Northern Nevada artists featured in 25th anniversary show

Artists from Carson City, Minden and Gardnerville will be featured at the 25th annual Northern Nevada Artisan Show and Sale Friday and Saturday in Reno.

The event’s 25th anniversary will be dedicated to the memory of Jim McCormick, University of Nevada, Reno Art Department chair, artist, curator and one of the founders of the show. Admission is free.

Media ranging from acrylic painting to pottery to photography and more will be on display at this year’s show at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. A special feature of the show this year will be free watercolor lessons for children. In addition, 20 pieces of original art will be given away.

Christine Shively-Benjamin returns to the show with intricate art dolls that have earned her a national following. She uses paint, Pigma pens and colored pencils to create faces on her cloth figures. She is past president of the Original Doll Artists Council of America.

Watercolor and acrylic paintings will be featured by Minden painter Don Fotine. The award-winning artist’s paintings have been selected for the annual Genoa Candy Dance poster.

Gardnerville resident Louise Noel creates imaginative, bright, colorful paintings on silk. Birds, flowers, trees and inventive landscapes are some of her subjects. She has exhibited at more than 400 shows throughout the western United States.

“It’s hard to believe we have been offering this event to the community for 25 years,” show co-chair Shelly Peinado said. “In that time, we have remained steadfast in presenting a variety of artistic media as well as price points to include most everyone’s interest and budget.”

According to Peinado, the show will feature pottery, outdoor photography, jewelry, wood and stone vessels, watercolor, acrylic and oil paintings, printmaking, fused glass and mosaics, basketry, decorative gourds, stained glass, art dolls, felted stuffed animals, textiles, candles, hand-dyed silk scarves, knit hats and scarves and much more.

“We are very proud to be offering so much unique variety of art in this juried show,” Peinado said.

The show’s wine and hors d’oeuvre reception will be 4:30 to 6 p.m. Friday.

From 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, a free drop-in watercolor workshop for children will be held at the show. Julie Sulahria, a local watercolorist who has been in the show for many years, will offer her expertise with fun, take-home projects for kids of all ages.

McCormick, a UNR professor of art for 32 years, helped start the art show in 1994 to provide local artists a place to showcase and sell their work.

Working in mixed media, drawings and print making, McCormick exhibited at shows throughout the country from San Francisco to Dallas to New York City. Later in his career, McCormick curated numerous shows throughout Nevada, wrote books about local artists and illustrated books of poetry.

He was a recipient of the UNR distinguished faculty award and received the Nevada Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.

The 25th annual Artisan Show and Sale will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 780 Del Monte Lane in Reno, just off the Neil Road or Meadowood Mall exits from Interstate 580. For more information, call 775-851-7100. MasterCard and Visa will be accepted for all purchases.