WNC News & Notes: Professor heads to ‘Sacred Places’

WNC professor Dr. Hal Starratt will take you to “Sacred Places” in his exhibit showcasing 40 years of photographing ancient locations in Latin America and Europe.

Next month, Sacred Places will be shown in WNC’s Main Gallery and Atrium, while Sarah Shearer will exhibit “Temporal Cycles” in the Hallway Gallery of the Bristlecone Building on the Carson City campus.

The exhibits run from March 4 through April 8. There’s a reception for the artists scheduled for March 7 from 4:30 to 6 p.m.

“Sacred Places take many forms for people who build impressive monuments to their beliefs,” said Starratt, who teaches anthropology and photography at WNC. “The amazing and beautiful forms these monuments have taken, their lasting testament to the dedication of the faithful, and the devotion and sacrifice required to construct them is wondrous today in a world of disposable things.”

Starratt is a lifelong photographer who started out in his father’s darkroom as a boy.

The black and white photo exhibit includes Mesoamerican archeological sites and images of Catholic churches and cathedrals in Mesoamerica and Spain. Some of the images were made as 35 millimeter slides dating to the 1970s, others were made during the 1980s as 4-by-5 large format negatives and most recently many were made with a digital camera during his sabbatical leave in 2018.

Shearer’s “Temporal Cycles” prints convey the essence of life contained in physical forms and bodily cycles, visible on the surface and beyond what the eye can see.

“While I reference the human body and organic forms, the resulting prints become more abstract as I record my reaction to the mystery and wonder of the human body in connection to the larger world,” Shearer said. “The images become alive and move on a two dimensional plane. They emerge from the surface of the paper and give the viewer a sense of wonder and feelings of uncertainty. They slowly grow and expand as they cycle repeatedly through the press, building layer upon layer of imagery and history.

“The form and its environment are closely related and often share similar components. This sharing of components emphasizes the idea that we are part of a greater whole, and that the air we breathe into our lungs is the same air that is exhaled and moves between our inner world and the outer world. Thinking about what happens both outside our bodies and within the vessel we call the body.”

The Main Gallery is located in the Bristlecone Building at 2201 W. College Parkway in Carson City. The gallery is open during school hours, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WNC Art Galleries is currently showing Steampunk with High Desert Steam. The exhibit will be shown through Feb. 26.

Former NHL Goalie to Speak about Mental Health Issues on Feb. 21

Western Nevada College’s Psychology Club has rescheduled the PTSD, Depression and Suicide presentation with Clint Malarchuk for Thursday, Feb. 21 on the Carson City campus.

Malarchuk, a former National Hockey League goaltender who nearly died during a game when a skate blade slashed his jugular vein, will speak from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Marlette Hall (Cedar Building 100).

Malarchuk, now a mental health advocate who lives on a ranch in Gardnerville, will share the life-threatening mental issues he’s overcome during his adult life.

“My purpose is to be of service to men and women struggling with PTSD, mental illness and addiction — and that’s an awesome service,” Malarchuk said.

Snacks will be provided.

Seating is limited and attendees are asked to RSVP by emailing Dr. Rebecca Bevans, WNC psychology professor and Psychology Club adviser, at Rebecca.bevans@wnc.edu.

Chancellor Speaks at WNC about NSHE’s Strategic Goals

Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Dr. Thom Reilly was the keynote speaker for the OWINN and ACT Work Smart Nevada Conference recently at Western Nevada College.

Reilly spoke about NSHE Board of Regents’ strategic goals for collaboration with K-12 schools and Nevada employers to increase participation in postsecondary education, meet workforce needs, close the achievement gap among underserved populations and raise student success overall.

The conference brought together business leaders and educators from around the state for workshops to promote careers for a new economy.

ACT is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. OWINN is the Governor’s Office of Workforce Innovation.

WNC Campuses Closed on Monday

WNC’s three campuses will be closed on Monday in observance of Presidents Day. The campuses will reopen on Tuesday at 8 a.m.