This fall, Omaha’s newly expanded and transformed The Joslyn reopened to the public to view the complete reinstallation (designed by Snøhetta) of the museum’s distinctive collections, including numerous recent acquisitions, a full restoration of its original building (one of the finest Art Deco structures in the United States), and the debut of the new 42,000-square-foot Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion.

Phillip G. Shrager Collection © Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum

Always open to visitors free of charge, The Joslyn increased gallery space by more than 40 percent for its wide-ranging and fast-growing collections, reoriented its entrance sequence through 3 acres of redesigned and rejuvenated public gardens. The museum also created a dazzling new visitor experience, highlighted by an elevated entry garden featuring Mark di Suvero’s Bodacious (2001), one of dozens of works in the Phillip G. Schrager Collection.

The Joslyn’s expansion and renovation project took place at the same time as $8 billion in new urban revitalization projects underway in the downtown and riverfront districts of Omaha, where The Joslyn is a cultural landmark for the city and the entire Great Plains region.

© Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum

“We are delighted to welcome everyone back to The Joslyn,” said Jack Becker, executive director and CEO, The Joslyn. “Snøhetta’s sensitive and innovative approach for reimagining The Joslyn enhances our existing buildings to give our ever-expanding audience a new experience while preserving our most cherished spaces to reveal 5,000 years of human creativity from the world’s diverse cultures.”

The original 1931 Joslyn Building, an Art Deco masterpiece designed by father and son John and Alan McDonald, stands side by side in the museum’s public gardens with the 1994 Suzanne & Walter Scott Pavilion, the first commission in the country by Norman Foster. The new Hawks Pavilion, designed by Snøhetta in partnership with Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture, grows outward from an atrium that joins these two earlier buildings.

© Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum

On view in the Rhonda & Howard Hawks Pavilion, a suite of the new building’s light-filled galleries is installed with the first presentation of the Phillip G. Schrager Collection. Comprising 52 paintings, sculptures, drawings and photographs encompassing some of the most important developments in postwar and contemporary art, the collection is perhaps the most significant gift of art in The Joslyn’s history. Artists represented include Richard Artschwager, Lynda Benglis, John Chamberlain, Richard Diebenkorn, Jim Dine, Tara Donovan, Robert Gober, Mary Heilmann, Jenny Holzer, Robert Irwin, Mike Kelley, Roy Lichtenstein, Morris Louis, Brice Marden, Laura Owens and Gerhard Richter.

The Hawks Pavilion also includes The Joslyn’s first dedicated works on paper gallery. The inaugural exhibition is Ed Ruscha: Paper, featuring drawings, prints and photographs from Ruscha’s recent gift to the museum, as well as work from the artist’s collection. Born in Omaha,  Ruscha has given The Joslyn 18 paintings, drawings prints and sculpture from all stages of his career.

© Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum

A commissioned work by Dyani White Hawk, Wopila, 2023–24, is prominently installed in the Hawks Pavilion. This beaded painting has been constructed with nearly half a million glass bugle beads, woven into strips by a team of Native American beadworkers and mounted to aluminum. This shimmering, multidimensional work features six hourglass-shaped symbols that represent the Lakota aesthetic and spiritual concept of balance between the cosmos and earthly realm.

The 3 acres of grounds at The Joslyn establish a new entrance sequence for the museum while providing sculpture gardens conceived as a sweeping collection of outdoor “rooms” that wrap around the site, weaving the landscape and architecture together around a reflecting pool. A new Great Lawn framed by native grasses and vibrant meadow plantings creates a colorful variation throughout the seasons.

© Nic Lehoux, courtesy of The Joslyn Art Museum

Upon reopening, The Joslyn is launching a new, free digital guide for both in-person and online visitors on the Bloomberg Connects cultural app created by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Content includes information about more than 50 works from The Joslyn’s collection, including the Phillip G. Schrager Collection, plus exclusive audio content highlighting the architecture of The Joslyn’s three buildings. The Joslyn was a gift to the people of Omaha from Sarah Joslyn in memory of her husband, George.