Biography
Drawing and painting are Bob’s lifelong passions. A gifted and talented painter, Bob has been a long-time, active member of the Art Community and a dedicated advocate for the arts. He has served on the Mayor’s Public Arts Commission, Board of Directors for Opera Omaha, United Arts Omaha and the Omaha Theater Company for Young People. He currently serves on the boards of Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Nebraska Arts Council and the Museum of Nebraska Art. Bob’s figurative art is influenced by work he did early in his career with well-known and well-respected Pop era artists such as Wayne Thiebaud, Phillip Pearlstein, Frank Gallo, and Alex Katz. A two-year stint in New York in the 70s as assistant to Red Grooms, a leader in the Pop Art movement, also gave Bob the opportunity to teach at New York’s Educational Alliance.
Bob is both a successful artist and businessman. As a businessman he built one of the largest advertising agencies in Nebraska and was an INC. Magazine Entrepreneur-of-the-Year. Bob has a B.F.A. from the University of Nebraska. Twice, he received scholarships to Kent State University’s Blossom Center Program. During his educational journey, he moved to New York City to apprentice with Red Grooms, a leader in the Pop Art movement of the 60’s and 70’s. He assisted Red with many installations as well as starring in one of Red’s Ruckus Films called Hippodrome Hardware. While in New York, he also taught drawing at the Educational Alliance. Returning to Nebraska, Bob created the Culver Marketing Group. The Culver Marketing Group was incorporated in 1983 and by 1993 grew to be the largest Nebraska based advertising agency. Culver’s company was chosen in 1991, by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, as one of Omaha’s Top 25 fastest growing companies. Bob himself received the chamber’s Small Businessperson of the Year in 1992. Bob was also honored as the Outstanding Alumni of the University of Nebraska Lincoln Fine Arts College. He has been asked to serve on many community boards. He is an Alumnus of Omaha’s Executive Institute and Executive ICAN program. He is also received his LLIF (LIMRA Life Insurance Fellow) from Wharton School of Business. A shared love of art prompted Bob and his late wife, Mary, to found the MEDICI group, a fund-raising organization for the department of Art and Art History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Their children, Chris and Ashley, are both pursuing careers in the arts.
Biography
Drawing and painting are Bob’s lifelong passions. A gifted and talented painter, Bob has been a long-time, active member of the Art Community and a dedicated advocate for the arts. He has served on the Mayor’s Public Arts Commission, Board of Directors for Opera Omaha, United Arts Omaha and the Omaha Theater Company for Young People. He currently serves on the boards of Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Nebraska Arts Council and the Museum of Nebraska Art. Bob’s figurative art is influenced by work he did early in his career with well-known and well-respected Pop era artists such as Wayne Thiebaud, Phillip Pearlstein, Frank Gallo, and Alex Katz. A two-year stint in New York in the 70s as assistant to Red Grooms, a leader in the Pop Art movement, also gave Bob the opportunity to teach at New York’s Educational Alliance.
Bob is both a successful artist and businessman. As a businessman he built one of the largest advertising agencies in Nebraska and was an INC. Magazine Entrepreneur-of-the-Year. Bob has a B.F.A. from the University of Nebraska. Twice, he received scholarships to Kent State University’s Blossom Center Program. During his educational journey, he moved to New York City to apprentice with Red Grooms, a leader in the Pop Art movement of the 60’s and 70’s. He assisted Red with many installations as well as starring in one of Red’s Ruckus Films called Hippodrome Hardware. While in New York, he also taught drawing at the Educational Alliance. Returning to Nebraska, Bob created the Culver Marketing Group. The Culver Marketing Group was incorporated in 1983 and by 1993 grew to be the largest Nebraska based advertising agency. Culver’s company was chosen in 1991, by the Omaha Chamber of Commerce, as one of Omaha’s Top 25 fastest growing companies. Bob himself received the chamber’s Small Businessperson of the Year in 1992. Bob was also honored as the Outstanding Alumni of the University of Nebraska Lincoln Fine Arts College. He has been asked to serve on many community boards. He is an Alumnus of Omaha’s Executive Institute and Executive ICAN program. He is also received his LLIF (LIMRA Life Insurance Fellow) from Wharton School of Business. A shared love of art prompted Bob and his late wife, Mary, to found the MEDICI group, a fund-raising organization for the department of Art and Art History, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Their children, Chris and Ashley, are both pursuing careers in the arts.
