Building With Art

by Chérie L. Turner

The downtown heart of art and culture is beating ever stronger in Reno.

Just blocks away from a bustling riverwalk area, a strikingly beautiful museum beckons you inside with the promise of Van Gogh paintings, photographs by Ansel Adams and other astonishing works. Up the street and around a corner sits a historic building that houses over 30 artists—from painters to dancers—with a street-level gallery featuring their work. Down the street to the south is a newly-renovated, eye-catching art gallery featuring spectacular work by a number of artists (including one who has been commissioned to create paintings for Frank Geary's new Los Angeles concert hall). Stroll through these blocks in July and you'll bump into events that comprise one of the largest art festivals in the country. Where is this cultural hot spot? Believe it or not, this is just the beginning of what art lovers will now find in (yes!) Reno.

Reno—the smaller, sin-city sibling of Las Vegas—has remade itself as an awakening arts center. Someone who hasn't visited Reno for awhile can be forgiven for thinking that these changes have happened almost instantaneously, but none of it has popped up overnight. The Nevada Museum of Art (NMA) was founded in 1931 and has, over the years, steadily expanded its collection. In 1968, both the Nevada Opera (based in Reno) and the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra were created. Four years later, Stremmel Gallery, (the renovated contemporary gallery mentioned earlier) opened its doors; the same year Sierra Arts, the only private non-profit arts organization in Nevada, was established. The city jumped into the art scene in 1991 when it created the first cultural master plan in the state and formed what is now called the Arts & Culture Commission, still one of the primary forces behind the growth of the arts in Reno. Then in 1995, the month-long festival "Artown," was launched, attracting 30,000 people that first year. When it celebrates its tenth anniversary this August, Artown expects to attract over 150,000 people to its mostlyfree shows.

The tipping point in the re-invention of Reno occurred two years ago when NMA opened the doors of its stunning museum. Located within the burgeoning downtown arts district, the museum has hosted many high-quality exhibitions that rival those presented in much larger cities. The museum is not solely focused on blockbuster shows, however. NMA spends a huge amount of effort reaching out to the local community. This is something Mary Ann McAuliffe, Arts and Culture Manager for the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority (RSCVA) says is critical to the museum's success. "They are the smartest art museum I know," she says. "They address not only the pretty things on the walls but how to reach out to the community. They're trying everything—kids programs, Sunday brunch and much more."

So far, NMA has hit its targets. Membership is on the rise, attendance is growing and budgets are being met. The museum's Director of Communications, Amy Oppio, says that the museum will offer an increasing number of programs directed at different segments of the community, including senior citizens and Spanish-speakers. And in the realm of great exhibits, the traveling Maxfield Parrish show will make its West Coast premier at NMA this spring.

"When I came here in 1999," says McAuliffe, "with a background in museums and art, I saw what was going on and thought, 'Why aren't they talking about all this? There's so much here.' There's the opera, the chamber orchestra, the automobile museum, the [W.M.] Keck mineral museum [at UNR] with its Tiffany & Co. silver collection. There's a big sculpture of John Mackay done by Gutzon Borglum, who created Mount Rushmore. There's the historical society museum, which is so first-class. And we've also got the Sheppard gallery [at UNR] that does cutting-edge shows!"

These days, Reno is talking loud and clear about its new cultural personality. The RSCVA is active in this effort, partnering with the NMA, for example, to promote the museum's upcoming Parrish show (and underwriting it for $85,000). Artown is a symbol of how various parts of the city are singing with one voice; it is funded not only by the city but by numerous local individuals, organizations and businesses—including all local casinos.

"No one is fighting each other," says Turkey Stremmel, co-owner of Stremmel Gallery. "There's a camaraderie in the city that's really solid." Stremmel is working with Reno's Arts and Culture Manager, Christine Fey, to build the city's art collection.

The collective efforts are paying off for pioneering organizations such as Sierra Arts. "Just look at our numbers," says Jill Berryman, executive director; her organization's budget has jumped from $250,000 to $800,000. In addition to providing artist grants, arts education in elementary schools and other projects, Sierra Arts is responsible for the earlier-mentioned Riverside Artist Lofts and gallery—the original cornerstone of the downtown arts district—with its 30-plus artist-residents.

The city of Reno has seen its arts and culture budget go from $40,000 to now roughly $1 million. Some of that money will be spent at the tenth annual Artown this July. The National Endowment for the Arts called Artown "one of the most comprehensive festivals in the country."

"An important part of our mission is to strengthen Reno's arts industry," says Beth Macmillan, Artown Executive Director. "It's a celebration of what we have in our own backyard." The majority of the performers are from Northern Nevada, although national and international acts like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and famed New York dance company, Pilobolus—both of which are slated for 2005—add considerable prestige. They also nurture the local art scene, says Macmillan. "We arrange for the national artists to work with our local artists. When Baryshnikov was here, he had two local dancers in his performance. We try to create those opportunities."

The for-profit sector of the Reno arts scene also seems to be benefiting from the city's new cultural identity. Stremmel Gallery is reporting its largest earnings ever. Richardson Gallery is also enjoying an influx of art buyers.

Similarly, two-year-old La Bussola, a store and gallery that represents over 80 local artists and craftspeople, is experiencing a steady increase in business. The momentum is inspiring new galleries. Never Ender, a gallery/store with a format similar to La Bussola opened in January and is reportedly doing well.

Reno's gamble—that in the age of Indian casinos, art and culture can help make up for the city's falling gaming revenues—seems to be paying off. Organizers estimate that Artown now generates almost $12 million in direct or indirect revenues.

There is still plenty of room for growth, of course, but compared to the Reno of a decade ago, the opportunities to experience live music, important art, theater and gallery offerings are extremely encouraging.

"You don't have to build a city this way," points out McAuliffe. "That's why it's so cool that Reno is doing it!"