A One-Year Budget Solution, A Multi-Generation Loss
Nebraska is considering removing $15 million from its Cultural Endowment — a long-term public trust built over decades — to cover just 0.27% of one year’s state budget. This post explains what’s at stake, why endowments exist, and how a short-term budget decision could quietly reshape access to arts, education, and cultural life across generations.
Crossroads Receives Artistic Innovations Grant
Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival has received an Artistic Innovations Grant from the Mid-America Arts Alliance to support the Dream Warriors Experience, a multimedia Indigenous arts project.
Thank you for a great 2025!
See the highlights of the 2025 Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival in this heartfelt retrospective from Artistic Director Erik Higgins.
Welcome to the 2025 Festival!
Artistic Director Erik Higgins and Guest Curator Kinan Azmeh welcome you to the 2025 Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival!
Top 5 Things You Don’t Want to Miss at Crossroads 2025
Discover the top 5 must-see events at this year’s Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival, from epic outdoor celebrations to immersive soundscapes
Interview with Guest Curator Kinan Azmeh
In this heartfelt conversation, guest curator Kinan Azmeh shares how friendship, cultural connection, and musical curiosity shape the 2025 Crossroads Festival.
Hasan’s Story, Part 1
Hasan Khalil’s journey from an Iraqi refugee camp to beloved Lincoln barber, musician, and community voice takes center stage in the new documentary “Cultures in the Crossfade.” The film—and the post-screening jam with hardcore drummer Tye—shows how two unlikely friends use music to shrink cultural divides and offer Lincoln as a model for the nation.
The NEA Just Terminated Our Funding: A Personal Reflection on Censorship, Art, and Resilience
When our NEA grant was abruptly terminated, we were stunned—not just by the loss of funding, but by the language used to justify it. In this personal reflection, Executive Director Olga Smola draws on her Soviet upbringing to examine the chilling echoes of censorship, the importance of artistic freedom, and what’s at stake when politics invades the arts. Read how Nebraska Crossroads is responding—with resilience, music, and an unshakable belief in the power of creative expression.
Dream Warriors Project Part 1
Behind the scenes at the 2024 Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival, Indigenous hip-hop collective Dream Warriors and Swedish producers Fredrik Serholt and Paulina Délin came together for the first time to create new music. Joined by visual artist Sarah Rowe, the group crafted five original tracks and artwork in just a few days — a powerful testament to creativity, trust, and collaboration.
Backstage Stories – Part 1: Humberto Gonzales and a Taste of Buena Vista Social Club in the Midwest
From the global stages of Buena Vista Social Club to the quiet streets of Marshalltown, Iowa, Humberto Garcia Raul Gonzales’ journey is a story of resilience, passion, and rediscovery. This is a story about the hidden talent in our communities—and how a little support can help extraordinary artists find their way back to the spotlight.
Trump’s Federal Grant Freeze: Why This Arts Organization Cultivated Diversity Before DEI, and Why It Will Continue To Do So in the Future
This year started on a high note for Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival—we were awarded our first-ever NEA Project Grant to support our 2025 festival. But with the Trump Administration’s new Executive Order freezing federal grants, the future of this funding is uncertain.
Nebraska Crossroads Music Festival Awarded NEA Grant for 2025 Season with Guest Curator Kinan Azmeh.
From a bold idea to a nationally recognized festival: Nebraska Crossroads just earned a $40,000 NEA grant and is curating a world-class 2025 season with Kinan Azmeh. Discover what’s next.