2026 Bitsy Awards Receipients

Congratulations to this year’s recipients of the 2026 Bitsty awards!

The Bitsys are an award given biannually to those individuals who work more behind the scenes. Each recipient is chosen by the NAC staff. Awards for this year were created by artist Vickie Highes at Hot Shops in Omaha.

This year’s recipients are:

Colleen Heavican Cass- Curator of the UNMC Healing Arts Program (Omaha)

Colleen Heavican Cass receiving a Bitsy with NAC Chairman Sheri Hofschire and Executive Director Mike Markey

For her work behind the scenes to bring calming, rejuvenating and thoughtful artwork to our very own University of Nebraska Medicine Center Healing Arts Program, we thank Colleen Heavican Cass, the Curator of the UNMC Healing Arts Program. She helps bring this hallmark Program to UNMC through musical performances, interactive projects, exhibitions, and public art installations to UNMC campuses throughout the state, including right here in Kearney. There are plenty of uplifting, anecdotal stories about the benefits of the UNMC Healing Arts Program, and Colleen has also offered to share with several hospitals across Nebraska the different ways they might embark on such a program.

Alan Wedige- 1% for Art Liaison in for the University of Kearney (Kearney)

Alan Wedige receiving a Bitsy Award

Alan Wedige, up until retirement this year, has been the long-time Architect for the University of Nebraska system, based out of Kearney. Alan carries a deep-seated knowledge of the campus’ layout, intent of the designs, and how people move through them. Most importantly to us, was how that knowledge helped to inform the public art in the 1% for Art program, and how the Public Art might be in conversation with the buildings, with each other, and with the students.

Alan’s knowledge and guidance was especially helpful to help us brainstorm approaches for legislative bill issues surrounding the 1% for Art Program.

Richard Harrison- Arist/Muralist (Omaha)

Richard Harrison receiving a Bitsy Award.

Midsummer Murals and the South Omaha Mural Project has made its mark in Nebraska. Richard Harrison has been leading those efforts behind the scenes over the years, but also leading from the lifts far from the ground, and often with a paint brush in hand. Richard loves his craft and shares vital helpful with other artists and aspirational building owners when they want to start on their mural journey. We are also thankful for the two mural projects Richard created for the 1% for Art program in Central Nebraska Veterans Home, here in Kearney, as well as the Eastern Nebraska Veterans’ Home in Bellevue.

Carrie Nath– Director of Equitable Access at BLUEBARN Theater (Omaha)

Carrie Nath receiving a Bitsy award

Carrie has been an outstanding advocate for artists with disabilities throughout her storied career. She helped lead the Arts Access Collaborative of Nebraska, a quarterly conversation about access to the arts hosted by NAC, in its inaugural season. When she isn’t helping guide the conversation at NAC, she is the Director of Equitable Access at BLUEBARN Theater and the Director of Risky Disco and The New Works Development for Disabled Arts program with the Common Senses Festival in Omaha. Carrie sits on the Opera Omaha Community Panel and serves on their Board of Directors. We are fortunate to have her guidance as we move towards a more accessible Nebraska.

Dahn Hagge– Golden Husk Theatre (Ord)

Dahn Hagge receiving a Bitsy Award

Dahn has been involved in the arts scene of Nebraska when she didn’t even live in Nebraska!  Dahn was instrumental in the renovation and management of the Golden Husk in Ord, which is how we first met her.  Along the way, we’ve gotten to know her through the Creative District in both Valley County and also in Valentine.  Dahn has been a panelist on the Nebraska Touring Program panel and has valuable insights into programming in greater Nebraska.

Dan Wach- Executive Director of the Shelterbelt Theatre (Omaha)

Dan Wach receiving a Bitsy Award

Since the 80’s, Shelterbelt Theatre has served as an important entry point for local artists. Through vignette productions, public workshops, and partnerships with several other organizations, the company creates space for writers who may never have seen their work produced.

The Shelterbelt lost their lease in 2018, and for the next 5 years, Dan and his talented, driven wife Roxanne scoured the city for another home. In 2023 the found the Omar building, the new home for the theatre. Sadly, Roxanne passed. Since then, Dan has carried the Shelterbelt forward. He has marshalled so many talented artists and brought back to Omaha a home for new scripts.

Dan Wach is a stage veteran for over 40 years, Dan has performed and/or done technical duties with most of the theatrical and arts groups in Omaha. Name one, he’s worked there. He has served on several Omaha theatre boards and is equally comfortable on or behind the scenes.

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