Community Advisory Board

Brandon Lesoing

My name is Brandon Lesoing.  I live in Lincoln, NE with my wife Katherine and 7-year-old daughter, Nola.  I grew up on a small farm outside of Hickman, NE and attended and graduated High School from Norris High School.  I attended the University of Nebraska College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness.  I am the Chief Credit Analyst and SBA Specialist at First State Bank Nebraska and have worked there for over 14 years.  In my spare time, I enjoy playing outside with my family, listening to music, and watching sports.  Both my grandparents and parents have been strong role models for me growing up volunteering time and serving as leaders on several different community and church boards, organizations, and groups.  I have served as the Treasurer of the Hickman Area Community Foundation Fund for the past 5 years and also a member of the Hickman Kiwanis Club.  I learned about Live Yes Studios about 5 years ago and have been lucky enough to attend several of their events and get to know some of the staff and artists.  The work Live Yes does never cease to amaze me and always puts a smile on my face.  Although I don’t consider myself very artistic, I have always had a high appreciation of art and the creativity of individuals making it.  It is an honor to serve on the Live Yes Studio’s Community Advisory Board and continue to support the artists and the work they do.

Peggy Gomez

Peggy Gomez started Gomez Art Supply in 2003 and helped found (2005) and continues to help run Tugboat Gallery both in Lincoln, Nebraska.  She is an avid front yard vegetable gardener, 4 season commuter bicyclist, dog walker, collector of cast off items and collage/mixed media artist.

Peggy graduated with a BFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1985 and a MFA from the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis in 1989 in Printmaking.  She taught at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from 1996-2002 primarily drawing and a little Printmaking. Peggy's first job was being an Usherette at the Omaha Civic Auditorium, she also was a server at Arturo's Mexican Restaurant, worked at Open Harvest and at Bennet Martin Library.

Peggy lives in the Near south Neighborhood with her partner Pepe Fierro of Pepe's Bistro and Jet (Shih Tzu/Maltese) and Marigold (Chihuahua/?). 

Mary Manton Herres

Ms. Herres has a background of more than 40 years of experience working with art based for profit and non-profit businesses as an owner, grant write and business development specialist.

She began her career owning and managing a fine art and craft gallery in the Old Market in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2004, she became the business manager for KZUM Radio, a local community based non-profit radio station. During her tenure at KZUM, she brought the organization into the digital age with a successful large challenge grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Currently she operates a business providing administrative services to FEMA for their Public Assistance Disaster Grants.

Ms. Herres extensive background in non-profit development and supports has enabled her to develop valuable relationships with foundations throughout the U.S. She has served on many non-profit boards and currently serves on the Lincoln/Lancaster County Mayor’s Commission on Women and Gender.

Craig Roper

Craig Roper was born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, NE He received a BFA (1980) and an MFA (1996) from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is and always will be an active artist. During the last 40+ years Craig has shown his work many times in Lincoln, Kearney and Omaha as well as numerous solo and group shows in Maastricht, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami. From 2008 to 2011 he opened a small but influential small gallery called ProjectRoom in downtown Lincoln to promote the work of many artists via physical shows and social media promotion. For 3 years he served on the board of the Medici Foundation as well as on the boards of The Lux Center for The Arts and the UN-L Fine Arts Alumni Achievement Awards Committee. Craig has traveled frequently and has experienced first-hand the Lower East-Side art boom era of the 1980s, the rise of postmodernism in the late 80s and 90s, many Whitney Biennials and major art fairs, as well as countless museums and galleries across the globe. However, his heart has always belonged to work made by the untrained visionary outsider and folk artists he has encountered in unexpected places.