Indigenous women’s art symposium at UNLV next weekend
The Donna Beam Gallery and College of Fine Arts at UNLV will present AH’-WAH-NEE, a symposium on local and regional Native American women artists on Nov. 4-5, featuring a performance by Jean LaMarr. A related exhibition curated by Fawn Douglas, also titled AH’-WAH-NEE, will be on view in the Donna Beam Gallery Nov. 1 – Dec. 10.
The event description reads, in part: “The goal at the heart of the AH’-WAH-NEE project is to teach Indigenous histories and contemporary issues to UNLV students, faculty, staff and the Las Vegas community while connecting and engaging with the regional tribes whose stories will be told through art and conversation.” More info here.
2022 Cowboy Poetry Gathering canceled
The Western Folklife Center in Elko announced on its website yesterday, Oct. 21, that the Cowboy Poetry Gathering slated for Jan. 24-29, 2022 has been canceled due to ongoing pandemic-induced logistical and financial hurdles. The announcement mentions, “Elko County has seen a rise in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths over the past two months. By order of the governor, masks are currently required indoors for everyone. We know that we cannot enforce that due to the nature of our event, and frankly, we can’t imagine it feeling like the Gathering with them.” Here’s the full announcement. The Western Folklife Center and its galleries are still open to visitors.
Artown wins EDAWN business award
Yesterday, Oct. 21, Artown, the group that holds the annual summer arts festival in Reno/Sparks, won the the President’s Award, one of 16 business awards conferred by the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada (EDAWN) at the 9th Annual Existing Industry Awards ceremony at the Atlantis Casino.
EDAWN President Mike Kazmierski remarked that the award is intended to recognize “a special, game changing contribution to our community and our economic development efforts including being significant contributors to positive change in our region.”
Western Folklife Center has a noteworthy new artisan piece
The Western Folklife Center in Elko announced in September that it has acquired a saddle by Jeremiah Watt, a maker of historical saddles and ranch gear from California’s Central Valley. The saddle—initially commissioned in 1993 and delivered this past September, 28 years later—is a lavishly ornate piece that includes stamped leather, gold leaf highlights, and engraved metal work.Makers and crafters might swoon over this short video of Watt onstage in Elko, in which he mentions that he and his wife, Colleen, go so far as to make their own tools.
Sotheby’s auctions 191 pieces of Burning Man art
David Best’s “Rocket Car” sold for $36,000. Will Rogers’ aerial photo of Black Rock City sold for $7,560. Laura Kimpton and Jeff Schomberg’s giant metal hashtag (in the style of the “Believe” sculpture in downtown Reno) sold for $81,900. These three are among the 191 Burning-Man-related artworks that Sotheby’s auctioned online from Sept. 30 – Oct. 8. More auction results here.UNLV College of Fine Arts has a new endowment
On Friday, Oct. 8, UNLV faculty and administration members welcomed donor Stephanie Vondrak and several of her friends to a celebration in her honor, after she made a donation to fund the Vondrak Endowment for Creation of Knowledge in the Arts in the UNLV College of Fine Arts. This is the first gift to exceed $1 million for an endowed program fund in the College of Fine Arts. It will help fund research in the arts, special projects, interdisciplinary and entrepreneurial endeavors, gatherings and festivals.
Cover image: Artown Board President Mark Hatjakes, Board Member Meredith Tanzer, and EDAWN President + CEO Mike Kazmierski at the Oct. 21 awards ceremony. Photo courtesy EDAWN.
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