Tyler Swain

Tyler Swain first joined the Union team as a youth teaching artist, leading workshops in stop motion during Art Club in the fall of 2019. Returning in 2020, Tyler will be assisting with workshops during Art Club on Saturday afternoons. In addition to his work at The Union, he also works as a teaching artist for the Omaha Performing Arts program, Disney Musicals in Schools, and serves as The Creative Director for Create-ables, a creative vocational day center for adults with physical and developmental disabilities. Prior to this he worked as the creative arts lead at the Omaha Children’s Museum.

What inspires you? I am very inspired by the artists that attended Black Mountain College in mid-20th Century, Merce Cunningham, John Cage, Rauschenberg, et. al.

Where is your favorite place in the world and why? My favorite place in the world so far is probably Chiapas, Mexico. The state is beautiful and diverse and the work of the Zapatista’s is of great interest to me, as well as the histories and the perseverance of their indigenous cultures. I was fortunate to visit and drive across the state over several weeks a few years ago and can not wait to return.

If you could travel back in time to any moment in history, what would you witness and why? Artistically, 1950’s New York. Rauschenberg was able to just knock on de Kooning’s door and meet the man, I would knock on Rauschenberg's door and try the same.