Sara McNeilly Ammon (Sara Ammon, Sara Elizabth McNeilly, Sara McNeilly)

CV (UNDER CONSTRUCTION - updated soon with show names and dates; stay tuned!)

2021: Project Project show for fundraiser, $100 ART SALE, art/photography published in The Lincoln Underground Quarantine Edition, upcoming - BEMIS Benefit Show / Auction, two sculptures (Lincoln and Omaha, NE), work shown as featured artist, Self Gallery (Nebraska City)

2020: Published as part of MOTHER’S DAYS, interdisciplinary art collaboration via Lenka Clayton/Artist-Residency-in-Motherhood (details soon, see article in New York Times) (National / tba gallery info), Noyes Gallery, work shown as featured artist, Self Gallery (Nebraska City)

2019: BEMIS Benefit Art Auction, abstract painting selected, SE Iowa Art Fair/Art Farm IA, solo show at Burkholder Project “Defense Cascade”, Noyes Gallery featured artist/member artist, Art in the Garden, Mix Studios, Self Gallery, Link Gallery - photography/show, Prairie Arts Center (Norfolk, NE), work displayed at Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts (office), Apollon, OM Center

2018: Solo Show, Kimmel Gallery, co-produced variety show/weekly open mic and poetry/comedy events PRIME CUTS, Prairie City Chophouse, Apollon, (gallery preceeded Self Gallery/prior owner - prior - featured artist), Juice Stop featured artist (Omaha Old Market), OM Center, more 2018 details coming soon (under construction), began employment as Assistant Director at KHN Center for the Arts, opened Mix Studios and gallery space (both Nebraska City, NE)

2013-2017: Bellevue Little Theatre, Larkin’s Parkin (BFF), Petshop (BFF), House of Loom, Apollon (wrote multiple shows, co-wrote, artwork, prop design and other creative contributions toward many shows - list to come), freelance writing and editing for mulitple clients, art, photograhy and poetry published in multiple issues of The Lincoln Underground, The Lincoln Underground featured author/reader at Crescent Moon Fall Release, fundraiser and part of creative team for Vinton Street Creativity Festival, articles in Complete Transformation magazine (Omaha and Lincoln, NE)

1997-2013: single mom, advocacy, volunteer work, private sector and state work, lots of writing and photography independently

1990’s: acting credits, shows, honors UNK/UNL/art scholarship, honors writing, screenplays and poetry manuscript, Rocky Horror Picture Show, concert piano, drums, flute, and modeling (80’s: won Arbor Day Poster Contest and was design winner for advertising logo for Woofer’s Den, as well as modelled for Pamida/Alco and performed 10+ years of Suzuki piano events and recitals)

Sara Elizabeth McNeilly Ammon (she/her/hers) is an interdisciplinary artist, poet, writer, and musician currently living in Nebraska City, NE, USA. She is an autistic, neuro-atypical mother of 6 and grandmother of two. Sara is a post-concussion syndrome, traumatic brain injury, Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), PTSD survivor and ongoing advocate and research enthusiast. She has worked as a professional freelance writer, editor and ghostwriter, visual artist, piano teacher, and other varied creative roles. Sara is the former Assistant Director at Kimmel Harding Nelson (KHN) Center for the Arts, a residency program that awards residencies to artists, writers and composers/musicians from across the country and around the world, as well as holding 6 exhibitions per year and ongoing exhibits from KHN’s private collection.

Passionate about the arts and community development, Sara was actively engaged in the growing arts and business district on South Vinton Street in Omaha, NE while working for Apollon Art Space as Communications Director, including her role as Fundraising Coordinator for the Vinton Street Creativity Festival. Sara’s poetry, writing and visual art have been featured in collaborative and solo shows at various regional galleries including Omaha’s (NE) Petshop, House of Loom, Apollon Art Space, the OM Center, Cali Commons, Link Gallery & Workshop and others, Lincoln, (NE) The Burkholder Project, and Nebraska City’s Kimmel Gallery. She is a featured artist with Random Arts Omaha and her poetry, art, and photography have been published in many issues of The Lincoln Underground. Sara is a 2016 Artist INC Fellow. She is an ongoing member of the ARIM (Artist-Residence-in-Motherhood) community. She is a BEMIS Center for Contemporary Arts alumnx (2019 and 2021 Benefit Art Auction).

Sara was chosen as a participant/contributor in the project and subsequent book, MOTHER’S DAYS, curated, published and produced by Lenka Clayton, featuring documentation of selected members of Arist-Residence-in-Motherhood’s worldwide group of members. (Details coming soon, as well as link to New York Times article)

Her artworks have included acrylic abstract painting, mixed media, installation, drawing, watercolor and photography. Her poetry has been published in magazines such as The Lincoln Underground, and also via letterpress printing techniques. Her writing background includes fictional works, nonfiction, investigative journalism, copy writing, ghostwriting, and she wrote and co-wrote numerous shows for performance at Apollon Art Space (Omaha). She has also taught art and poetry-writing workshops at the elementary-school level. She frequently published health-related articles in the magazine, Complete Transformations.

Sara opened Nebraska City’s Mix Studios in 2017, (2017-2020) which housed her studio as well as bookshop, event space, gallery space, and piano studio. Mix Studios as a singular entity, sadly, was one of many small arts-related businesses that did not survive COVID-19.

Sara grew up in Nebraska City, NE and recently moved back in 2017. She lived for many years in Lincoln, NE and the Omaha/Bellevue, NE area. She is the proud granddaughter of the first female winner of the Marconi Award (for radio broadcasting), publisher, actress, spokeswoman and long-time radio talk-show host and “radio homemaker”, Billie Oakley. In addition to being an artist, she is also a former board member (Keep Nebraska City Beautiful), MC for Alzheimer’s Association Benefits, team lead for fundraising events for March of Dimes, Food Bank, and Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (Lincoln), former volunteer at St Monica’s, Lincoln General and Lancaster County Detox (ride share), and was a long-time speaker for youth and recovery groups and events. She received the St Monica’s Foundation Bravery Award in 1998. She is an avid nature/planetary health advocate, an advocate and activist in the arenas of autism awareness and human rights focusing on immigration and LGBTQIA+ rights, a business owner (Mix Studios), and is most proud of her roles in her family. Sara is one of the founding members of the Autism Women’s and Nonbinary Network, and is a member of AWP (Association of Writers and Writers Programs), The Planetary Society, WWF (World Wildlife Federation) and Sierra Club. She does not have any pets, but raccoons, a possum and a woodchuck live in her backyard shed, so that’s something. Her current studio used to be the living quarters above a former mortuary, and her closest community neighbors are a CASA outreach office, community services center, and a HeadStart daycare and early intervention center. all nestled in a former mortuary in Nebraska City’s downtown Creative Arts District.

Contact : sara@saramcneillyammon.com / saramcneilly@gmail.com

All website photos by Sara McNeilly Ammon unless otherwise noted.

Thank you’s/gratitudes will be included in future blog posts, with links to some of Sara’s favorite and personally most supportive Nebraska businesses and non-profits. It all takes a village - our love and support of one another will always be among the most important occurrences in our world. Reach out if you are not getting enough of either - you are worth the time.