Art Exhibits on Display Oct. 7–31, 2024
Truckee Meadows Community College art galleries are exhibiting four new exhibitions. Two curated exhibitions feature a curated show by TMCC Professor and the 2022-23 Reno City Artist Rossitsa Todorova and a curated show by the Art 209 Gallery Practices class, with two local artists exhibiting solo exhibitions. The exhibitions run from Monday, Oct. 7–Thursday, Oct. 31, at four locations on the Dandini Campus. There will be an opening artists’ reception on Wednesday, Oct. 9, from 5-7 p.m. at the V. James Eardley Student Center and Red Mountain Gallery on the 3rd floor in the Red Mountain Building on the Dandini Campus. Refreshments will be available, and exhibitions will be made free and open to the public.
TMCC Main Gallery: Between Earth & Sky curated by Rossitza Todorova
Between Earth & Sky is a group exhibition featuring Northern Nevada artists whose work celebrates the unique high desert landscape of the Great Basin. The show will run from Oct. 7–31, 2024, and will showcase paintings, photography, jewelry, and mixed media works that capture the beauty and complexity of the Great Basin region. Curated by TMCC Professor Rossitza Todorova, Between Earth & Sky offers a rich and diverse view for art lovers and nature enthusiasts alike. Each artist brings a unique perspective to the landscape, interpreting the region's natural beauty in their style. The exhibition will showcase the layers, fragmentation, and expanse of the Great Basin landscape, inviting visitors to immerse themselves in the inspiration of this remarkable region. Participating artists include Galen Brown, Grace Davis, Gerald Lee Franzen, Ahren Hertel, Scott Hinton, Asa Kennedy, Kirsten Mashinter, Melissa Melero-Moose, Elaine Parks, Austin Pratt, Rachel Stiff, and Sidne Teske. The exhibition features a wide range of mediums, allowing visitors to appreciate the diverse talents of Northern Nevada's artists and their perspective of the Great Basin.
Red Mountain Gallery: VHS Vistas by Luke Rizzotto
VHS Vistas by Luke Rizzotto. For Rizzotto, through travel, one enters a state of transience - physical and emotional vulnerability- as one goes from one place of safety to another. This feeling of liminality is pronounced when looking out at the land while traveling, especially while driving - watching the landscape slowly morph and change over time, becoming something else. Witnessing this can remind the viewer that, much like the human body, even the massive landforms we see, no matter how impressive and grand, were formed through natural processes and will eventually erode to nothing again. In his work, the process of experiencing these emotions is not just similar to travel but also to yearning. The yearning for something else is, to many, what drives the desire to explore and experience something new - whether that’s far-off physical spaces, nonexistent memories, or utopian tomorrows. To capture this, Rizzotto uses the analog quality of VHS recordings in combination with installation to present this dissonance between nostalgia, yearning, and the present moment. From this, he hopes that the viewer can watch – and even interact with –these installations to make sense of their indescribable yearnings.
Luke Rizzotto is a digital media artist whose work examines memory, nostalgia, and yearning as it relates to place and travel through creating unreal landscapes and spaces. Originally from the New Orleans, Louisiana area, he currently resides and works in Reno, Nevada. He graduated magna cum laude in 2019 from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Art with a concentration in Computer Art and Animation, and in 2024 with a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Nevada, Reno. He has been recognized as a Resident Artist at Le Germinal in Newport, Québec in 2024 and with the Friends of Black Rock-High Rock and Bureau of Land Management in Gerlach, NV in 2023, along with the Outstanding Graduate Student Artist award at the University of Nevada, Reno, 2nd Best in Show at the Student Art Show in 2023, and the August and Emma Frisch Holmes Art Memorial Endowment Scholarship in 2021. In 2024, he presented his MFA thesis exhibition, Eternal Sunset Experiential Area, on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno, through the collective Solarpunk Surf Club in Lexington, Kentucky, and at New Media Contemporary in Dallas, TX. He has previously presented work in recent years at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, the Holland Project in Reno, NV, Sierra Arts Foundation in Reno, NV, Studio 540 in Cedarville, CA, the University of Mississippi in Oxford, MS, the E.L. Cord Museum School of the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno, NV, BFree Studio in La Jolla, CA, the University of Montana in Missoula, MT, Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, the Willingly Rejected arts collective in Lafayette, LA, the Acadiana Center for the Arts in Lafayette, LA and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. His professional experience includes positions as an Instructor at the University of Nevada, Reno as well as full-time and freelance roles as an animator, graphic designer, videographer, video editor, web developer, and interactive designer.
Erik Lauritzen Gallery: Major Arcana by Birdy McCray
Major Arcana by Birdy McCray. McCray’s work explores the intersections between art, divination, and self-discovery. Her tactile process of carving linoleum parallels the introspective nature of tarot and divination, where each cut reveals deeper layers of meaning. Her prints draw on the rich symbolism of these mystical practices, reflecting themes of self-exploration and interpretation. Inspired by the beauty of Northern Nevada, McCray’s imagery weaves together elements of the region’s stark landscapes with esoteric symbols. Through this work, she invites viewers to engage in their journey of contemplation, using the art as a mirror to reflect on their inner landscapes.
Birdy McCray is from Placerville, California, a historic gold rush town located in the Sierra Nevada foothills. From 2008 to 2011, she immersed herself in the local art scene through community college classes, art collectives, and figure-drawing groups. Her artistic journey led her to Reno, Nevada, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in art from the University of Nevada, Reno. In Reno, Birdy shifted from traditional drawing to digital media, exploring political themes and performance art. During her Master of Fine Arts (MFA) studies, she continued working with video and focused on dreams and lucid dreaming. After completing her MFA, she transitioned to printmaking, integrating mystical and occult themes into her work. She draws inspiration from pre-Christian European religions, mysticism, and Northern Nevada’s landscapes .
Red Mountain Student Gallery: Art Unbound curated by Art 209 Gallery Practices
Unbound a curated show by TMCC’s Art 209 Gallery Practices class taught by TMCC Galleries Curator Kyle Karrasch. Art Unbound is a unique opportunity for students to explore their artistic visions without the confines of a central theme. Each participating artist has the freedom to present works that reflect their individuality, making this exhibition a true celebration of creativity in its many forms. “Curating this exhibition has been an incredible experience for our class,” said Heidi Archdekin, one of the student curators. “It allows us to engage with various artistic practices and collaborate as a class. We’re excited to see how each piece contributes to the overall dialogue of the show.” The exhibition will feature a variety of mediums, including painting, photography, and digital art. Audiences can expect to encounter a rich tapestry of ideas, styles, and interpretations that challenge traditional boundaries of art. Art Unbound promises to be an inspiring and thought-provoking experience. We invite everyone to come and witness the incredible talent of our student artists.
