Hot Shops Art Center is thrilled to announce two exciting programs designed to connect students with the arts and provide hands-on professional experience, all while supporting the vibrant creative community here in Omaha.
Hot Shops is piloting a new student-led retail space called First Fire Gallery at 1312 Izard Street—a storefront operated by college art students, featuring both student and resident artist work. Open approximately 15 hours per week, the shop gives students real-world experience running a creative business, from staffing and sales to curation and customer engagement.
But this initiative is about building a future for young artists here in Omaha. Students gain hands-on experience in arts entrepreneurship, connect directly with professional artists, and learn the skills needed to turn their creativity into sustainable careers. At the same time, the shop activates Izard Street, bringing more life to the neighborhood and creating additional opportunities for the public to engage with local art.
This student-led retail space is a small shop with big goals: empowering emerging artists, strengthening the creative workforce, and ensuring that Omaha continues to be a place where imagination, opportunity, and community intersect.
The First Fire Gallery will be open during our Winter Open House, so plan to stop in and say hello to Lanna and Olivia, our first two interns!
Hot Shops is also proud to launch the Torchbearers Academy, an internship program for high school students. We are currently working with Omaha Public Schools’ South High as part of our effort to build a creative network for individuals of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to learn and engage with the arts.
Students in this program complete 90 hours at Hot Shops, meeting site-specific and employability competencies, and earn school credit. As Torchbearers, they carry knowledge forward—both for their own careers and for the next generation of the Hot Shops community.
We are excited to welcome our first two Torchbearers to the team: Ariana and Josue! When you see them at Hot Shops, please give them a big welcome.
These programs are part of Hot Shops’ ongoing mission to create real pathways for students, support emerging artists, and ensure that Omaha continues to be a place where imagination, opportunity, and community intersect.
