New Zealand artist’s work showcased in Virginia City

Sophie Scott of New Zealand is the visiting artist at the Resident Artist Program in Silver City. Her latest work is showcased through Saturday in an exhibition in the fourth-floor gallery of St. Mary’s Art Center, 55 N. R St., Virginia City.

While in Nevada, Scott is creating new artwork based on historical photographs of St. Mary’s Art Center in Storey County, Devil’s Gate in Lyon County, and of other historic sites in the region.

The artist grew up in Kingston, which was once a main access way for gold in the New Zealand gold rush and is now a tranquil village near Lake Wakatipu.

She says these parallels between her hometown and similar communities on the Comstock attracted her to the region and its unique history.

A chance to meet Scott and enjoy refreshments is being offered at a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the Silver City School House, 385 High St.

Scott’s exhibition, available through November, will be one of four at the art center this fall. Carol Brown also is showing her new show, “Ossified,” in the Art Center’s Post Gallery through Saturday.

Other art includes work by Chris England on the center’s second floor, and on the third floor galleries visitors will find photographs by Will Barber, whose work is informed by his Ph.D. in ecology and master’s in zoology.

The center’s artisan gallery will be open as well, showing work by several regional artists including Mimi Patrick, Casey Clark, Anna Smith and JoAnn Pinnock.

The exhibitions are funded, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nevada Arts Council.

The artist in residence program invites artists to live up to three months at the McCormick House to engage with residents through public performances, exhibitions, workshops and poetry readings.

Since it began in 2014, the program has hosted Pulitzer-Prize nominated poet David Lee; internationally acclaimed photographer Frances Melhop; and London-based artist Stewart Easton, whose work has been on view at both the Tate Modern and the Ashmolean in London.

For information about the program, call Quest Lakes at 775-847-0742.