We love the finer things in life: a great cup of tea, excellent company, and great art (to name a few). Music and art, in particular, can do so much to enhance your experience and enjoyment of something as simple as taking tea.
You can indulge in the subtle notes of your favorite green tea while live music plays in the background– or you can drink in the sight of well-crafted artwork on the walls as you sip away on a boldly-colored cup of swirling milky chai in your hands. It all adds up to the right kind of sensory experience that makes every trip to the Tea Smith memorable.
We’re proud to partner with local artists like Mary Zicafoose and arts organizations like Blues Ed. who help make downtown Omaha a more creative, diverse and engaging place. That’s why we’ve opened up the Tea Smith to serve as a gallery and music venue of sorts, becoming a hub for art and activity during the Old Market First Friday Art Walks. We’ve been fortunate to host a variety of local painters, musicians, photographers and mixed media artists in the past.
Mary Zicafoose is a tapestry and rug weaver as well as printmaker. In her series of prints entitled Grassland, she turns a contemporary eye towards the prairie, framing it in a beautifully graphic and sometimes abstract way. Her bold, colorful work focuses on simple shapes and striking composition.
Blues Ed. is a non-profit youth artist development program under the Blues Society of Omaha. Its mission is simple, to keep the blues alive in our community and inspire a new generation of blues musicians to carry on this important piece of musical heritage. Through workshops, students in the Blues Ed. program work their way through learning a blues repertoire, all the while developing showmanship skills and learning about blues in a historical context.
If you haven’t made it down to the Old Market for First Friday Art Walks, you’re missing out! It’s a chance to explore the small businesses that populate these cobbled streets in a friendly, dynamic setting and interact with the movers and shakers of the Omaha art world. Hope to see you at the next one!
