For almost five decades, Robert Adams’s extraordinarily influential photographs have explored the western American landscape and its transformations. In his most recent project, Adams shifts focus to his immediate environs, and finds related complexity, beauty, and mystery through photographs made in and around his home in Astoria, Oregon.

Nevada Museum of Art Curatorial Director and Curator of Contemporary Art JoAnne Northrup has partnered with Las Vegas-based art advisor Michele Quinn to co-curate Tilting the Basin: Contemporary Art of Nevada. The exhibition bridges the divide between Northern and Southern Nevada communities and provides a wide-ranging overview and understanding of the most accomplished work being created by more than thirty artists living and working in Nevada today.

The first nationally significant exhibition presenting art made in Nevada occurred in 2007 with Las Vegas Diaspora: The Emergence of Contemporary Art from the Neon Homeland, on view at the Las Vegas Art Museum, which has since closed. Organized by the well-respected art critic and curator Dave Hickey, the exhibition celebrated the work of twenty-six artists, all of whom received their degrees from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and studied with Hickey between 1990 and 2001 when he taught art theory and criticism in the Department of Art at UNLV.

Fast forward almost ten years later. After more than fifty artist studio visits in both Northern and Southern Nevada across Nevada, spanning Las Vegas to the south, Reno and Carson City in the north. Northrup and Quinn’s research revealed that the Nevada contemporary art scene does not evidence a singular aesthetic permeating artists’ work, but rather a wide array of practices and media. Nevada artists are creating innovative work ranging from painting, sculpture, and installation, to photography, interactive, and sound art. Their work is informed by popular culture, the natural environment, and landscape, as well as cultural identity, politics, and current events.

Tilting the Basin: Contemporary Art of Nevada aspires to provide contemporary dialogue aimed at enlightening our broader audiences to the richness of our entire arts community and how it can be a powerful tool in the growth of the great state of Nevada. The exhibition highlights the work of six artists in depth, showing several examples from each in a variety of media. Featured artists include Galen Brown, Justin Favela, Katie Lewis, David Ryan, Brent Sommerhauser, and Rachel Stiff. The remaining artists’ work will give visitors a wide-ranging picture of the art being created across Nevada today, including painting, sculpture, drawing, photography, mixed media, street art, installation, sound performance, fiber arts and new media. Some work, like that of Reno photographer Megan Berner, will live exclusively on social media. Berner plans to take daily photographs of the Northern Nevada sky for the eleven-week duration of the exhibition. The images will post to the Nevada Museum of Art Instagram account, allowing the community to view the body of work as it develops over time.

Additional collaborations and offsite installations are planned as well. Las Vegas-based artist Brent Sommerhauser will collaborate with Reno-based Holland Project and Nevada Museum of Art E.L. Cord Museum School to create small ‘sketches’ in glass by layering rich color combinations of glass powder, glass strings and other glass elements over handmade glass tiles that Sommerhauser will fire on-site in his kiln. The resulting tiles will be photographed and shared on the Nevada Museum of Art Instagram account and displayed in the E.L. Cord Museum School. The combined tiles will contribute to a growing work that will serve as a participant record. Performance art elements of the show include Justin Favela’s Family Fiesta.

Tilting the Basin: Contemporary Art of Nevada will be reprised in Las Vegas in 2017. Artists chosen for the exhibition have not before had work prominently displayed at the Museum:

#TiltingTheBasin

Las Vegas

Chris Bauder, Mark Brandvik, JW Caldwell, Matthew Couper, Gig Depio, Justin Favela, Sush Machida Gaikotsu, Shawn Hummel, Wendy Kveck, JK Russ, David Ryan, David Sanchez Burr, Sean Slattery, Brent Sommerhauser, Brent Holmes, Krystal Ramirez, Rachel Stiff

Reno/Carson

Megan Berner, Rebekah Bogard, Galen Brown, Erik Burke, Nate Clark, Tim Conder, Joseph DeLappe + Pete Froslie, Russell Dudley, Jeffrey Erickson, Jen Graham, Ahren Hertel, Katty Hoover, Eunkang Koh, Nick Larsen, Katie Lewis, Sarah Lillegard, Omar Pierce

Download the Press Release

Premier Sponsor

Stacie Mathewson and Doors to Recovery

Lead Sponsor

Wayne and Miriam Prim

Major Sponsor

Jacqueline Black

Supporting Sponsors

Maureen Mullarkey and Steve Miller; Nevada Arts Council; The Private Bank by Nevada State Bank

Sponsors

Kathie Bartlett; Elaine Cardinale; Barbara and Tad Danz; Dolan Law, LLC; Tammy M. and Brian E. Riggs; Sari and Ian Rogoff

Media Sponsors

Getaway Reno-Tahoe; Juxtapoz Magazine; KUNR Reno Public Radio; Nevada Magazine; Reno-Tahoe International Airport; Tahoe Quarterly; Western Art and Architecture

Since 1999, Northern Nevada middle and high school students have been invited to submit their artwork to the Scholastic Art Awards competition. The Museum’s annual presentation of the Scholastic Art Awards is scheduled in conjunction with the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a national program designed to identify America’s most gifted young artists and writers. This program has honored some of our nation’s most celebrated artists including Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Michael Sarich, Cindy Sherman, Robert Redford and Andy Warhol.

More than 1,400 submissions were evaluated this year by a panel of judges made up of local artists and art professionals. Exceptional works were awarded Gold Key, Silver Key or Honorable Mentions. Gold Key artwork goes on to compete in the national Scholastic Art Awards competition. Select award-winning regional entries are exhibited in a month long exhibition at the Holland Project Gallery at 140 Vesta Street in Reno. American Visions Nominees will be displayed in the Donald W Reynolds Grand Hall at the Museum.

All award winners are invited to a ceremony at the Museum attended by over 400 students, parents, teachers and members of the community. National award winners have the opportunity to attend a ceremony in New York City.

View the complete list of regional winners: Scholastic Art Awards 2016.

Lead sponsor

Bank of America

Additional support

City of Reno Arts and Culture Commission, Amerco, the Nell J. Redfield Foundation, the Hearst Foundations, and the Wild Women Artists

The Museum presents an exhibition of artwork created by northern Nevada middle and high school students as part of The Scholastic Art Awards of 2012, a national program established to recognize and reward impressive talent among students. The Nevada Museum of Art has administered the Scholastic Art Awards since 1999 and is proud once again to showcase the outstanding talent of our local youth. Serving 13 counties in Northern Nevada, the program invites students to compete for awards and scholarships. Entries are evaluated by a panel of local artists and art professionals and are judged on originality, technical skill and the emergence of a personal vision. Exceptional entries are awarded a Gold Key, Silver Key or Honorable Mention award. Gold Key award winning works are featured in this month-long exhibition which will be housed at the new Holland Project Gallery space at 140 Vesta Street in Reno from March 3 – March 30. The top five pieces are awarded the American Visions Nomination – these five pieces will be on display at the Museum through April 1. Additional information on the national Scholastic Art Awards can be found by clicking here.

2012 Art Award Winners (PDF)

Sponsor

U.S. Bancorp Foundation and Michael and Tammy Dermody

Additional support

the Wild Women Artists and Sierra Watercolor Society

In celebration of the Museum’s 80^th Anniversary in 2011, contemporary artist Jacob Hashimoto was commissioned to create a large-scale, site-specific artwork to hang in the Donald W. Reynolds Grand Hall and Atrium. Hashimoto’s sculptures—fabricated from thousands of small “kites”—are made from bamboo-stiffened rice papers not unlike those used for centuries to make traditional Japanese kites. The three-dimensional cascading form—which could be interpreted as a peaceful, floating cloud or a spiraling vortex—is suspended by nylon monofilament and responds specifically to the Museum’s unique architecture and changing light.

Born and raised in Greeley, Colorado, Hashimoto studied at Carleton College in Minnesota, and then the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Illinois. He has installed major sculptures all over the world—from the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago and the Saatchi Gallery in London to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Rome and the Palazzo Fortuny in Venice. Hashimoto lives and works in New York.

Major sponsors

Volunteers in Art (VIA) and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts

Since 1999, Northern Nevada middle and high school students have been invited to submit their artwork to the Scholastic Art Awards competition. The Museum’s annual presentation of The Scholastic Art Awards is scheduled in conjunction with The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a national program designed to identify America’s most gifted young artists and writers. This program has honored some of our nation’s most celebrated artists including Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Michael Sarich, Cindy Sherman, Robert Redford and Andy Warhol.

More than 1,100 submissions are evaluated annually by a panel of judges made up of local artists and art professionals and exceptional work is awarded either a Gold Key, Silver Key or Honorable Mention. Gold Key artwork goes on to compete in the national Scholastic Art Awards completion. Select award winning regional entries are exhibited in a month long exhibition at the Holland Project Gallery at 140 Vesta Street in Reno. American Visions Nominees will be displayed in the Donald W Reynolds Grand Hall at the Museum.

All award winners are invited to a ceremony at the Museum attended by over 400 students, parents, teachers and members of the community. National award winners have the opportunity to attend a ceremony in New York City.

Sponsors

U.S. Bancorp Foundation, the Hearst Foundations, and the Nell J. Redfield Foundation.

Additional support

Wild Women Artists

2014 Scholastic Awards List Winners

Since 1999, Northern Nevada middle and high school students have been invited to submit their artwork to the Scholastic Art Awards competition. The Museum’s annual presentation of The Scholastic Art Awards is scheduled in conjunction with The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a national program designed to identify America’s most gifted young artists and writers. This program has honored some of our nation’s most celebrated artists including Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Michael Sarich, Cindy Sherman, Robert Redford and Andy Warhol.

More than 1,100 submissions are evaluated annually by a panel of judges made up of local artists and art professionals and exceptional work is awarded either a Gold Key, Silver Key or Honorable Mention. Gold Key artwork goes on to compete in the national Scholastic Art Awards competition. Select award winning regional entries are exhibited in a month long exhibition at the Holland Project Gallery at 140 Vesta Street in Reno. American Visions Nominees will be displayed in the Donald W Reynolds Grand Hall at the Museum.

All award winners are invited to a ceremony at the Museum attended by over 400 students, parents, teachers and members of the community. National award winners have the opportunity to attend a ceremony in New York City.

Sponsors

U.S. Bancorp Foundation and the City of Reno Arts & Culture Commission, the Hearst Foundation, and the Nell J. Redfield Foundation

Additional support

Wild Women Artists

View this year’s winners: Scholastic Art Awards 2015

In anticipation of the Museum’s 80th Anniversary in 2011, contemporary artist Jacob Hashimoto was commissioned to create a large-scale, site-specific artwork to hang in the Donald W. Reynolds Grand Hall. Hashimoto’s sculpture—fabricated from thousands of small “kites”—is made from bamboo-stiffened rice papers not unlike those used for centuries to make traditional Japanese kites.

The three-dimensional cascading form—which could be interpreted as a peaceful, floating cloud or a spiraling vortex—is suspended by nylon mono-filament and responds specifically to the Museum’s unique architecture and changing light.

The sculpture is dedicated to the Volunteers in Art (VIA), in recognition of the many individuals who donate countless hours to advance the institution’s mission.

Major sponsor

Volunteers in Art (VIA) and the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts

Since 1999, Northern Nevada middle and high school students have been invited to submit their artwork to the Scholastic Art Awards competition. The Museum’s annual presentation of The Scholastic Art Awards is scheduled in conjunction with The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a national program designed to identify America’s most gifted young artists and writers. This program has honored some of our nation’s most celebrated artists including Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath, Michael Sarich, Cindy Sherman, Robert Redford and Andy Warhol.

More than 1,100 submissions are evaluated annually by a panel of judges made up of local artists and art professionals and exceptional work is awarded either a Gold Key, Silver Key or Honorable Mention. Gold Key artwork goes on to compete in the national Scholastic Art Awards completion. Select award winning regional entries are exhibited in a month long exhibition, which will be held at the Holland Project Gallery at 140 Vesta Street in Reno. Regional award winners are invited to attend an awards ceremony at the Museum attended by over 400 students, parents, teachers and members of the community. National award winners are invited to attend an awards ceremony in New York City.

Sponsor

U.S. Bancorp Foundation

Additional support

Wild Women Artists

Submissions

Submissions for the 2013 Scholastic Art Awards are currently being accepted. All work must be digitally uploaded to www.artandwriting.org by January 19, 2013. Completed submission forms and fees are due on January 19, 2013, and must be delivered to:

Nevada Museum of Art
Attn: Jacque Dawson
160 West Liberty Street
Reno, NV 89501

For additional information on the submission guidelines, categories and deadlines or to begin the submission process, please visit: www.artandwriting.org.

If you have questions about The Scholastic Art Awards, please contact Jacque Dawson, Nell J. Redfield School Services Manager, by email or at 775.398.7253.

Andrea Zittel’s Wallsprawl #4 (Las Vegas, Next to Nellis Air Force Base), is based on an aerial photograph of the southern Nevada military installation known as Nellis Air Force Base. Zittel sourced the image online from an aerial image database (before Google Maps made such imagery easily accessible).

The original image—before Zittel repeated and replicated it—shows a large-scale military campus intersecting with the wide-open desert landscape, exposing the infrastructure of a site that is presumably off-limits to the general public.

By converting an image of an American military base into custom-designed wallpaper, Zittel metaphorically transforms a highly-charged landscape into pure aesthetic decoration and encourages a different way of viewing and thinking about the world.

Collection of the Nevada Museum of Art, 

Museum purchase with funds provided by the Contemporary Art Acquisition Fund