Teri Vance: Creative vibe right here in Carson City

By now, Burning Man is in full swing. According to its website, it’s an even dedicated to “community, art, self-expression and self-reliance.”

That’s a lofty standard for any city to set, much less one that comes together for one week in the middle of the Nevada desert. But it did cause me to reflect on these qualities in our own capital city. Specifically, I wondered about our access to art.

Do we need to retreat to the playa to find creativity and inspiration, or can we find it right here?

If you’re looking for it, art is easy to find here.

As a writer, I’ve found it difficult to concentrate when I try to work from home. I spend most of my days writing from the Carson City Visitors Bureau. The busy, bustling atmosphere kind of reminds me of the newsroom.

And I find the creative vibe inspiring. One of the contributing factors to that creative buzz is a rotating art show on the walls of the bureau.

Through a partnership with the Nevada Artists Association, the gallery at the Brewery Arts Center, different artists display their work in the bureau each month.

On Friday, artist Bob Hicox hung some of his watercolor paintings, many of them depicting Western themes — one featuring the landmarks of Carson City.

Also included is the abstract work of Anna Louise Darden. My favorite painting she has on display is a pastel of three Peruvian musicians. It’s beautiful and invokes memories of my years living in Ecuador, which shares a border with Peru.

I was at the Business Resource Innovation Center (BRIC) for a meeting earlier this week and saw some really amazing artwork on display there from Carson, Dayton, and Douglas high school students.

Sharon Rosse, executive director of the Carson City Arts Initiative, which coordinated the show, said in an email, “We are delighted to present this exhibition to showcase the artists’ work and to thank the teachers for nurturing our young artists’ skills and imaginations.”

A reception for the artists will be 5:30-7 p.m. Sept. 13 at the BRIC, 108 E. Proctor St. The exhibition and reception are free.

This show is the second in CCAI’s 2016-2017 series of student exhibitions in the BRIC. Future students exhibitions will include Sierra Nevada College in December, Western Nevada College in February; and from Carson, Dayton, and Douglas high schools again in the spring.

These are awesome shows, but they’re just the tip of the iceberg, really. There’s artwork throughout this city.

To see some of it for yourself, check out the Art Walk brochure available through the visitors bureau. It leads art lovers on a self-guided tour of the city’s galleries.

Pick one up in person at 716 N. Carson St. or find it online at visitcarsoncity.com.

Teri Vance is a journalist, freelance writer and native Nevadan. Contact her with column ideas at terivance@rocketmail.com.