Omaha, Neb.—Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts and Zipline Brewing Co. have partnered with Bemis Artist-in-Residence Raven Chacon to create a new limited edition beer to celebrate the launch of Bemis Center’s Sound Art + Experimental Music Program. Their beer, Low End Black Pale Ale, will be available to the public at the Exhibition Opening Reception of Inner Ear Vision: Sound as Medium at Bemis Center at 724 S. 12th Street on July 11 from 6:00–8:00 p.m. The unique black “pale” ale is brewed with Nebraska-grown Chinook hops and Midnight wheat, a huskless, roasted wheat malt to produce a smooth, crisp ale with a light, toasty finish. Low frequency sound waves recorded by Chacon from the bottom of the Missouri River were transduced into the fermenter during the brewing process.
“Nebraska is a place where there is a great respect for the making of sound and music,” said Chacon. “It’s an honor to collaborate with Zipline, as well as the Missouri River, who has always been speaking back to the people who draw from it.”
Beginning July 19, Low End Black Pale Ale will be available at select Bemis events and at Zipline Brewing Co. locations in Omaha at 721 N. 14th Street and in Lincoln at 5740 Hidcote Dr, Suite B and 2100 Magnum Circle, Ste 1. Fifty percent of the sales of Low End Black Pale Ale will directly support Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts.
“We’re extremely proud to support the launch of the Sound Art + Experimental Music Program in this way,” said Zipline Co-founder Tom Wilmoth. “In keeping with that experimental spirit, we tried to create a beer that stretched our notions of what a pale ale is all about. The addition of low frequency sound waves at key stages was really fun and builds on some cutting edge research about the effect of so-called ‘green music’ on fermentation rates and parameters.”
Embedded within Bemis Center’s renowned international Residency Program, the Sound Art + Experimental Music Program offers a unique experience for artists working in sound, composition, voice and music of all genres. National and international artists participating in the program receive financial, technical and administrative support, along with dedicated facilities for rehearsing, recording and performing new works that expand the field of sound art and music. The program includes a performance venue, opening in October 2019, that will offer free live shows for the public to experience the latest innovations by local, national and international sound artists and experimental musicians.
About Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
Founded in 1981, by artists for artists, Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts supports today’s artists through an international artist-in-residence program, temporary exhibitions and commissions, and innovative public programs. Located in the historic Old Market district, Bemis Center serves a critical role in the presentation and understanding of contemporary art, bridging the community of Omaha to a global discourse surrounding cultural production today.