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Artists with Western Nevada College ties fill galleries

WNC student Bretta Guzzetta’s love of dragons is depicted in her college gallery exhibit ‘Dragon’s Reach,’ which will be showing through March 3 in the Bristlecone Building on the Carson City campus.

WNC student Bretta Guzzetta’s love of dragons is depicted in her college gallery exhibit ‘Dragon’s Reach,’ which will be showing through March 3 in the Bristlecone Building on the Carson City campus.

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Sunday, February 7, 2021

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 A Western Nevada College instructor; University of Nevada, Reno assistant professor; and WNC student are sharing their artwork this winter as part of the latest exhibits in the Bristlecone galleries on the Carson City campus.
In the main gallery, WNC and the Capital City Arts Initiative are presenting “In Search of         ” by photographer Tracy Fish, an assistant professor of photography, as well as area head of photography and videography, at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Fish’s photography for “In Search of         ”  shows the influence that her gender and Jewish heritage have had on her.
Photographer Tracy Fish’s landscapes in the exhibit “In Search of         ” reveal a lot about herself. They will be shown in the main gallery through March 3 at WNC.

 

“Throughout the canon of landscape photography (and similar to other genres), we bear witness to how it’s been dominated and held by the white male gaze, not much different to how those same individuals have held claim and ownership of the lands and groups of peoples in which they occupy,” she said.Fish’s photographs from the “Wildish Woman” series reveal “reflection and metaphor with her ever-evolving relationship to place as a woman. Life and death, beauty and grotesque, vast and seemly empty spaces, fractured lands all exist in nature — each with their own cracks and flaws, fissures and jagged edges. These instances collectively act as a mirror for her experiences. In her work, “After Equivalents,” clouds are a metaphor for escapism and self-empowerment. As she continues to engage with place as a device of allegory in her work, the more she strives to cultivate her own sense of empowerment and wilderness.”
WNC and Truckee Meadows Community College watercolor painting instructor Colleen Reynolds fills the Atrium Gallery of Bristlecone with colorful subjects that speak to her soul. Her artwork usually focuses on people, pets, plants and places. Reynolds was raised in Nevada, spending time in Ely, Baker, Ruth, Tonopah and Las Vegas. Following her graduation from high school, Reynolds spent multiple decades in the U.S. Navy, becoming an officer before retiring and settling with her family in Carson City. She earned bachelor degrees in Fine Art in Painting and Drawing and Applied Mathematics, as well as a master’s degree in Education.
‘Tribal Branch’ is part of Colleen Reynolds’ exhibit now appearing in the atrium gallery in the Bristlecone Building at Western Nevada College.

 

Serpentine folklore breathes life into the College Gallery with Bretta Guzzetta’s exhibition “Dragon’s Reach.” For those who know the WNC student, Guzzetta has a fondness for fire-breathing creatures."I am a dragon lover and am well known for my sci-fi beasts. My whole bedroom is decorated by dragons!” Guzzetta said.
She described how she painted “The Dragon’s Soul”: “For this painting I used one of my smallest dragon figurines as a reference. I focused up close on his muzzle and wanted to capture the eye. It took me 6 hours to paint the value layer and 3 hours for color... And another 5 hours to add the highlight and detail.”
Much of Guzzetta’s painting experience has been with acrylic and watercolor so transitioning into oil painting taught her to appreciate the process and, of course, patience.
"Acrylic is forgiving, watercolor is hard to control, and oil takes forever to dry!” she said. “I work in stages with my paintings. Oil taught me to take a step back, do a value layer, wait, add color, wait, add highlights and detail. The medium of oil painting makes my work feel more realistic while keeping my style intact. It's important to slow down and appreciate the bud before the flower or the caterpillar before the butterfly."
All shows run through March 3. The Bristlecone galleries are located at 2201 W. College Parkway and are open to the public from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. Because of public health concerns created by the COVID pandemic, there won’t be a reception for the artists.
VFW Auxiliary creates scholarship for veteran at WNC
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Post 3726 (Kit Carson) is pleased to provide a $1,000 scholarship for a veteran attending Western Nevada College.
Each year, the auxiliary holds Buddy Poppy drives in which handmade flowers by veterans are sold to raise funds to aid veterans in need. The auxiliary hopes to continue these fundraisers in support of this scholarship in subsequent years.
“The community is so supportive of veterans and we are honored to have selected WNC as our partner,” said VFW Auxiliary Post 3726 President Lori Bagwell, who also serves as the mayor of Carson City. “The local Carson City Auxiliary has 22 members dedicated to serving our veterans.”
Bagwell indicated that the objectives of the auxiliary are to promote a fraternal, patriotic, historical, charitable and educational spirit; and to aid and assist the members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States and its members wherever possible.
Selecting a scholarship for a veteran was an easy choice, Bagwell said.
“We are grateful to the members of VFW for their thoughtfulness in choosing WNC for this very generous gift,” said Executive Director of Advancement for Western Nevada College Niki Gladys.
Bagwell is thankful for the members of her executive board for working so hard to fundraise to create the scholarship: Peggy Green-Wilson, Sue McCune, Suzanne Stephenson and LaNora Clyde.
Foundation scholarship funding for all students
All students are encouraged to apply for scholarships through Western Nevada College's Foundation. Filling out the scholarship application could be the wisest and best monetary decision a student makes in 2021.
More than $600,000 in scholarship funding is available for the 2021-22 academic year because of the generosity of donors and the Foundation’s various fundraising efforts. Students will be considered for several hundred scholarships with one, easy application.
The WNC Foundation 2021-22 scholarship application is available at wnc.edu/scholarships and must be filled out by April 1.
“The application usually takes about 30 minutes to fill out and includes questions that help the scholarship committee determine which students qualify for each scholarship,” said WNC Executive Director of Advancement Niki Gladys.
WNC Foundation provides academic scholarships in partnership with WNC employees, community members, corporations and private foundations.
To qualify for a foundation scholarship, students need to enroll in a minimum of six units and have earned a minimum grade point average of 2.0. Some scholarships require financial need, which means that students should make sure to complete their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). However, there are many scholarships that do not require a financial need and are awarded based on other factors including community service, military service, academic achievement and career plans. For this reason, all students are encouraged to apply regardless of financial need or past academic performance.
Scholarships are also available for the spring 2021 semester for students pursuing an education in Healthcare, Professional and Applied Technology (PAT) or career and technical education fields, thanks to the William N. Pennington Foundation. This scholarship has been created to improve the well-being of the community by supporting students who are pursuing careers in fields that are in high demand with local employers, including welding, automotive mechanics, machine tool technology, manufacturing, construction, building/home inspection, truck driving, phlebotomy, nursing assistant and emergency medical services.
To apply, go to wnc.edu/scholarships. For more information on applying for a scholarship or to start your own scholarship, contact the WNC Foundation at 775-445-3240.
Purchase student-designed notecards, other items at foundation store
Help provide emergency funding and scholarships for Western Nevada College students by purchasing a set of notecards created by several of the college’s art students.
WNC’s Foundation has turned prints and paintings from art students Marietta Sophie Paul, Steven Rodgers and Sharon Carter into notecards that are now available for purchase.
“We are so grateful to these very talented students for their amazing contributions to this project,” said WNC Executive Director of Advancement Niki Gladys.
Purchase the notecards through the Foundation Shop at https://www.wnc.edu/foundation/foundation-shop/. WNC-themed jackets, vests, beanies, T-shirts, wine glasses, coffee cups, etc. can also be purchased through the online store.
If you’d like to make a separate donation to WNC, contact the Foundation at foundation@wnc.edu or 775-445-3240.

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