Join Dr. Paula Noble, Professor and Chair of the Department of Geological Sciences and Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno, as she discusses diatoms, a group of algae that produce intricate skeletons of glass. There are over 20,000 known species of diatoms inhabiting virtually every moist environment, and contributing 20-30% of the oxygen we breathe. Learn more about their life and habitat and discover how diatom arrangements became an art form and fascination of amateur naturalists in the Victorian era. You will hear about the masterful techniques used to create these tiny works of art and take a tour of many beautiful micro-mosaics captured by the bright field and dark field photography, featuring works by Johan Diedrich Möller (1844-1907), Henry Dalton (1836-1912), Eduard Thum (1847-1926) and Klauss Kemp (1937-1922). 

Image courtesy of The Magazine Antiques

Microscope slide of diatoms, sponge spicules, butterfly-wing scales, synapta plates, and wheels of chirodota (sea cucumber), probably made by Eduard Thum (1847–1926), sold by Watson and Sons, London, c. 1880. Collection of Howard Lynk.

One of the best climate and oceanic record keepers through deep time are marine fossils, including ichthyosaurs and reefal ecosystems, which fossilize extremely well and have millions of years of data to share. The marine fossil record of Nevada shows one particular mass extinction record with eerily similar conditions to today. Join Montana Hodges, paleontologist, professor and science writer, to learn about mass extinctions of the past and present. 

Join Artist Thomas J Price and Arts Leader and Cultural Strategist, Yesomi Umolu for an in-depth conversation exploring Price’s powerful investigations into identity, perception, and representation. Known for his monumental figurative sculptures, Price challenges dominant narratives by centering fictionalized yet deeply resonant characters—often underrepresented in public art—through a hybrid practice that blends traditional sculpture and digital innovation.

The talk will focus on Price’s recent work Grounded in the Stars (2024), featured in his upcoming exhibition. The piece—a serene, life-sized depiction of a fictional Black woman—invites viewers to reconsider how value, presence, and dignity are visually constructed. The discussion will also touch on Price’s evolving practice, including a new painting created during his residency at the Joyner/Giuffrida Collection, and the wider implications of his upcoming solo exhibition and public installations in New York City.

Together, Price and Umolu will unpack how form, scale, and representation intersect to create new possibilities for human connection and cultural recognition.

Registration is free and made possible by the Joyner/Giuffrida Visiting Artists Program.

Back in 1809, Mary Anning collected the first ichthyosaur skull known to humans in England, shocking the Victorian society. Since that time, we have found more than 100 species of ichthyosaurs from around the world, across various time segments of the Dinosaur Era. Join Ryosuke Motani, Professor of Geobiology and Paleobiology at UC Davis, for an overview of different types of ichthyosaurs through time, illuminating their evolution in the sea while dinosaurs roamed on land.

Step into the captivating world of groundbreaking artist and filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson as she takes you on a journey through her visionary career. For this conversation Hershman Leeson will by joined by B. Ruby Rich—a scholar and critic of independent, Latin American, documentary, feminist, and queer films; and a professor emerita of Film & Digital Media and Social Documentation at UC Santa Cruz. Their conversation will explore the themes and innovations that define Hershman Leeson’s work, diving into the intersection of humanity, technology, and artificial intelligence. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear their insights in relation to the thought-provoking exhibition, Lynn Hershman Leeson: Of Humans, Cyborgs, and AI.

Join four local choreographers as they screen dance films created in response to both new and reimagined spaces throughout the Museum and its forthcoming expansion. After the screenings, each choreographer will participate in a panel discussion exploring the role of dance in museum spaces, the creative process behind making a dance film, and the intersection of dance and visual art.

Featured local choreographers include: Caitlin Bell, Cari Cunningham, Maggie Stack, and Rosie Trump.

Join Colin Robertson, Charles N. Mathewson Senior Vice President of Education and Research at the Nevada Museum of Art, for an introduction to a new programmatic partnership between the Museum and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). He will survey some about what’s to come programmatically, and how the partnership aims to increase lifelong learning opportunities in the community.

How do creative minds bring to life the fantasy and sci-fi worlds of Avatar, Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars, and video games like Monster Hunter, Elden Ring, and Pokémon? What would these worlds and the creatures in them be like if not for our knowledge of the vast fossil record and geologic history? Our modern world is rich with inspiration, but it is grounded and preceded by the past. 99% of all life is extinct and our modern world represents a fraction of Earth’s 4.6-billion-year history. Join Dr. Kiersten Formoso and discover the rich way that paleontology and geology have influenced creative minds. 

Wendy Calvin, a planetary scientist specializing in optical and infrared spectroscopy of minerals and ices, discusses many different planets, why scientists believe these planets have interior oceans and upcoming missions that will expand our understanding in new ways. 

Before moving to Reno, Langston Hughes became deeply involved in the arts and politics of San Francisco and Carmel-by-the-Sea. He supported the Scottsboro Boys trial by organizing a celebrity auction in San Francisco and participated in the 1933 California strikes. His activism led to an unproduced play and threats that forced him to leave Carmel. Seeking safety, he went to Reno in September 1934, as described in his unpublished essay “The Vigilantes Knocked at My Door.”

In Reno, Hughes developed a new artistic perspective shaped by his experiences in the American West, contrasting the region’s promise with the severe poverty he encountered. Traveling through the South and California, and experiencing homelessness firsthand, he created two of his most powerful stories, “Slice ‘Em Down” and “On the Road.” Join Alex Albright as he retraces Hughes’s steps through the Biggest Little City and beyond.