Political cartoonist to showcase work on First Friday

Neal Obermeyer isn't the typical First Friday artist.

He's not a painter, photographer or a sculptor, but a political cartoonist whose work is originally made for the daily cycle of the newsprint world, where things are often easily forgotten by tomorrow.

However, removed from that world and placed in a gallery, these cartoons not only display the unique gift of the political cartoonist, but also serve as a timestamp, displaying the political atmosphere of the moment, which is usually filled with just as much emotion as the cartoons themselves and always seems to be just as fleeting as yesterday's news cycle.

This Friday, Obermeyer will be displaying a collection of his art centered on the theme of "Good Friday, Better Art" at Handmade Modern Studio & Gallery, which is part of the Parrish Project and is located at 1416 O St.

The exhibit on Friday will consist of some of Obermeyer's material from the last 10 years, including some editorial cartoons that made it into various newspapers and others that didn't. He'll also include some of what he calls "cartoon related things." Several pieces will feature a cartoon Jesus in different scenarios, keeping with the Good Friday theme.

"A lot of the cartoons had Jesus in them that got rejected over the years," Obermeyer said. "I look at the show as cartoons that were sentenced to death by the editor, but the creator has turned around and given them new life."

Obermeyer got his start at the Daily Nebraskan 11 years ago. After graduation, he moved to San Diego and continued his craft professionally.

"I never really thought that I would do this as a career, but I really liked it," he said, "After graduation, I was sort of in the right place at the right time. The San Diego Reader didn't have a cartoonist, and I got the job."

After returning to Lincoln for graduate school, Obermeyer went on to his current positions drawing for the Lincoln Journal Star and the Omaha Reader, in addition to his work for the San Diego Reader.

Obermeyer says working for newspapers helps him stay fresh as an artist.

"You've got the creative aspect of making art (mixed with) the urgency of deadlines that comes with working for a newspaper," he said. "That's pressure that I think I've been able to benefit from."

Obermeyer hopes people will come out on Friday to see his art, which he thinks is a little different than other art they might see.

"Maybe I've got something that's atypical. I hope it's atypical." He said, "Maybe it will be kind of an unusual show for people."

Sara Bucy, owner of Handmade Modern, said she tries to actively look for people who will bring something unique to the gallery.

"I'm always looking for someone that's different," she said.

After going to a similar show, Bucy thought a young political cartoonist would be great.

"Everything in the Parrish Studios is about young and emerging artists, and Neal is a perfect fit," Bucy said.

She also likes the idea of bringing Obermeyer's art out of the newspaper and into a gallery.

"It's always a challenge to ask someone to show their art in a different way than they're used to," she said.

Bucy said she loves having a new artist come to her gallery every month.

"I'm influenced by the artists in my gallery, and the new artists keep people coming back," she said. "Parrish artists are always on the edge, pushing the limits."

She described First Fridays at the Parrish Studios, a collective space with several studios and galleries, as "a buzzing crazy mass of people; everyone looking for ways to stimulate their mind."

Obermeyer is glad to show this crazy mass of people his work.

"In the early days at the DN, it didn't occur to me to save the cartoons. I would just hand them in, and they would scan them for the next day's paper, and I would forget about them," Obermeyer said. "Luckily, they saved them all for me in a folder."

Friday's show will also be the product of many years of honing his craft, "In some capacity, I've always been doing this. Whether it was doodling my frustrations about teachers in my homework or now calling out the governor," Obermeyer said. "I've always used art to express what I think."

nickhardt@dailynebraskan.com