Our Campus

Our main building houses our two galleries, four co-op studios, fellows studios, resident artist space, and youth studios

In January 2017, our organization relocated to the Blue Lion Building at the intersection of 24th and Lake Streets, once the epicenter of African American arts and entertainment in Omaha. During its “golden years,” from the 1920s through the early 1960s, the area flourished as a vibrant and bustling economic and cultural corridor. Nearby venues contributed significantly to the evolution of this area's jazz and big band legacies. The Union’s presence in the building honors this history and serves as a beacon of hope that the arts will thrive here again.

The main entrance of the Shirley Tyree Theater, which opened in 2023

The Shirley Tyree Theater occupies the historic F.J. Carey Block next door to our main building and was recognized in 2016 by the National Park Service as one of 28 historically-significant buildings contributing to the North 24th and Lake Streets Historic District. Before being reborn as the Shirley Tyree Theater, the building housed multiple laundry businesses including the original Carey Cleaners (the building’s front brick facade still bears the Carey name) and the long-running Standard Laundry Company.

Our Abundance Garden includes 960 square feet of raised garden beds, a geodesic dome greenhouse, a small fruit-tree orchard, composting facilities, a performance space, and an outdoor classroom used for community events and our Youth Engagement programs.

We're incredibly grateful for our ongoing partnerships with community organizations City Sprouts, Big Garden, No More Empty Pots, Sunflower Cooperative, Free Farm Syndicate, and Blazing Star Seed Co-Op for helping to develop the programs and workshops that power our garden.

The Union for Contemporary Art is committed to removing barriers to the arts by providing programs, facilities, and services that are accessible to everyone regardless of race, ethnicity, gender expression, sexual identity, income level, age, physicality, or disability. Because service to our community sits at the core of The Union’s mission and values, supporting the diverse needs of our stakeholders is central to our efforts in fostering a culture of equity and inclusion. We strive to strengthen our community by rising above the lines that divide us — racially, socially, and economically — so that we may become a more unified and culturally vibrant city.

Solar panels on the roof of The Shirley Tyree Theater

The Union strives to achieve sustainable operations of all programming and events held in space. This work involves an ongoing effort to achieve zero-waste status within the building. Since 2024, The Union has also been generating solar power from panels on the roof of the Shirley Tyree Theater. These panels generate approximately 36,000 kilowatts annually.

We also have two electric vehicle chargers in our main parking lot with adapters for both Teslas and all other EVs. These chargers are FREE to use.

Download a map of the entire campus of The Union.

CAMPUS MAP (PDF)