyarts.org at least 48 hours before the event.

Free parking is located north of HELLO Apartments and in the lot west of the Mastercraft building. Metered Parking is available on Millwork Ave, 13th St, 12th St, and Nicholas Street. Be sure to download the City of Omaha’s Park Omaha app or pay at the purple kiosks. Click here for directions.

Amplify’s programming is possible in part with support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, the Nebraska Arts Council, and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

Cover photo by Ben Semisch. Courtesy of Lauren Simpson.

About the Panelists:

Elise Armani is the Associate Curator for Twentieth Century Art at the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska. Her book, What Was America? Art, Culture, and Politics in the Bicentennial Era, co-written with Katy Siegel, was published by Yale University Press in October of 2026. Armani's recent exhibitions include Made in USA: Prints for the American Revolution Bicentennial, City in Print, Toyo Tsuchiya and Leela Ramotar, and Revisiting 5+1. The American Council of Learned Societies, the Henry Luce Foundation, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Wyeth Foundation for American Art have supported her research and writing. She holds a PhD and an MA in Art History from Stony Brook University, as well as a BA in Gender Studies and a BFA in Studio Art from the University of Minnesota. Her dissertation, Making Rhythms Out of Barriers: Infrastructural Interventions by Migrant Artists on the Lower East Side (1975–1989), considers intersections of immigration policy, urban divestment, and public art practices on Manhattan's Lower East Side.

Andrea Joy Pearson is a nationally recognized facilitator, speaker, and founder of Joy Brings Light, a wellness company devoted to helping people reconnect with their power, presence, and inner peace. Through sound healing, meditation, and embodied leadership, Andrea Joy creates spaces for deep rest, clarity, and emotional restoration. Her work blends somatic healing, User Experience design, and community care—and has reached hospitals, schools, libraries, and cultural institutions nationwide. Based in Omaha, she is a sought-after guide for transformative experiences and currently co-hosts CreativeMornings Omaha.

Lauren Simpson is an artist based in Omaha. Her creative interests lie at the intersection of bodies and objects, resulting in dances that emphasize the materiality of the body and the agency of things. Lauren's work has been presented by San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Joslyn Art Museum (Omaha), deYoung Museum (San Francisco), Minnesota Street Project (San Francisco), and ODC (San Francisco). She danced for Liz Lerman, choreographer and MacArthur Genius recipient, and Risa Jaroslow, New York City/Oakland-based choreographer. Lauren has taught dance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Harvard College, and the University of San Francisco. Lauren completed an M.F.A. from the University of Colorado-Boulder, Ed.M. from Harvard University, and B.A. from Carleton College.

About the Moderator:

Zoella Sneed (she/her) is an arts leader, multidisciplinary theatre artist, and educator dedicated to building stronger creative communities through equitable access to the arts. She brings experience in nonprofit development, fundraising, grant writing, donor engagement, arts advocacy, and arts administration, with a passion for supporting artists and strengthening organizations that invest in creative communities. As an active theatre artist in the Omaha community, Zoella understands firsthand the needs of working artists and believes in creating spaces where creativity, collaboration, and belonging can flourish. Her work is rooted in fostering meaningful connections, championing inclusive artistic practices, and helping artists access the resources they need to thrive.