Sculptor Mischell Riley creates art on the Bliss Mansion porch at the Jazz & Beyond Festival opening event last year.
A month of free jazz and blues music at venues around Carson City is kicking off with live music, art and more at the Bliss Mansion.
The 14th Annual Jazz & Beyond Carson City Music Festival is opening from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Friday.
The festival will open with Art on the Porch, an event offering demonstrations of art sculpture by Mischell Riley and acrylic flow painting by William Smith, winner of the Jazz & Beyond cover art contest.
Local artists will show and sell their work, including Kim VanZyll, Zentangle art; Kristy Dial, gourd art; Cyndy Brenneman, watercolors; and a festival favorite, Miss Dixie, the Vintage Art Bus from Fallon.
The free event also includes music, food, and tours of the Bliss Mansion, which sits at 608 Elizabeth St.
Built in 1879, the house is a private residence and is open to the public only a few times during the year. With more than 8,000 square feet, the mansion was once the largest home in Nevada when it was built by lumber baron D.L. Bliss for his wife, Elizabeth, and their five children. The three-story home has nine fireplaces and bathrooms, six bedrooms, two kitchens, and a third-floor art studio.
In addition to art displays, the opening event will include live Andean music by Kantu Inka from 4 to 6 p.m.
By popular request, Cherie and John Shipley and the Take This Band will perform in the garden from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Food will be on site courtesy of the Nevada Nosh food truck.
Jazz & Beyond 2017 is an 18-day summer music and art festival presented by Mile High Jazz Band Association and Carson City. It features more than 60 performances, exhibits, and educational events for people of all ages, and showcases Carson City as a thriving arts community for residents and visitors. The festival is made possible, in part, by grants from the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, Carson City Cultural Commission, and private donations.
For information, go to jazzcarsoncity.com, or call the Mile High Jazz Band Association at 775-883-4154.