Best of Show Awards are based on popular vote - winners per category receive show credit and special edition award. Home About Reno, NV...Who Knew What People are Saying 2025 Exhibitors Reno, NV...Who Knew What People are Saying 2025 Exhibitors Visit Floor Plan Exhibitors Schedule Gallery 2025 Photo Gallery 2024 Photo Gallery 2023 Photo Gallery 2022 Photo Gallery 2025 Photo Gallery 2024 Photo Gallery 2023 Photo Gallery 2022 Photo Gallery More RTA Awards News Executive Advisory Board Blog: Stories Exhibitor Interviews Contact RTA Awards News Executive Advisory Board Blog: Stories Exhibitor Interviews Contact Menu Close Menu Close Home About Reno, NV...Who Knew What People are Saying 2025 Exhibitors Visit Floor Plan Exhibitors Schedule Gallery 2025 Photo Gallery 2024 Photo Gallery 2023 Photo Gallery 2022 Photo Gallery More RTA Awards News Executive Advisory Board Blog: Stories Exhibitor Interviews Contact Thanks for joining us! Congratulations to our 2026 Best of Show Winners! Running in correspondence with the Reno Tahoe International Art Show, the RTA Best of Show voter-based awards celebrate best booth presentation within each presenting category of the RTIA Show. Attendees and exhibitors are asked to vote for one winner per category on - site at the RTIA Show. The Grand Prize is awarded to the RTIA Show exhibitor with the most overall votes. Galleries & Studios + Features Art 299 Creative Actions Taylor Webb Scott Rispin Fine Art Brooke Siem Fine Art Rocky Rapetti Bespoke Furniture Eric Blackwell Solid Ground Woodworks by Joey Della Russo Streamline HiFi & Tänd Studio Heart of Reno + Spotlight NV Bernardo Mxkt E2 Photography April Gratrix Abigail Harper Fine Art Artistry by Mikel Student Feature Spanish Springs High School Truckee High School Bishop Manogue High School Our Lady of the Snows School North Tahoe High School First Nations, Indigenous Peoples Mitchell Blackhorse Pottery Around the World Art Collective Mary Purdy Gmuender Makwesa Chimerica Great Basin Indigenous Sculpture HOPE MOTH Clinton Lesh Studios Molly Omann Driftwood Sculptor Reno Roots Overall Best-of-Show Solid Ground Woodworks by Joey Della Russo Thank you for Voting! Congratulations to all finalists! About the Awards Running in correspondence with the Reno Tahoe International Art Show, the RTA Best of Show voter-based awards celebrate best booth presentation within each presenting category of the RTIA Show. Attendees and exhibitors are asked to vote for one winner per category on-site at the RTIA Show between the VIP Preview Thursday, September 17 and noon on Sunday, September 20. Finalists and Winners will be announced with an informal staged reception as the show finishes up on Sunday, September 20. The Grand Prize is awarded to the RTIA Show exhibitor with the most overall votes. Winners of each category of the Best of Show awards receive: $1500 credit for a 2027 Peaks Art Fairs event Special edition award Winners of the Grand Prize Best of Show receives: $1,000 additional show credit for a 2027 Peaks Art Fairs event Special edition award Full page ad in American Art Collector magazine Artwork featured on the 2027 exhibitor badges Congratulations to our 2023 Reno Tahoe Artist Awards finalists & winners! The regional RTA Awards recognize artistic excellence in 6 categories for artists from the Reno Tahoe area. Decided on by a panel of esteemed judges, the winners will each receive $1350 and a special edition award. The grand prize winner, for the Reno Creative Movement Award, will win $5000, a special edition award, and a full-page artist focus for an upcoming issue of American Art Collector magazine. We thank Nevada Arts Council for sponsoring the RTA Awards, and are looking forward to the RTA Awards Gala held on-site at the RTIA Show on Saturday, September 16, 7pm-10pm. The Gala ceremony will also include recognition of the 'Best of Show' Awards decided on by popular vote, sponsored by Nevada Tourism & Cultural Affairs. Furniture, Lighting, Functional Art Andy Cline Anela DeLaveaga Tony Lamorte Oil & Acrylic Candida Webb Julia Schwadron Marianelli Kimbo Franke Rossitza Todorova Mixed Media: 2D Candace Garlock Jennifer Hartnett Sabrina Frey Thomas Gilbertson Photography Jordyn Owens Stephanie Hogen Will Enos Mixed Media: 3D Beck Baumann Benjamin Langholz Catherine Schmid-Maybach Kyle Karrasch Watercolor James Gayles Ronnie Rector Thomas Gilbertson Reno Creative Movement Award Julia Schwadron Marianelli Congratulations to 2023 Best of Show finalists & winners! Introducing 'Best Of' the 2023 RTIA Show, based on popular vote and a little help from our judges. Winners receive a $1500 credit to RTIA 2024 + a special edition award + acknowledgement in Art Confidential Magazine - courtesy of Sir Daniel Winn Independents Alan Potter Hannah Eddy June Brown Sculpture Liana Weber Soulful Art by Bridgette Durante Heart of Reno Beck Baumann Candace Garlock Karen Dukes Kimbo Franke Sabrina Frey Art Cities Bearcloud Bennett Sculpture Candice Brokenshire Buchan Core Contemporary Chung 24 Gallery Sculpture: Small-Scale Demolski Glass Works Ironbear Sculpture Heather Rison June Brown Sculpture Jennifer Johnson Galleries & Features Buffalo Creek Art Center Gefen Gallery Pacific Crest Gallery Piper J Gallery Stremmel Gallery Sculpture: Large-Scale Alpine Meadow Artists Mark Rivera Peter Hazel Olivia Guethling & Mar Ricketts, Guildworks True Mirror Experience First Nations, Indigenous Peoples Bearcloud Created by Navajo Hands Ironbear Sculpture JJ Otero Art Heather Johnston Student Art Abigail Kolber Sydney Stominger Sydney Flint Mia Loran Zane Richards About the Awards Presented by nevada arts council The Reno Tahoe Artist (RTA) Awards is an annual awards program and Gala created to recognize individual artistic achievement and the overall ascendancy of Reno Tahoe into a national destination for arts and culture. A 509(a)2 entity, the regional component of the RTA Awards presents cash prizes and special edition awards for excellence in artistic achievement in 6 categories to artists living and working in the Reno Tahoe region. Winners are selected by an appointed panel of jurors looking to recognize key contributors to the development of Reno Tahoe’s arts and culture landscape. The Grand Prize is selected from the category winners. Running in correspondence with the Reno Tahoe International Art Show, the 2023 RTA Awards introduces the ‘Best of Show’ Awards, a voter-based, jury assisted, awards program celebrating what’s best within each presenting category of the RTIA Show. Attendees and exhibitors are asked to vote for one winner per category on-site at the RTIA Show between the VIP Preview Thursday, September 14 and 6pm on Saturday, September 16 ahead of the Awards Gala. Interested in sponsoring for 2024? Contact Briana Dolan - bdolan@rtiashow.com Austin Pratt Austin Pratt is an artist, educator, and curator based in Reno, Nevada. He received an MFA in Painting+Drawing from the University of Tennessee and a BFA in Painting with a Minor in Museum Studies from the University of Nevada, Reno. Pratt was a recipient of the Nevada Arts Council Visual Artist Fellowship and has been featured in New American Paintings magazine. His work has been shown widely, including Baitball Art Fair in Italy and solo exhibitions at Oats Park Art Center in Fallon, Nevada, and at Channel to Channel Gallery in Nashville, Tennessee, among others. Pratt is currently the Curator and Manager of Sheppard Contemporary & University Galleries at the University of Nevada, Reno, and a faculty member in the MFA program in Interdisciplinary Arts. He splits his time between programming exhibitions and teaching courses in Painting, Drawing, and Contemporary Theory and Practice. Frances Melhop Frances Melhop is a visual artist, curator and gallery director, born in Christchurch, New Zealand, living and working at Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Melhop works in tactile mediums such as photography, printmaking, hand embroidery, sculpture and oil paint exploring the tensions between the virtual and physical ways we experience the world. Her focus is on human presence and absence in our screen and material lives. She has exhibited collaborative works with Susan Norrie at Nancy Hoffman Gallery (New York, NY) and the NSW Museum of Art, (Sydney, Australia). Awards include, University of Nevada, Reno, Outstanding Artist Award, 2019, NNDA Innovator of the Year 2014, Luerzers Archive World’s Best Photographers 2009/2010. In 2020 as a curator and artist, she opened Melhop Gallery °7077 , at Lake Tahoe, Nevada, representing 12 national and international artists. She also curates themed group shows with other invited exceptional artists. For the last 6 years she also taught in the art departments of University of Nevada, Reno, Western Nevada College, Truckee Meadows Community College and Lake Tahoe Community College. Megan Berner Megan Berner is a visual artist and arts professional living and working in Reno, NV. Coming from a multi-disciplinary and non-traditional art background, Megan is interested in innovative ways to activate public space and create opportunities for citizens and artists to engage with the community and connect people to their environment. Her personal practice is centered around place and the psychological experience of the environment. Megan holds an MFA from the University of Iowa in Intermedia. She currently works as the Arts & Culture Manager for the City of Reno. Nettie Oliverio Nettie is a partner with Foothill Partners Urban Development in the position of Arts and Culture Director. She collaborates in all the company’s projects to incorporate culture and commerce to build and sustain community. A graduate of the Alabama School of Fine Arts and former dancer with the American Ballet Theatre, Nettie served 10 years on the City of Reno Arts & Culture Commission and chaired the City’s Public Art Committee and Arts & Culture Grants Panel. She co-chairs the regional Reno Arts Consortium and serves as board president of the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. Parker Stremmel Parker Stremmel is the Director of Stremmel Gallery, a Reno-based fine art gallery that specializes in contemporary paintings, drawings, and sculptures by mid-career and established American and European artists. Stremmel serves on the board of directors for the Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, The Barracuda Championship/ Reno-Tahoe Open Foundation, the John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art at UNR, and the Prospectors’ Club. Additionally, Parker is part of the Coeur d’Alene Art Auction, which specializes in the finest classical Western and American Art, representing past masters and outstanding contemporary artists. 2023 Members of the Jury RTA Awards Partners & Sponsors

Welcoming. Fun. The new model of fine art and design fair. Home About Reno, NV...Who Knew What People are Saying 2025 Exhibitors Reno, NV...Who Knew What People are Saying 2025 Exhibitors Visit Floor Plan Exhibitors Schedule Gallery 2025 Photo Gallery 2024 Photo Gallery 2023 Photo Gallery 2022 Photo Gallery 2025 Photo Gallery 2024 Photo Gallery 2023 Photo Gallery 2022 Photo Gallery More RTA Awards News Executive Advisory Board Blog: Stories Exhibitor Interviews Contact RTA Awards News Executive Advisory Board Blog: Stories Exhibitor Interviews Contact Menu Close Menu Close Home About Reno, NV...Who Knew What People are Saying 2025 Exhibitors Visit Floor Plan Exhibitors Schedule Gallery 2025 Photo Gallery 2024 Photo Gallery 2023 Photo Gallery 2022 Photo Gallery More RTA Awards News Executive Advisory Board Blog: Stories Exhibitor Interviews Contact Purchase Tickets Thank you for joining us for the 2026 RTIA Show! That's a wrap! Thank you for supporting the 5th Edition of the RTIA Show! 2026 Best of Show Reno, NV...Who Knew? About RTIA Show Watch the 2025 Recap Video Set beneath the beautiful Sierra Nevada, the RTIA Show brings together world-class galleries, independent artists, and monumental sculpture for four transformative days - making Reno-Tahoe a premiere destination for art and culture. Show Preview: Featured Exhibitors Browse through a selection of featured exhibitors participating in the Fifth Edition Reno Tahoe International Art Show. Over 150 artists will be showcased within the six segments of the fair: Galleries & Studios, Heart of Reno, Sculpture Walk, First Nations, Bespoke Furniture, and Features. Purchase Tickets Abraham Awalom Fine Art Galleries & Studios Annie Rob, K&K Gallery Galleries & Studios April Gratrix Heart of Reno Arshla Jindal Galleries & Studios Beck Baumann Heart of Reno Brooke Siem Fine Art Galleries & Studios Clinton Lesh Studios Sculpture Walk Denise Miller Contemporary Artist Heart of Reno Denise Miller Contemporary Artist Heart of Reno E2 Photography Heart of Reno Erika Stearly, K&K Gallery Galleries & Studios HandauArts Galleries & Studios Ionia | Modern Jewelry - Ancient Origins Heart of Reno John Karl Claes, Gallery Finesse Galleries & Studios Jinny Tomozy Heart of Reno J.A. Nagel Heart of Reno John Rossi Heart of Reno K.L. Allen Heart of Reno Karma Henry FNIP Kathleen LeRoy Galleries & Studios Kelly O'Neal Artist Galleries & Studios Leticia Lorenzini, K&K Gallery Galleries & Studios Mary Purdy Gmuender FNIP Matej Anzin Art Galleries & Studios Molly Oman Bagheera Sculpture Walk Talks, Tastings, Film, Live Music, Dance & More Post Playa Burning Man Art Feature Largest Sculpture Presentation in the Nation Indigenous Artists Pavilion and Fashion Show Presenting World Class Artists, Galleries, Sculptors, Bespoke Furniture Designers Destination Art Fair of the West 2026 Show Sponsors and Partners Interested in Sponsoring RTIA 2026? Download the Sponsorship Document 2026 Supporting Media

Fine art. Design. Sculpture. Film. Music. Reno Tahoe. Home About Reno, NV...Who Knew What People are Saying 2025 Exhibitors Reno, NV...Who Knew What People are Saying 2025 Exhibitors Visit Floor Plan Exhibitors Schedule Gallery 2025 Photo Gallery 2024 Photo Gallery 2023 Photo Gallery 2022 Photo Gallery 2025 Photo Gallery 2024 Photo Gallery 2023 Photo Gallery 2022 Photo Gallery More RTA Awards News Executive Advisory Board Blog: Stories Exhibitor Interviews Contact RTA Awards News Executive Advisory Board Blog: Stories Exhibitor Interviews Contact Menu Close Menu Close Home About Reno, NV...Who Knew What People are Saying 2025 Exhibitors Visit Floor Plan Exhibitors Schedule Gallery 2025 Photo Gallery 2024 Photo Gallery 2023 Photo Gallery 2022 Photo Gallery More RTA Awards News Executive Advisory Board Blog: Stories Exhibitor Interviews Contact Purchase Tickets 2026 Exhibitors 2026 Floor Plan 8woodworks Heart of Reno Sparks, NV ASH Ceramics, Spotlight NV Features Las Vegas, NV Abigail Harper Fine Art Heart of Reno Reno, NV Abraham Awalom Fine Art Galleries & Studios Seattle, WA Adam Stempka, Stempka Designs Sculpture Walk Erie, PA Adornment by Nicole Heart of Reno Reno, NV Alain Couder, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Alan Wright, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Alex Arciniega, Ways of Being Basque Features Reno, NV Ali Agus Ardie & Dr. Nina Paul, Engineers: Ben Khan & Christian Handley Sculpture Walk Deeth, NV Alicia Cobb, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Alison Harvey, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Alison Price Studios Galleries & Studios Minneapolis, MN Alyson Storms Galleries & Studios Seattle, WA Angela Scharff, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Anya V. Satysheva Galleries & Studios Sunnyvale, CA April Gratrix Heart of Reno Reno, NV Around the World Art Collective FNIP Yaqui, Mexico & The Himalayas Arshla Jindal Galleries & Studios San Francisco, CA Art Fevre Galleries & Studios Ogden, UT Art Hambleton, Spotlight NV Features Las Vegas, NV Artistry by Mikel Heart of Reno Silver Springs, NV Asa Kennedy Art Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Aspen Forest Home - Thea Schoettgen Galleries & Studios Sparks, NV Atelier Pellissier Sculpture Walk Reno, NV Ava Covington Heart of Reno Carson City, NV Barbara Dayes, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Beautifully Felt Creations Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Beck Baumann Heart of Reno Reno, NV Bernardo Mxkt, Spotlight NV Features Sparks, NV Beth Wood, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Bill Burrows, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Birch and Bone Boutique Heart of Reno Reno, NV Bishop Manogue High School Features Reno, NV Bob Howard- Never Enough Sculpture Walk Reno, NV Brandon Lacow, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Bravery Arts Galleries & Studios Layton, UT Brett Cassort Fine Art Galleries & Studios Sherman Oaks, CA Bridgette Thornton, Spotlight NV Features Incline Village, NV Brooke Siem Fine Art Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Bug in the Box Galleries & Studios Humble, TX Candida Webb, Spotlight NV Features Carson City, NV Carol Foldvary-Anderson, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Chantell Peck Studios Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Chetna D'Souza, Spotlight NV Features Las Vegas, NV Christa McLaughlin, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Clinton Lesh Studios Sculpture Walk Bozeman, MT Color of Neon Features Reno, NV Common Crow Art Heart of Reno Sparks, NV Cyr Studios Heart of Reno Sparks, NV Damonte Ranch High School Features Reno, NV Daniela Schnebly Heart of Reno Reno, NV Dark Whimsy Heart of Reno Gardnerville, NV Daylene Moss Art and Design Heart of Reno Reno, NV Dean Burton, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Deborah Richards Heart of Reno Sparks, NV Denise Miller Contemporary Artist Heart of Reno Carson City, NV Dennis Doyle Photography, Spotlight NV Features Fallon, NV Desolate Rye Heart of Reno Gardnerville, NV Dorrie Rapp, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV E2 Photography Heart of Reno Gardnerville, NV EarthWalk Studio Heart of Reno Dayton, NV Edith Hiller, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Eileen Fuller, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Ellen Gonzales | White Bird Fine Art Galleries & Studios Maricopa, AZ Elsa Provost, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Eric Blackwell Bespoke Furniture Los Angeles, CA Fantasy Iron Shop Sculpture Walk Loveland, CO Galena High School Features Reno, NV Gallery Finesse Galleries & Studios Turlock, CA Gary Sanchez, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Grace Krutz Art Heart of Reno Fernley, NV Graced Designs Heart of Reno Sparks, NV Great Basin Indigenous Feature FNIP Reno Tahoe Regional HOPE - MJ Mojca Pačnik Sculpture Walk Ljubljana, Slovenia Hallee Lumsden, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV HandauArts Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Healing Mosaics by Shelley Beaumont Galleries & Studios Minneapolis, MN Hero Armor — Ukrainian Independent Art Project Sculpture Walk Ukraine / Netherlands Infinite Horizon Galleries & Studios Louisville, KY Ionia Jewelry Heart of Reno Reno, NV Isabelle Olivia Galleries & Studios Gardnerville, NV J. Charboneau Heart of Reno Reno, NV J.A. Nagel Heart of Reno Washoe, NV JJ Otero FNIP Cuba, NM Jaime Ramey, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV James Hoffman, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV James Marshall Art Work Heart of Reno Gardnerville, NV Jann Selleck, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Jasmine Sierra, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Jeff Willis, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Jennifer Haffke, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Jenny Snaza Sculpture Walk Reno, NV Jenny Snaza Features Reno, NV Jerry Brown FNIP Albuquerque, NM Jillian Culver Sculpture Walk Truckee, CA Jinny Tomozy Heart of Reno Reno, NV Joan Arrizabalaga, Ways of Being Basque Features Reno, NV Joanna Drakos Galleries & Studios Reno, NV John Rossi Heart of Reno Reno, NV Jon Edmondo, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Juliette Leong Heart of Reno Reno, NV Jumper Maybach Galleries & Studios Houston, TX K&K Gallery Galleries & Studios Culver City, CA K.L.Allen Heart of Reno South Lake Tahoe, CA Kader Boly Art Galleries & Studios Hapeville, GA Karen Stryker, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Karena Elise, Spotlight NV Features Reno, NV Karma Henry FNIP Santa Fe, NM Kat Allibe Heart of Reno Sparks, NV Kathleen LeRoy Studios Galleries & Studios Boulder, CO Kathryn Dudley, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Katie Fisher, Spotlight NV Features Reno, NV Katie Packham - Copper Cat Studio Heart of Reno Sparks, NV Katie Willes Art Galleries & Studios Salt Lake City, UT Kelly Nygard Artist Galleries & Studios Bloomington, MN Kelly O'Neal Artist Galleries & Studios Dallas, TX Ken Blinde Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Kendra HItchcock Art Galleries & Studios American Fork, UT Kristen Kabrin Photography, Spotlight NV Features Fallon, NV Lara Hurtado, Ways of Being Basque Features Basque Country Lee Morrison Art Galleries & Studios Sherwood, OR Leire Urbeltz, Ways of Being Basque Features Reno, NV Liana Scott Galleries & Studios Ogden, UT Liminal Artifacts Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Lizard Hiss Studio Bespoke Furniture Sun Valley, NV Lynn B. K. Schmidt Features Reno, NV MOTH Sculpture Walk San Francisco, CA Makwesa Chimerica FNIP Hotevilla-Bacavi, AZ Margie Enlow Heart of Reno Reno, NV Margot Comer, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Marianne Reger, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Mark Pipes, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Mary Love Heart of Reno Reno, NV Mary Purdy Gmuender FNIP Gardnerville, NV Matej Anzin Art Galleries & Studios Issaquah, WA Maureen Hoban, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Michelle Womack, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Mitchell Blackhorse Pottery FNIP Cortez, CO Molly Omann Driftwood Sculpture Sculpture Walk Sequim, WA Morgan Brandt, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Myia Ray Art, Spotlight NV Features Reno, NV Naomi Di Vine, Spotlight NV Features Reno, NV Nate Ricketts Design Galleries & Studios Morongo Valley, CA Nett Euphoria Art Galleries & Studios Citrus Heights, CA Nevada Arts Council Features Carson City, NV Nevada Plein Air - Bunny Carnahan Heart of Reno Reno, NV Nevada Woodchucks Heart of Reno Reno, NV Nisey Garcia Fine Art, Spotlight NV Features Las Vegas, NV Nivia Bejarano, Spotlight NV Features Las Vegas, NV North Tahoe High School Features Kings Beach, CA Octavio and Oscar Morales Galleries & Studios Puerto Nuevo, B.C., Mexico Our Lady of the Snows School Features Reno, NV PRB Artsy, Spotlight NV Features Reno, NV Piano Bricolage Heart of Reno Reno, NV Pilar Soberon, Ways of Being Basque Features San Sebastián, Spain Raf Willems Galleries & Studios Henderson, NV Raggamuffin | Shahla Motamedi Heart of Reno Reno, NV Ray Frost, Spotlight NV Features Reno, NV Rebecca Hallstrom, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Red Wolf Fine Art Galleries & Studios Potter Valley, CA Reilly Moss Heart of Reno Reno, NV Reno Roots Sculpture Walk Reno, NV Reno Roots Heart of Reno Reno, NV Respect the Wild Heart of Reno Reno, NV Rocky Rapetti Art Galleries & Studios Pilot Hill, CA Ron Purvis Galleries & Studios Damascus, OR Ronald Chee Studios FNIP Costa Mesa, CA SUPERDAY Galleries & Studios Alemeda, CA Sage Ridge School Features Reno, NV Sarah Shores Heart of Reno Reno, NV Saundra Saling, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Scott Forrest Fine Art Studio Galleries & Studios Zephyr Cove, NV Scott Rispin Fine Art Galleries & Studios Queen Creek, AZ Shelby Rodriguez, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Solid Ground Woodworks by Joey Dello Russo Bespoke Furniture Reno, NV Sortwo, Ways of Being Basque Features Basque Country Spanish Springs High School Features Sparks, NV St. Mary's Art Center Features Virginia City, NV Stephanie Hogen, Art 299 Creative Actions Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Streamline HiFi Bespoke Furniture Reno, NV Studio Blue Art by Kristen Edwards Galleries & Studios Boise, ID Studio Zizka Fine Art Galleries & Studios Las Vegas, NV Susan Bloom Art Heart of Reno Reno, NV Swetha Vijayaraghavan Galleries & Studios Fremont, CA Tahoe Art League Features South Lake Tahoe, CA Tanja Hester, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Tarman Art Galleries & Studios Huntington Beach, CA Taylor Webb Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Terry Sauvé Landscapes Galleries & Studios Santa Rosa, CA Terrye Kocher, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV The Art of Charles Muench Galleries & Studios Gardnerville, NV The Invisible Space: In Search of the Infinite Blue Features Las Vegas, NV The Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV The Mystère Designs Heart of Reno Reno, NV Toso Jura Art Galleries & Studios Old Umm al Quwain, UAE Tracey Goff, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Tricia Poulas Leonard, Latimer Art Club Galleries & Studios Reno, NV Trina Craig Fine Art - Desert Shapes & Rhythms Heart of Reno Reno, NV Truckee High School Features Truckee, CA Filter by Exhibitor Name Select Exhibitor Name Filter by Exhibitor Type Select Exhibitor Type RTIA Stories

RTIA Show founders, father-daughter team Kevin O’Keefe and Briana Dolan, sit down (with unofficial intern Shane Dolan, 14 months) to talk about the show, their partnership (only some grievances were aired) and the vision for the wider Reno Creative Movement. B: It’s still sort of surreal to me that we are business partners. K: Surreal? B: Don’t you think it’s a bit …surprising? K: I think from the beginning it has always felt oddly fated, like it was meant to be. The way that it formed and shaped, there was an inevitability to it that was quite amazing. Well there was a time, actually, now that I’m thinking about it, that I was openly talking about wanting to somehow land in what I vaguely called the ‘event business’ and that it would be great to be ultimately partnered with you on that path. It was such a fuzzy thought process, though, with no real starting point. This was back in Connecticut, pre-kids, so at least 6 years ago. And now here we are- wild. It was a very interesting process. It went from complete stillness mid-pandemic, where there wasn’t anything going on, and then naturally spending more time on art. Initially I was just looking to make a website -just as something to do. …You wanted me to make you a website- for your art. Right. But then when we were looking and seeing what was happening in the environment with art, it was actually quite a surprise to see what was happening here in Reno. The Reno Fine Arts Collective came together so quickly - and it was accepted so completely. Then to move onto the gallery and to develop a community that was very cohesive and happy to come together like that. I’ve built many businesses, but this was one that kind of built itself. Normally to create a business, you have to drag it, kicking and screaming, up. This just came forward very naturally. And it morphed directly from the gallery to the show. In and a way it was almost seamless. When you and Mom moved to Reno, were you in retirement mode, or what were you thinking when it came to what to do next? I think at the time I didn’t really consider what I would be doing next. We had gone through a period of a couple of years of such oddness in the world. I wasn’t really thinking about anything except getting away from Connecticut and New York and into a place that geographically was clearly much more attractive. I thought it was a nice change. But in terms of working, I never considered another career or what I would be doing here. What is more surprising to you, living in Reno or doing what we’re doing? I think what’s most surprising is that we are doing what we’re doing. Though for many years I thought of Reno in the same way that the rest of the world did – and does- as a place to be avoided. It’s an uphill battle with the various stigmas – being ‘next to Vegas’, a sad secondary gambling town and the Reno 911 fiasco, but I do think it’s changing at a rapid rate now. Even growing up in California, I had no idea where Reno was until Mike and I drove here from San Diego. That was the longest road trip I had taken to date – you and Mom weren’t big on road trips - and until we were over the hill, there were many hours there that I was convinced I would really not like what I was about to see. But it surprised me then, and continues to surprise me now. [Shane interrupts conversation for the fifth time] We are partners, but the partnership has sort of taken root into the wider family unit. Everyone has had a direct hand in some piece of this effort- which is great, because for one, it’s nice to be supported, but also it means a lot to have such a strong foundation. Yes it is very nice. Also, when we were starting the Reno Fine Arts Collective, I had just found out I was pregnant with Shane- remember? His life is especially integrated with the building of this business. I had such an outpouring of love and support from all the artists of the Collective, too. They really helped me get through the tougher months of pregnancy. It’s a network I never expected to have, but more importantly, that I never expected to need. Reno people are, on a whole, very welcoming and kind, but the artist community is especially one to be cherished. For two introverts- we’ve made some great friends in this process. Very much so- and then over time, the larger community, the business community- EDAWN, the mayor of the city, the city council, the Nevada Council for the Arts- as people became aware of what we were doing, there was universal support for it. Right, and I think the biggest leap now, along with growing the show, is being able to create this bridge between Reno’s art community and the wider international art world- and to do it in a digestible way. Where it’s not just about a talented, but isolated, community – it’s about finding and building on the connections that will ultimately lift Reno Tahoe to a nationally recognized center for art and culture, which has been our goal and our vision with the Reno Creative Movement from the beginning. The ability to expose the current residents of the region, and those that are incoming, to the whole reservoir of international gallerists and sculpture- I think it is really enriching for them. Especially with all the changes we’re seeing in the country, and particularly the west coast, the timing couldn’t be better. Well also there is a general shift in the art world. Being more attuned to the international art news has been one of the most interesting pieces of this for me. It’s not a crossroads, per se, but it’s a period of time now that will most certainly be studied in art history classes to come. Between the aftermath of Covid to the digital world, NFTs… it’s a great time to take action and impart lasting change. Completely. I think people are viewing the world very much as an ‘in-motion, non-static’ environment. For the longest time, the art world was fixed. There were certain places that had events that were always accepted and that’s where you went and certain galleries were accepted and so that’s where you bought certain types of art… all of that is dramatically changing. It’s very fluid. So it is an exciting time. It’s an exciting time for independent artists, for new galleries. I think that this new generation of high net worth individuals in their 30s and 40s are looking at art very differently. And different types of art too. Things like photography and sculpture for example. The renewed or different attention to these mediums at this time is really interesting. It says a lot about how people are interacting with art. As a recording and an interpretation of history and truth, photography demands to be interacted with. Sculpture by its nature of taking up space demands the interaction as well. Portraiture, which we highlighted in the Talks at this first show, came into new focus as a result of covid related introspection. It has a similar effect staring back at the viewer. There is a movement for younger people who really want to own things that are real. Something that is unique and produced by an individual. Collecting on its own is also a great way to discover yourself. Recognizing pieces of art that truly move you is fascinating self-discovery and it really contributes to pride in collection- whether it’s a collection of one piece or a hundred. Even originals under the $300 mark… we are sitting under a piece I bought from a member of the Collective and every day I look at is new. It’s a living entity that enriches our space and our lives. I hope that what we are seeing with collectors- new and seasoned- will continue to develop in this trend. The whole concept of owning an original that appeals to you is definitely growing in vogue. We saw that at the show. So many people – and young people- left with art, recognizing the value of owning an original. I think many people wrongly assume that originals of any value are unaffordable, but that just isn’t true. And regardless of price, original art or bespoke furniture, can endure through generations. With the handcrafted furniture, you see it and know it will be appreciated for generations. Another thing that is important, particularly for Americans, is the opportunity to own original art created by Native Americans. Those cultures, especially from the 9 major western tribes- it’s beautiful art from a diminishing population of pure-blooded Native Americans that really cherish their histories. Any American who wants to be part of that heritage of where this place came from should really be looking at that art. Some of the most beautiful traditional Native American jewelry- if you’re not buying it, you should at least be looking at it. And in the next couple of years we’ll see to it that this show has one of the largest presentations of contemporary Native American art anywhere in the country that can be found outside of a museum. That is something we’re going to spend some time on, to make it possible for these artists to participate in the show and to connect with people that would like to take part in the generational history of their families. The tradition that is incorporated into some of the First Nation art is something to be celebrated on its own. It’s a fascinating and complex history that cannot be forgotten. It’s an important feature. Another defining element of the show is the Sculpture piece, which many of the First nations exhibitors were involved with this past year too. The ability to bring in major sculptures from Burning Man 2023, 30 or 40 pieces that will weigh many thousands of pounds but are very unique pieces that architects, high net worth individuals or cities can come and purchase– it’s a key piece of the show. And really this is only place they are going to be able to see them and purchase them in this way. There are a lot of people that cannot go to Burning Man for whatever reason, or would prefer not to shop for art there. Well and we can curate what’s best from Burning Man and present in this environment, which is unique to Reno in the sense that we don’t have the same complications that typically come with similar buildings in bigger cities. And aside from that, what is unique about this entire show is that – and no other show in the world does it this way- now we have a huge composition of curated local artists, combined with other independent artists coming in from around the world, mixed with galleries from all over the United States and the world, and then major sculpture and an enormous presentation of Burning Man pieces. We also have this added layer that the show is very unique to Reno Tahoe- the local musicians, the Cordillera Film Festival, hospitality and retail partners- I think people are sort of blown away (as we are) about this region. Reno… who knew? Such an appropriate slogan. Ok, so in conclusion… what would you say is the most annoying thing about working with me? (long, calculated pause…) Um…I think that one of your best qualities is your attention to detail and timeliness of things. You are constantly reminding to review and approve things… which can sometimes be an irritant. Ha! Yes, doing work on time can be annoying… Well you already know my pet peeve working with you, then… you constantly ignore my reminders! But aside from that I have enjoyed working together...I feel like we have a good balance of things- and it’s been fun! It has been fun. Lots to come, still. It’s a very good thing for Reno. And I think it’s also quite gratifying to be able to see us putting together an event that is so completely accepted by the political and economic development executives in the region. The universal support for the concept is great to see. We also know that as we change the way that we are looking at ourselves, from the old Reno to the new Reno as an arts and culture center – and as the rest of the country changes the way they look at us, it will make this place so much more to be proud of. We are happy to be part of that. I’ve never felt so at home in any city we’ve lived in. Which is odd after being born on the east coast, growing up in Southern California, and coming most recently from CT and New York. But it’s true for whatever reason and I’m proud to part of the effort to lift this region up. It seems natural. And it is. End