Art removed from Oats Park Arts Center

Churchill Arts Council board members are expressing their dismay why the former executive director allegedly stripped the walls clean of collectibles and artwork that became a beloved part of the Oats Park Arts Center.

Teresa Guillen, chair of the CAC’s Board of Directors, said Friday that Michael Scott, who resigned via email on the evening of May 30, dismantled a collection of more than 100 pieces of artwork from the permanent art collection. The discovery of the missing artwork occurred on the morning of May 30 when staff arrived at the building and discovered their disappearance.

“The staff walks in and finds this,” Guillen said of the discovery that occurred after a three-day holiday weekend.

The artwork was hanging on the walls May 26 when both the Western Nevada College and Oasis Academy graduations were conducted at the arts center.

Sean Rowe, an attorney with the law firm of Mackedon, deBraga & Rowe, and Guillen both said some pieces of artwork were on loan, while other artwork had been gifted or purchased. Rowe also said some records appear to be missing. Guillen said the board members and staff were unaware of the artworks’ disappearance, and Rowe added some items were also taken from the ChArts Gift Store.

“We are shocked and devasted that the collection has been gutted,” Guillen said.

The main hallway shows many artistic works during the Fallon Chamber of Commerce lunch in late October 2022. (Steve Ranson photo) 

A binder left by Scott also shows 33 loan agreements that were signed by the artists between March 15 and May 16 of this year. The information showed multiple works of art were being returned to their respective artists.

Neither Rowe nor Guillen speculated about Scott’s intentions. The Lahontan Valley News has reached out to Scott to no avail.

Scott had been associated with the Churchill Arts Council for the past decade and became executive director of CAC after the death of its founder, Valerie Serpa, in a small airplane crash on Dec. 5, 2021. Serpa and Donald Sefton, owner Systems Consultants, died after their airplane crashed after takeoff from the Medford, Oregon, airport. Scott had previously served as the creative director for the past five years and helped Serpa operate the arts council after her husband Kirk Robertson suffered a fatal stroke in April 2016.

“This is a complete betrayal of the memory and hard work done by Valerie to build this collection and was completely unauthorized by the board,” Guillen said. “We are exploring all of our legal options to remedy the situation.”

In a call with Scott, Guillen said the artwork was either in transit or being returned to the artists or collectors. Several smaller galleries are also missing paintings or pictures, but Rowe emphasized no items were removed from the galleries that featured visiting artists.

One particular piece of artwork that’s missing was crafted by John Mason, a ceramist and Churchill County native. According to Guillen, Mason donated “a monumental piece” known as the “Desert Cross” to his community as part of the 1964 Nevada Centennial.

The artwork that was first housed in the library was moved to the University of Nevada, Reno’s Sheppard Gallery and then eventually to the Oats Park Arts building. According to both Rowe and Guillen, the “Desert Cross” was supposedly returned to the John and Geraldine Lilly Museum of Art at UNR.

Despite the removal of artwork, Rowe said the CAC’s mission will continue. Scott originally told the Board of Directors of his intent to resign June 30.

Both Rowe and Guillen said a proposal made by Scott also surprised them when he said the board and CAC’s 501 (c ) (3) nonprofit status should be sunsetted.

“He gave this as his recommendation to the board,” Guillen said, adding the board soundly rejected the proposal.

Guillen said Scott told them CAC was struggling because of the reduction of grants and funding. Rowe disagrees.

“There’s no financial problem, no attendance problem,” he said.

Rowe said the last three live performances were well attended. The next performance is on Father’s Day with an outdoor concert at Oats Park’s Centennial Stage.

Guillen said the arts council is in the process of sifting through applications with the intent of hiring a new director. She said staff and board are also energized to keep moving forward and to rebuild what they lost.

Fallon Mayor Ken Tedford has supported the arts council over the years.

“Despite Mr. Scott’s attempts to undermine the first-class arts and culture programming that the Arts Council provides to the community, I know it will continue to carry on Valerie and Kirk’s vision,” said Tedford in a statement. “The City of Fallon will continue to support the Arts Council as it provides the community with the invigorating art, music and literary events which have brought so much pride to our community.”

After Serpa’s death, Scott became the face of CAC and welcomed various groups to the center. The Fallon Chamber of Commerce members had their monthly lunch at the Arts Center in late October and learned from Scott the vision Serpa had in 1986 about transforming one of the valley’s first schools into an arts center.

Through the huge support of many people and grant-writing efforts, Scott said the dream for an arts center began to form and develop.

“This space was a great candidate for the Churchill Arts Council,” Scott explained. "This building started to be remodeled. Not until 2003 was Barkley Theater finished.”

Serpa, according to a Jan. 19, 2022, article in the Lahontan Valley News, continued to procure funds for the building and performances after Robertson’s death.

“In my heart Valerie and Fallon were inseparable,” Scott said in the same article. “Valerie devoted her life to the arts and ensured it had a permanent home here in Fallon, while the community showed her immeasurable support and kindness over the years. It was this wonderful relationship that helped create the world-class Oats Park Art Center, which I have always felt is a representation of all the best the community of Fallon has to offer.

“While Valerie and Kirk are no longer with us, their lifework remains strong and true, and will always be a big part of what makes Fallon so special and unique.”

Guillen and the board remain committed to ensuring the Churchill Arts Council is a vital part of the community.

“Collectively, we have worked so hard to provide the finest arts programming to the Fallon, Churchill County, and Northern Nevada communities,” added Guillen. “This collection was a source of pride and inspiration for so many community members and we’re all devastated by this betrayal of trust.”