A map showing artists and locations for several murals created in the Carson City Murals & Music Festival on Oct. 28-30.
A key organizer for Carson City’s first Murals & Music Festival that ran Sept. 28-30 is calling the event a success.
“The Brewery Arts Center is proud to have helped adjust the perception of how arts and culture can transform ordinary spaces into objects of hope, beauty and inspiration,” said Eric Brooks, the BAC gallery curator who worked with city leaders and local businesses to make the event a reality.
In all, 22 murals were created around downtown Carson over three days, mostly at business locations but also on one east-facing wall at the Carson City Library.
“Artists were specifically paired with walls based on their technique and style,” said Brooks. “Once the artists met the building/business owners, a conversation helped the design phase with ideas of community, history and nature developing into the final visual story. There is a shared identity within the scope of public art. Carson City now has 22 new pieces that will add beauty along with the opportunity to reflect on where we are at and where we want to go.”
Brooks said BAC staff and volunteers made the BAC campus “inviting” and ensured artists had everything they needed. It was a collective effort, the way he described it.
“With the generous donation from Grocery Outlet, Mangia Tutto and the U.S. Sub Base, lunches, snacks and drinks were brought to the artists each day, allowing them to stay on their walls, painting,” Brooks said. “We gave away more than 500 printed maps and saw a steady stream of traffic throughout the event…Even during the Saturday rain, the gallery was filled with visitors waiting to get out and walk the streets to watch the new public art go up.”
Brooks said BAC will be conducting a survey to collect more data on the event.
“The participating muralists had an amazing time in Carson,” he said. “The overwhelming number of people coming and wanting to meet them was more than the festivals in Reno, Elko and Fernley. Especially encouraging are what the visiting artists from Utah, California, Spain, Mexico and Brazil will take back with them — stories of hospitality and kindness from our small corner of the world to theirs.”
Brooks mentioned several murals that drew crowds.
“The production wall at 1850 N. Carson St., was one of the most activated spaces during the event,” he said. “The seven artists working independently on contemporary designs were a big draw.”
Also popular were murals at the Chamber of Commerce building in south Carson and inside BAC itself in west Carson.
“Inside the lobby, Leire Urbeltz, from Pamplona, Spain, transformed the space with a scenic illustrative mural, relevant for all,” Brooks said. “Leire is in the region researching and documenting aspects of Basque life in Northern Nevada for her doctorate. Some of the imagery in the mural is from the last two weeks of her journey.”
In a press release about the event, participating artist Hannah Eddy said mural events “can’t be ignored.”
“So much creativity going on at once,” Eddy said. “Creativity takes over the city. Bright, colorful, fun and positive images scattered throughout neighborhoods. It's art for the people, no barrier or cost. It's for everyone.”
“The inaugural Murals & Music Festival brought our community together with visitors from across our region to celebrate Carson City’s passion for artistry and creativity,” David Peterson, executive director of Visit Carson City, said in the same release.
Visit Carson City and Carson City supported the event along with a multitude of businesses, community groups and private donors.
“Going beyond simply displaying the murals, we offered attendees the opportunity to meet and engage with the artists, which was such a meaningful way to have people experience the city as an arts and culture destination,” Peterson said.
Brooks told the Appeal another mural event is in the works for next year.
“It will likely focus on large-scale walls for a two-day festival,” Brooks said. “There are preliminary commitments from building owners, sponsors and international artists.”
Those interested in participating in any future event can email brooks@breweryarts.org.
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