Join Bretton Rodriguez, Ph.D. and Edward Schoolman, Ph.D. as they explore the relationships between medieval cultures and their weapons. The development of new and better martial technology shaped the nature of warfare in the medieval and early modern worlds, and it transformed the practical, decorative, social, and metaphorical values of weapons of war. 

Bretton Rodriguez, Ph.D. is a teaching assistant professor of Core Humanities at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is a specialist in the literature, history, and culture of medieval and early modern Iberia. His research focuses on the use and manipulation of the past in historical narratives.

Ned Schoolman, Ph.D. is an associate professor in the History Department at the University of Nevada, Reno.  His current research centers on facets of nobility, the process of migration, and environmental change during the Middle Ages in Italy.

The Art Bite lecture series is supported by Nevada Humanities with additional sponsorship and free admission for students supported by the Core Humanities Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Join us for an exhibition walkthrough of “The World Stage, Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation” led by JoAnne Northrup, Curatorial Director and Curator of Contemporary Art. Guests will enjoy a guided walkthrough of the exhibition which includes canonical 20th century artists such as Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Rauschenberg, and Andy Warhol, as well as leading 21st century artists such as Jeffrey Gibson, Mickalene Thomas, and Kehinde Wiley—an artist best known for his portrait of President Obama which hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. Northrup will discuss her motivation for selecting these 100 artworks, drawn from Schnitzer’s collection of more than 14,000 works, and introduce visitors to some of the lesser-known artists in the mix.

The Art Bite lecture series is supported by Nevada Humanities with additional sponsorship and free admission for students supported by the Core Humanities Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Art History and Labor Studies are often considered false friends, two fields that investigate very different subjects. Yet, there’s a long history of art that represents labor and working conditions. This talk will focus on the intersection of art and labor in painting, photography, and sculpture of the 20th century with a focus on the E. L. Wiegand Collection at the Nevada Museum of Art.

Dr. Brett Van Hoesen is Associate Professor of Art History at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The Art Bite lecture series is supported by Nevada Humanities with additional sponsorship and free admission for students supported by the Core Humanities Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Stories come to life through the art of cinema. Join us for a discussion about the art of filmmaking with Elspeth Summers and James Coleman from Tweaking Reality Studios as they discuss their creative process with collaborator Caitlin McCarty of the local dance company Collateral and Co. Program will include a preview of the short dance film “The Space Above.”

The Art Bite lecture series is supported by Nevada Humanities with additional sponsorship and free admission for students supported by the Core Humanities Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Georgia O’Keeffe famously painted the flowers that grew in her gardens, so how did the tropical and exotic hibiscus and plumeria find their way into her work? Join Theresa Papanikolas, Ann M. Barwick Curator of American Art at the Seattle Art Museum, as she traces the genesis and development of O’Keeffe’s floral paintings, follows in the footsteps of her 1939 journey to Hawaii, and reveals how she interpreted nature in modernist terms to reflect her intense—even spiritual—reverence for the American landscape.

Theresa Papanikolas, Ph.D. joined the Seattle Art Museum in 2019 as its Ann M. Barwick Curator of American Art. Prior to that, she was Deputy Director of Art and Programs and Curator of European and American Art at the Honolulu Museum of Art, where she led the reinstallation of its galleries and organized the exhibitions From Whistler to Warhol: Modernism on Paper (2010), Georgia O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams: The Hawai?i Pictures (2013), Art Deco Hawai?i (2014), and Abstract Expressionism: Looking East from the Far West (2017). She was also the curator of the New York Botanical Garden’s 2018 exhibition, Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawaii. At SAM, she is curator of Georgia O’Keeffe: Abstract Variations, forthcoming in 2020.

Dr. Papanikolas has worked at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Contemporary Arts Museum Houston; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and Rice University; holds degrees from USC (BA) and the University of Delaware (MA, Ph.D.); and completed a Fellowship at the Center for Curatorial Leadership (2016).

The Art Bite lecture series is supported by Nevada Humanities with additional sponsorship and free admission for students supported by the Core Humanities Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

This program will be held in the Wayne L. Prim Theater.

A specialist in firearms preservation, Richard Moll, Chief Conservator at the Autry Museum of the American West, will discuss preservation for both museums and the private collector. Presentation will include an overview of the methods, materials, and ethical considerations when preserving historic objects.

The mythos of the Wild West has long inspired the nation.  During the 30s and 40s, America’s appetite for films about the West seemed insatiable.   In answer, the big studios created a steady stream of big budget Western films with established stars.  Meanwhile, on the back lots of mini studios like Republic and on ranches in the Simi Valley, a sub genre was putting out hundreds of smaller films a year. These were the B Westerns and they would launch the careers of cowboy stars like Hopalong Cassidy, Tim McCoy, Hoot Gibson and The Durango Kid himself, Charles Starrett. This genre of Western film, vastly popular in its time, is nearly forgotten now. Screenwriter, producer and film buff, Tim Kirk, will discuss the careers of Hollywood’s gunslingers and the changing attitudes towards the West.

The Art Bite lecture series is supported by Nevada Humanities with additional sponsorship and free admission for students supported by the Core Humanities Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Jack Malotte makes artworks that celebrate the landscapes of the Great Basin, with a unique focus on contemporary political issues faced by Native people seeking to protect and preserve access to their lands. Join us for informal conversation in the gallery before the exhibition The Art of Jack Malotte closes later this month. Coffee, book signing and short film will be offered in the adjacent Founders’ Room. 

NOTE: This is an informal opportunity to connect with the artist Jack Malotte. The book “Jack Malotte” is available for purchase in the Founders’ Room or in the Museum store.

Drawing inspiration from Georgia O’Keeffe’s floral paintings, dramatic gestures and inspired lines, choreographer Eve Allen Garza presents Flower, Magnified a contemporary ballet. This short six minute ballet will be performed live followed by a presentation by Allen Garza that traces her creative process in drawing inspiration for movement from O’Keeffe’s artwork, persona and fashion. Following the presentation, visitors are invited to view the exhibition Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern. 

Eve Allen Garza is a dancer, dance educator and choreographer based in Reno.  She received her MFA in ballet from the University of Utah and BS in business administration with a dance minor from the University of Nevada, Reno. Allen Garza is the founder and director of the Downtown Dance Collective, a collaborative dance organization that aims to bring together local talent and present accessible performances to our community. Allen Garza performs locally with A.V.A. Ballet Theatre, Belle Contemporary Dance Company, and Rosie Trump | With or Without Dance. She has choreographed for Municipal Ballet Co. in Salt Lake City, the Nevada Opera, Sierra Nevada Ballet, and the University of Nevada, Reno.  Allen Garza is a lecturer for the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Nevada, Reno. 

Community-made murals elevate neighbor pride and revitalize public spaces. Join Mark Salinas, Arts & Culture Coordinator of Carson City, as he discusses his New York based non-profit 7Train Murals and how volunteerism can bring art and community together. 

Sponsor: The Art Bite series is supported by Nevada Humanities.