Omaha-based painter and muralist Oria Simonini has been selected as the featured artist for Omaha Reads 2024, an annual program by Omaha Public Library (OPL) that encourages the community to engage with a single book. Simonini’s artwork will serve as the visual identity for this year’s selection, The War Begins in Paris by Theodore Wheeler.
“I just felt like it was a no-brainer. Art, libraries, books—it all fit together,” she said. “And it was such an easy application, which was great.”
Her artwork will provide the visual identity for this year’s selection, The War Begins in Paris by Theodore Wheeler, a novel that delves into power, morality, and the shades of gray between them.
Born in French Guiana to Argentine parents, Simonini spent much of her early childhood sailing and living throughout Central America before settling in Guatemala. Eventually, she and her family migrated to the United States, and she has called Nebraska home since her teenage years. Despite the move, her deep ties to Guatemala remain strong, shaping both her art and advocacy work.
Simonini has built an impressive career in Omaha’s arts scene. In 2022, she was awarded a grant from The Andy Warhol Foundation via The Populus Fund for a community-based mural project spanning Schuyler, Nebraska, and Santiago Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. A year later, she was selected as a fellow at The Union for Contemporary Art in Omaha. Today, she serves as Advocacy Chair on the Board of Benson First Friday Omaha, helping to elevate local artists and community-driven projects.
To bring Wheeler’s novel to life, Simonini created an oil painting on wood paneling, a medium she felt best captured the novel’s intensity.
“I was drawn to watercolor at first because of its transparency and layering,” she said. “But in the end, I felt like the piece needed more punch, more depth.”
Her final artwork reflects the interplay between the two main characters, focusing on themes of conflict, power, and perception. One of the most striking elements of her piece is its emphasis on eyes, a motif that recurs throughout the book.
“I kept coming back to the way the book fixates on eyes,” Simonini said. “It’s about how characters see each other, how they see themselves, and how they want to be seen.”
Simonini believes libraries play a crucial role in making art accessible to the public.
“I love the idea of people stumbling across art in unexpected places,” she said. “Seeing great work shouldn’t be limited to galleries and museums—it should be part of everyday life.”
Her hope is that the piece will spark curiosity and inspire readers. “If someone sees the artwork and thinks, ‘What’s this about?’ and then decides to read the novel, that would be a huge success,” she said.
Simonini’s artwork will be displayed at key Omaha Reads 2024 events, including the Virtual Tour of Paris event and an author discussion with Theodore Wheeler on Sept. 22, 2024 at the downtown branch.
As she reflects on the project, Simonini is grateful for the creative challenge and the chance to merge literature with visual art.
“It was fun to think about a book in a totally different way,” she said. “Books and art are both about storytelling, and I love that they’re coming together like this.”
Through her striking painting, Oria Simonini brings a fresh perspective to Omaha Reads 2024, proving that stories can be told not just through words, but through color, texture, and vision.
Attend an Omaha Reads event, and join the conversation about literature, art, and the stories that shape us.
Visit omahalibrary.org to learn more.
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