Growing community of artists making Northern Nevada their canvas

In June 2021, the once-dreary Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor (ReTRAC) in Downtown Reno was transformed into a vibrant ground mural named “Locomotion,” depicting abstracted Reno-themed images and symbols, such as train tracks, mountains, sagebrush and the city flag.

In June 2021, the once-dreary Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor (ReTRAC) in Downtown Reno was transformed into a vibrant ground mural named “Locomotion,” depicting abstracted Reno-themed images and symbols, such as train tracks, mountains, sagebrush and the city flag. Photo: Mike Higdon / Downtown Reno Partnership

By Kaleb Roedel

Thursday, October 14, 2021

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EDITOR’S NOTE This story is adapted from the 2021-2022 edition of the Northern Nevada Guide, a 116-page specialty magazine published in late September by the Northern Nevada Business Weekly. Go here to read the digital edition.


Being the closest metro area to the site of Burning Man, where, pre-pandemic, tens of thousands of people converge from all corners of the globe for a weeklong arts and counterculture festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, it’s no surprise that Reno-Sparks has a vibrant arts and culture scene.

Over the past five years, the region has sprung to life with swaths of colorful murals painting commercial buildings, big and small, and an array of eye-catching art installations and sculptures sprouting from Northern Nevada’s urban landscape.

Many of these pieces of artwork even come straight from Burning Man, like the Space Whale, a 50-foot-tall stained glass and steel sculpture of a humpback whale mother and calf that’s beached at City Plaza in Downtown Reno. There, you can also find the BELIEVE sign, made of steel that’s 12 feet high and 4 feet thick.

It’s thanks to a growing community of artists making the Biggest Little City their canvas as well as the city officials seeking to weave arts and culture into the fabric of their communities.

One recent example is the beautification of the Reno Transportation Rail Access Corridor (ReTRAC). In June 2021, the 18,000-square-foot stretch of dreary concrete in Downtown Reno was transformed into a vibrant ground mural named “Locomotion,” depicting abstracted Reno-themed images and symbols, such as train tracks, mountains, sagebrush and the city flag.

Philadelphia-based muralist Brad Carney led a band of 260 volunteers to complete the ReTRAC project. The undeveloped dirt around the plaza’s edge was also enhanced with the planting of 16 new shade trees and 1,600 perennial flowers.

“It really brings to life this nice central part of downtown,” said Mike Higdon, marketing manager at the Downtown Reno Partnership. “That area in particular, especially during the winter when the trees are leafless throughout town, can look really gray. And now that it has this permanent color on it, it really ties a lot of stuff together.

“It’s like a nice rug; it ties the whole room together — just like The Dude (from ‘The Big Lebowski’) says.”

SPARKS ART WALK

Over in Sparks, meanwhile, the city in July 2021 unveiled the Sparks Art Walk, a curated collection of five new sculptures and one mural displayed throughout Victoria Square in Downtown Sparks.

Officials say it is designed to enhance the local environment and promote the understanding and enjoyment of public art by inviting artists to temporarily exhibit select works. The collection of art will rotate every two years.

The new Sparks Art Walk in Downtown Sparks features five new sculptures, including the “Sagebrush Bee,” a honeybee whose fur is made of nearly 5,000 pennies. Photo: City of Sparks

 

Francine Burge, special events supervisor at the City of Sparks, said the program was born out of a recommendation from the city’s creative placemaking plan to “infuse downtown with art in a meaningful way.”

One of the sculptures is called “Sagebrush Bee,” a honeybee whose fur is made of nearly 5,000 pennies. It was created by the duo of Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson, who became an art team after meeting, and later marrying, at, fittingly, Burning Man.

“It adds to the city in that not only is it a fully functioning art exhibit, but it also has a lot of connecting parts to it,” said Burge, noting the project also has a goal of stimulating the economy in Downtown Sparks. “It’s finding ways of getting people downtown to look at the artwork and enjoy the artwork. The city is well known for our special events, like the (Nugget) Rib Cook-off, and we’re very proud of them. But we don’t have a lot outside of some of those special events.

“So, this was a way of getting people to come downtown and experience downtown all over again, without it being the Rib Cook-off.”

Burge said the growth of public art in Sparks — and Reno — is not only a byproduct of the Burning Man effect, but also a commitment by elected officials to “enhance and beautify a city and really show off its cultural depth.”

“On the surface, you can look at a lot of statistics that indicate that when you put public art in a neighborhood, it does increase real estate value,” she said. “But I think it’s more important that this art is beneficial to the people that are around it, and it makes sure that whatever art we’re putting into the area or the neighborhood is not only selected but it also reflects the community that lives there.

“So, when you’re coming in as a tourist, or you’re relocating here, all the art should be reflective of the community that you’re visiting or moving into.”

MONUMENTAL MUSEUMS

Those visiting or relocating to Northern Nevada also have a bevy of cultural institutions they can explore. Four, in particular, can give you a full flavor of the rich and colorful history in greater Reno-Carson and beyond.

The Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum in Carson City tells the stories of the thousands of American Indian children from western tribes who were educated at Stewart. Photo: Travel Nevada

 

If you’re looking to immerse yourself in art indoors, look no further than the Nevada Museum of Art. The oldest cultural institution in Nevada (founded in 1931), the establishment provides a center for visual arts activities, exhibitions and artists.

The permanent collection has grown to more than 1,500 paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints and photographs, which reflect five focus areas centered on land and environment. Past exhibits include the collections of Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol.

To delve into the history of the Silver State, the Nevada State Museum in Carson City showcases Nevada’s storied past across a diverse panorama of engaging subjects, including eons-old geology, prehistoric animals, American Indian culture, the glory days of silver mining and more. Housed in the former United States Mint, the museum unfolds the state’s history from prehistoric times to modern day.

More of a car history buff? Reno is home to the National Automobile Museum, ranked one of the top car museums in the world by AutoWeek magazine. The museum features more than 200 rare, classic and special interest vehicles, many of which are from the personal and world-famous collection of the late William “Bill” Fisk Harrah. The museum features four period streets that represent the four quarters of the 20th century, with authentic street scenes, sounds and facades that bring displays to life.

To get an in-depth look at the region’s indigenous history, the Stewart Indian School Cultural Center and Museum tells the stories of the thousands of American Indian children from western tribes who were educated at Stewart.

Opening in early 2020, the cultural center and museum is dedicated to the memories of the first Stewart students from Great Basin tribes, and all students and families who were impacted by the Stewart experience. Many personal accounts from Stewart alumni can be found throughout the Museum, and tell the story of a complex past that changed the course of generations of children.

The countless stories of hardship, resilience, strength and triumph are at the core of the current efforts to preserve the Stewart campus, and are illustrated in exhibits throughout the museum.

“There is nowhere else in the region, where a civic minded individual can learn firsthand accounts about the federal government’s impact on Native Americans, our families and our communities,” notes Stacey Montooth, executive director of the Nevada Indian Commission. “Our cultural center includes audio, visual and often in-person options to learn the authentic stories of the first people of this land.”

After all, Montooth said, most Americans have only been exposed to part of the Native American story, as told from a limited perspective in popular media and textbooks.

“Our country — the planet, actually — is better off if we all really understand the truth; the good and bad history about our country,” she continued. “By using authentic, first-hand accounts about the cultural assimilation Indigenous children endured by being stripped away — kidnapped from their families and communities and taken to distant residential facilities — we ensure that our history is not forgotten and not repeated.”

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