'Stop the Car, Dad!' photo exhibit highlights Nev. roadside attractions

The Nevada Arts Council presents "Stop the Car, Dad!" a series of photographs by artist, Erik Lauritzen. The exhibit is on display through Feb. 27.

While traveling the often-deserted roads of Nevada, photographer Erik Lauritzen (1953-2007) was captivated by the evidence of human presence affecting the Western landscape. From abandoned military installations to roadside vernacular architecture, the sites Lauritzen photographed reveal a certain irony often underlying everyday encounters in the Nevada desert.

"Stop the Car, Dad!" is part of the Nevada Arts Council's Office eXhibition Series (OXS). The OXS gallery is located in Nevada Arts Council office at 716 N. Carson Street (intersection of Washington Street), Suite A, in Carson City and is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call 775-687-6680 for details.

Lauritzen, born to a painter and a ceramicist, grew up among artists. He received his bachelor of fine arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute, and master of fine arts from California State University, Northridge.

Lauritzen founded the photography department at Truckee Meadows Community College, where he also served as founding director and curator of the Red Mountain Gallery. Lauritzen receive the Nevada Arts Council Visual Arts Fellowship in 1993 and 2007 and a Governor's Arts Award in 1998.

The Nevada Arts Council was founded in 1967 as a state agency charged with developing and promoting the arts in Nevada. Statewide programs include Artist Services, Arts in Education, Community Arts Development, Folklife, and Grants. The Arts Council supports the work of Nevada artists, arts organizations and institutions and is funded by the Nevada State Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts and other public and private sources.

The Nevada Arts Council is a division of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs. The Department serves Nevada's citizens and visitors through cultural and information management, preservation and promotion of cultural resources, and education. For more information, visit the department's website at www.NevadaCulture.org.