Amber C. Nore

When did art and creativity become a central part of your life?

I was five years old, living in Clinton, Missouri. My sister and I were in dance classes at our local dance studio. The local high school did a production of “The Wizard of Oz” and invited kids from the studio to be the munchkins. The moment I put on makeup and a costume and got on stage, I was completely hooked. It was like finding air to breathe or water to drink. I have been involved in the performing arts ever since. I continued singing, started playing oboe in fifth grade, joined choir and orchestra all the way through college. Theater, music, and writing have always been a tremendous part of my life. My dad played trumpet and was in a rock band called St. Peter’s Infirmary. My mom played French horn, twirled a baton, and sang in choir. My sister Courtney is a visual artist and bookbinder. My sister Hope draws animation. It is definitely a generational blessing, as my daughter Chloe sings, dances, and paints. My niece Marsi is a photographer and performs in the varsity show choir. Ancestral gifts, passed down generation to generation.

How did you find your way into curation specifically?

Completely organically. In December of 2021, my band, Andy Pappas and The Jukebox Gyro, were playing a gig. We were celebrating that Andy and I have December birthdays as well as the wife of our drummer, so it was more of a party than a gig. We wanted multiple art forms representing live music, locally made cake, and more, and I asked the owner if we could also show visual art. My partner at the time had been taking stunning photos on his iPhone for years, and they had never really seen the world outside of Instagram. I thought, well, let's have an art show. I have been involved in the arts my entire life and even studied art history, so there is a natural eye for creativity and aesthetics. I decided to learn how to frame and mat the photos and hang a show. Anne Burkholder gave me some tips. From there, we were invited to have art at a local shop. The artwork was selling, so we kept going! 

Tell us about the Magnolia Art Project. What is it, and what was the vision?

It started as a collaborative effort between a former partner and me to bring his photography to the world and create something together. What began as an underground bar show grew to include galleries across Nebraska, as well as exhibitions with galleries in Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, and even internationally. I built a social media presence, booked shows, sold artwork every month, and continued to learn framing, curation, and marketing. My former partner now works full time as a photographer because of these efforts and I have my art business! When we separated, I plugged into other artists here in the community, and it has really been a blessing watching it grow from there.

I also started hosting a monthly gathering of creatives to share their poetry, writing, songs, dance, and visual art. It has been deeply rewarding to make room for art to take flight in a safe space. I wanted my creative friends to have an opportunity to share and receive feedback and support. It inspires my own work as well! And we always have great snacks.

Where does your inspiration come from as a curator? What draws you to a show or an artist?

I love emerging artists and local art. I am a huge fan of contemporary work, abstraction, installations, ceramics and textiles. But it really depends on the space I am showing in, because every space has its own story, whether it is a prestigious gallery, a coffee shop, or a basement bar. I also think about who I am working with. Is this someone who has never had a show before? Is this an artist that is new to America and still learning how to talk about and market their work? Or am I working with someone more established? Each situation is different. And I genuinely like to try something new each time rather than repeat what has already worked. The challenge is part of what I love about it. 

My inspiration comes from my lifelong love of visual arts and music. Sometimes I pull shows together around a preconceived idea or a song lyric. Sometimes it comes together from the artists or the work itself. One example: on the first Valentine’s Day after my relationship ended, I hosted a “Love Kills” show with horror-themed art. I served boxed chocolates and wine. I really love group shows, as it can showcase a wider variety of mediums and talent.

You describe a story-driven approach to curation. What does that look like in practice?

Every single show gets a title, no matter how big or small or public or private. The title gives me the theme and the story to work around. My most recent show started with the concept of “home” because I was featuring New American women artists in Lincoln. Lincoln is their home, but so were other countries before this. I invited other artists to join the show and respond to what home means to them. I tied it back to the song "This Must Be the Place" by Talking Heads, where the chorus is about home being another person. In this show, home became animals, plants, belonging, family. One artist painted an unforgettable piece of protein toast she had eaten in France. Another made a six-foot wooden cigarette that reminded him of his grandpa, who smoked that particular brand. That is what I love about it. Once you have a theme, people surprise you with where they take it.

That show was also lovely because it included art from my 17-year-old niece all the way to the Executive Director of an art gallery in Omaha. It is enjoyable to showcase a variety of talent levels and mediums. For several artists, this was the first time they had sold or even shown their work. That is why I enjoy curating group shows so much!

Tell us about your work with Echo Collective. How did that relationship start?

ECHO Collective is a nonprofit that empowers New American women through entrepreneurship and creativity. I met the Founder and Executive Director, Kelly Ross, through my professional work in the nonprofit sector. In 2023, I was curating an art show for individuals with disabilities and I wanted it to be more inclusive. I wanted to invite more artists to be a part of the show, so that it wasn’t “here is an art show by artists who are disabled” but instead “this is an art show and some of the artists have different abilities than the others.” Knowing that ECHO Collective was working with several New American women artists as part of their entrepreneurial program, I reached out and asked if they would want to participate. We had a wonderful time collaborating on that show, and several of the ECHO Collective artists sold work. After that, Kelly and I met for coffee and started brainstorming: What would the next project look like? How else could we support these women in building their businesses here? And we just went from there. 

We started holding shows with ECHO artisans Alktra Farhan, Saja Kinani, and Reem Alwan, three women from Iraq who work in different mediums. We included Cecilia Vargas and artists from Mexico who create tapestries and weavings through ECHO Collective’s weaving program. Part of the mentorship has involved the practicalities: how do you title a piece when English is your second language? How do you price your art? How do you talk about it to someone who walks up to you at a show? Getting to watch them have those conversations and start building businesses in Lincoln has been one of the most meaningful parts of all of this. 

Just over three years later, we’ve grown from that first coffee shop group show into an established creative presence in Lincoln. We have held art shows in spaces such as the City/County Building, The Burkholder Project, Resonator Gallery, The Unitarian Church of Lincoln, Union College, Nebraska Innovation Campus Gallery in Lincoln, Meadowlark Gallery in Grant, NE, and 3rd Street Studios in Humboldt, NE. This month, our show is at Lux Center for the Arts.

What is especially powerful is watching the Lincoln community show up and say: we want to hear your story, we want to buy your art, we are so glad you are here. The artists now even have their own store, Refined and Co. at Turbine Flats. Spaces are reaching out to us now, asking if they can host a show. I’m honored to serve as their Arts Mentor and Ambassador, but the truth is, I learn just as much from the women themselves. It is a joyful part of my life to collaborate this way!

What is Magnolia Art Project working toward right now?

In September, I am curating a group show of ECHO Collective artisans at Lux Center for the Arts. It will be my first time curating there and I am really looking forward to it. I am on a mission to curate a show in every space in Lincoln! October will be an open house in my space at The Burkholder Project. In December, I am turning fifty years old and celebrating at the Burkholder Project with a party featuring a combination of visual art, live music, and poetry. Next year, I already have shows scheduled for The Foundry and Resonator Gallery in Lincoln and several spaces in Omaha. 

I am also really excited about growing the art consultation side of my business and doing more private art acquisition work. That truly inspires me because I am supporting local artists while also helping people find artwork to enjoy in their home or business, adding value to the space. 

For someone who wants to get more connected to the Lincoln arts scene, what would you tell them?

How exciting! You are in an amazing community. Start sharing your work. Check out the community calendar at Creative Radar Lincoln to map out a whole month of events. Attend as many First Friday gallery openings as you can. Follow Magnolia Art Project on Instagram and come to anything I am hosting. Visit The Burkholder Project. It is open Wednesday through Saturday (and other times by appointment). Go to Fiendish Plots. Connect with the Lincoln Arts Council and Nebraska Arts Council: they are incredible resources. Attend a monthly Open Draft meeting, held by the City of Lincoln for the arts community. Check out Sketch Club meetings at Parrish Project and Art Club at Metro Gallery. Keep showing up and keep sharing your work!