Magdalena García: The Heart Behind El Museo Latino
When Magdalena “Maggie” García first imagined a Latino museum in Omaha, she did so with little more than conviction, elbow grease, and a deep devotion to art. Over thirty years later, El Museo Latino stands as one of the Midwest’s cultural mothers, her legacy writ in wood, canvas, clay, and community.
García was born in Mexico City and moved to Omaha at age nine, bringing with her a love for museums, opera, and visual arts nurtured by summers spent with her artist aunt and grandmother.
She navigated early language barriers, learning English in school and carrying her heritage as both anchor and spark.
She trained in human resources while volunteering at the Joslyn Art Museum and earning an art history degree from UNO. Later, she pursued graduate work in museum studies at Syracuse University.
It was during her internship in Los Angeles, preparing bilingual educational materials for a traveling exhibition of Mexican art, that the seed of El Museo Latino took root.
In 1993, García launched El Museo Latino in a modest space in South Omaha’s Livestock Exchange Building, using her own labor and community help to ready the galleries. The museum later moved in 1998 to the former Polish Home at 4701 South 25th Street, a Romanesque structure now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Under García’s leadership, the museum has grown into a cultural hub for Latino heritage in Nebraska and the Great Plains, offering rotating exhibits, dance instruction, artist residencies, educational outreach, and annual events such as Cinco de Mayo and Día de Muertos.
In 2023, she launched “Elevating the Tradition,” an ambitious capital project to renovate galleries, add classrooms, studios, and upgrade infrastructure, funded in part by a $2.1 million Nebraska Department of Economic Development grant.
García remains vocal about the importance of locating the museum in South Omaha, where it belongs, and serving her neighbors, not just tourists. She has said that every exhibition, every school tour, every dance performance is part of reclaiming space and identity for Latino communities who too often feel unseen.
Magdalena García’s story is one of bravely combining artist, organizer, and community steward. Her legacy lives not just in paintings or artifacts, but in the cultural dignity she has ensured for future generations in Omaha and the Plains.
Do you know someone whose story should be told — a mentor, educator, entrepreneur, veteran, artist, or advocate who has made a lasting difference in the Latino community? Please share their name and a little about their journey with us.
📩 Email: office@lozafina.com