benefit exhibition featuring woodcut prints of l. zenaide luhr opens april 3

Ming Toy Gallery is pleased to host “Impressions in Relief: Marks That Remain | The Woodcut Prints of L. Zenaide Luhr” during the month of April. The opening reception is Friday, April 3, from 6:00 to 9:00pm at 6066 Maple Street in downtown Benson. All are welcome to attend.

This legacy exhibition brings together 80 woodcut prints by Luhr, an artist, educator, and formative presence in Omaha’s arts community. It’s made possible through a generous donation of the collection from Duane and Monte Thompson to WhyArts, a local nonprofit that provides access to inclusive arts education and experiences for historically marginalized and underserved communities by creating strategic partnerships that connect professional teaching artists with community organizations.

“Their gift transforms a personal collection into a public resource, ensuring that Luhr’s work continues to educate, inspire, and serve the community,” said Mary Kinglans Gibilisco, WhyArts executive director.

Rooted in a medium defined by craft, labor, and permanence, Luhr’s woodcut prints reveal the expressive power of line, contrast, and repetition. Each carries the physical imprint of the artist’s hand, where pressure, grain, and ink become collaborators in the act of making.

Luhr’s artistic legacy is inseparable from her 30-year career as an art teacher with Omaha Public Schools, including her leadership as chair of the Art Department at Omaha Central High School. She often spoke of how her own artwork was shaped by what she learned from students in the classroom - an exchange of ideas that mirrors WhyArts’ belief that creativity thrives in shared, inclusive environments.

Print sales will benefit WhyArts.

The exhibition is on display through April 25 at Ming Toy Gallery. Regular hours are Wednesday and Friday from 1 to 6pm, Thursday from 3 to 8pm, Saturday from 10am to 1pm and by appointment (call or text 402.681.1901).