Craftacular's 5^th annual holiday shopping event in downtown Lincoln is on Wednesday, November 28 from 5pm-9pm at the Cornhusker Hotel. Come and experience a curated selection of the best and brightest artists, independent designers and crafters from Nebraska and beyond. It is a shunning mass-produced fare in favor of handmade goods. It offers your own local version of Etsy.

Original handmade items will be on display such as mixed media, acrylic, pen and ink and watercolor artwork; ceramics; jewelry; screenprinted and letterpressed cards; women's and children's accessories, baby clothing, photography, leather goods, and ornaments. Works range from $5 to $80, making the Cornhusker Hotel the temporary hotspot for handmade but affordable Christmas gifts.

With swag bags full of goodies from the artists for the first 50 attendees and a raffle for donated artwork by the exhibiting artists, is yet another reason to come and enjoy the evening at Craftacular. The proceeds from the raffle will be supporting Lincoln's art scene by being donated to the Lincoln Arts Council for future arts programming.

Make it a Handmade Holiday! With 43 artist vendors, a cocktail lounge, 2 musical acts, food, and special appearances by Mrs. Claus and the Silvertones, this event is not to miss!

It's always interesting when artists sit down to talk about what they do, and you realize that eloquence comes in many forms. The interaction of color, shape, texture and movement create a language more suited to many, but the need to communicate always finds a voice. And what a joyful noise art makes. Even so, we live in a world of commerce, where food and shelter are most often purchased. That context brings us right back to the fact that artists and their art will forever be asked to prove their value, pay their way, compete with all the other human activities calling for attention.

Each Friday, members of Lincoln's creative class will meet at the Mill in the Haymarket during NET's Friday Live broadcast to talk about art and artists in Lincoln. It's been messy and entertaining with lots of comments and observations, and general agreement on how vibrant and important Lincoln's art scene has become. There is much work left to be done, however, to insure that the arts community has a place at the table whenever Lincoln is planning its future. The Creative Conversations will continue because they have the potential for tremendous impact.

We'd love to have you join us, to spend a little time creating and supporting ideas that help define us as a community, build audiences for every discipline, and celebrate our contributions to a more engaged, fuller life. Find us at the Haymarket Mill on Fridays, 8:30am-10:00am. Come for all or part of the discussions. 

For the past several years, the Lincoln Arts Council has been a partner site for the Lincoln Parks and Recreation AmeriCorps program. The LAC AmeriCorps member does educational art programming that serves youth and adults in our community for events including: the Lincoln Arts Festival, the Artists in Schools and Communities Residency Program, the National Arts Program, and the Mayor's Arts Awards.

The Lincoln Arts Council is thankful to be able to be a host site for the AmeriCorps Program and for the opportunities it offers - to provide art education programming in the community, and to advance our mission to inspire a creative community!

Keep posted for December's Enewsletter: Our AmeriCorp's member will be announcing plans for the Artists in Schools and Communities Residency Program.

The Lied Center for Performing Arts has four great shows filling out the last quarter of 2012:

• The Jackie Allen Jazz Quintet brings New York style jazz to the Johnny Carson Theatre on November 2nd. Spend a Friday night swept away by Jackie's unique and unforgettable performance, backed by four fabulous jazz musicians.
• On November 7th the Afro-Caribbean beats of Haitian music will accompany the resonating rhythms and dynamic motion of Compagnie de Danse: Jean-Rene Delsoin. This spectacular cultural experience is part of an initiative of the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, Center StageSM (www.centerstageUS.org ).
• The Vienna Boys Choir will lift your spirits with angelic voices on November 13th. The pure tone and distinctive charm of this group of 25 young boys is backed by more than 500 years of Viennese tradition.
• And if you need a little Christmas, mark your calendars and buy your tickets now, because the Church Basement Ladies Christmas: Away in the Basement is coming to town December 7-9. The 1959 Sunday School Christmas Program is in peril: what will the Ladies do? Bring a group and find out, as you laugh along with the Ladies. Side dish optional.

These, and all Lied shows, are more fun when you come with a group AND you will all save money on the best seats in town. Visit liedcenter.org  now for information on single and group tickets. 

On November 15 and 16, the Sheldon Museum of Art, in cooperation with the Lincoln Arts Council, is planning a residency and performance by New York-based pianist Adam Tendler, who will be visiting Lincoln as part of a John Cage centenary tour in which he performs Cage's landmark work for piano, Sonatas and Interludes, and spends the previous 2 days with students and teachers. Outreach partners include the Lincoln Music Teachers Association, Lincoln Public Schools' Junior Youth Orchestra and Pathfinder Program, and UNL's School of Music and Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education.

Tendler's performance is scheduled for Friday, November 16, at 8:00 pm in the Sheldon's Ethel S. Abbott Auditorium; admission is free. A preconcert talk begins at 7:30, and a reception following the event will be held in the museum's Great Hall.

The Lincoln Arts Council has an immediate opening for a part-time Administrative Assistant that performs a variety of tasks in the areas of office management, promotion/marketing, and resource development.

Assistant works with executive director and board to support relationship building with current and prospective donors. Coordinates daily development activities to support gift solicitation such as making appointments and doing follow-up calls. Manages donor contact database and sometimes approaches benefactors for appeals. Drafts proposals or grants as needed.

Assistant manages task database and oversees staff and volunteer completion, writes all donor-focused content in publications and communications, including eNewsletter and social media. Assists with marketing plan and strategies.

The Community Learning Centers (CLC) of Lincoln are currently seeking artists who are interested in teaching after school art clubs at various sites across the Lincoln area. The Lincoln CLC currently serves the following schools: Goodrich, Everett, Belmont, Calvert, McPhee, Lefler, Pershing, Mickle, Elliott, Arnold, Dawes, Brownell, Norwood, West Lincoln, Holmes, Riley, Saratoga, Prescott, Huntington, Clinton, Hartley, Park, Culler, North Star, and Lakeview.

The goal of the CLC is to serve children, families, and neighborhoods through collaborative partnerships that provide support services and opportunities that lead to improved student learning and developments, strong families and healthier neighborhoods.

• Arbitrage
  The Ross 

• Compliance
  The Ross 

• Creative Conversations
  Lincoln Arts Council 

• Bread and Butter
  LUX Center for the Arts 

• Drawn to Fashion: the Illustrations of Mary Mitchell
  Robert Hillestad Textiles Gallery 

• Marina Abramovic The Artist is Present
  The Ross 

• Teaching ARTists
  UNL 

• Brian Dickinson & Art Planet
  The 815 

• Jackie Allen Jazz Quintet
  Lied Center for Performing Arts 

• Opera: O, Pioneers!
  UNL School of Music 

• Opera: O, Pioneers!
  UNL School of Music 

• Brass Narrations
  Nebraska Brass 

• Student Brass Chamber Ensembles
  UNL School of Music 

• Compagnie de Danse: Jean-Rene Delsoin
  Lied Center for Performing Arts 

• WET INK! Student Composers
  UNL School of Music 

• WET INK! Student Composers
  UNL School of Music 

• "Paragon Springs" opens
  Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film 

• "The Queen of Versailles" opens
  The Ross 

• Faculty artists: Moran Woodwind Quintet
  UNL School of Music 

• An American Concert
  Lincoln Civic Orchestra  

• Sing from the Heart
  Arts for the Soul--Music and Fine Arts at First Presbyterian 

• Saxophone Ensembles
  UNL School of Music 

• Jazz Combos
  UNL School of Music 

• Vienna Boys Choir
  Lied Center for Performing Arts 

• Pianist Adam Tendler
  Sheldon Museum of Art   

• Trinity United Methodist Church Holiday Art and Craft Festival
  Trinity United Methodist Church  

• Chamberfest Concerts
  UNL School of Music 

• Chamberfest Concerts
  UNL School of Music 

• An Evening of Thanks: A Musical Benefit for Jim Unger
  Pinewood Bowl, Inc. 

• Chamberfest Concerts
  UNL School of Music 

• Faculty artists: Chiara String Quartet
  UNL School of Music 

• Handel's Messiah!
  Abendmusik 

• NWU Jazz Ensemble at Brewsky's
  NWU Jazz Ensemble 

• Faculty artist: Diane Barger
  UNL School of Music 

• Percussion Ensemble
  UNL School of Music 

• "Melancholy Play" opens
  Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film 

• Lincoln Boys Choir at Holidays in the Haymarket
  Lincoln Boys Choir 

• UNL Student Dance Project
  UNL School of Music 

Don't see your art organization's event here?  That's because we need a profile created on our website, ArtScene.org.  Fill out a bio, add events to our calendar by the 25th of this month, and get your contributions to Lincoln's art scene noticed! Call us at 402-434-2787 and we'll help you get started.