2024 Annual Report
Morby Family Foundation Gift Completes Capital Campaign
In memory of Reno-born art collector and philanthropist Jeffrey Morby, the Morby Family Foundation closed the capital campaign with a generous $3M gift memorialized by the Jeffrey Morby Family Gallery. The new gallery is designed to host a variety of exhibitions from the Museum’s permanent collections. This extraordinary gift concluded the capital campaign and enabled the Museum to finish the expansion without incurring any debt. The Board of Trustees, staff and volunteers are eternally grateful to every campaign donor for helping the Museum to complete the landmark $60M capital campaign.
Deep Time Underscores Commitment to Education
Deep Time: Sea Dragons of Nevada was a landmark exhibition celebrating Nevada’s state fossil – the ichthyosaur, and an example of the Museum’s deep commitment to interdisciplinary education. Developed in collaboration with leading paleontologists, artists, designers and scholars, Deep Time presented a STEAM learning platform for students, families, and educators throughout Nevada. Together with PBS Reno and Terry Lee Wells Nevada Discovery Museum, the Museum created comprehensive Educator Toolkits featuring the children’s book Annie Alexander’s Amazing Adventure, classroom workbooks, and standards-based learning materials which were distributed to teachers across the state. These resources empowered educators to integrate art, science, and local natural history into their classrooms.
A Surge in Volunteer Engagement
2024 marked a tremendously successfully year of growth for the volunteer program, as it rebuilt following the challenges of the post-COVID era. Now called Friends of Nevada Museum of Art, participation grew from 83 to 134 active volunteers, a 61% increase far exceeding annual goals. Their renewed commitment converts into 7,862 hours of service, providing valuable in-kind support that strengthened departments across the institution. Several new initiatives helped fuel this momentum, including “The Garden Friends,” a group supporting Fallen Fruit’s Monument to Sharing and the success of The Love of Art, which raised $60,000 to benefit The Art of Judith Lowry, presented in 2025.
Maynard Dixon in Nevada Reaches Far and Wide
Sagebrush and Solitude: Maynard Dixon in Nevada presented one of the most significant American artists of the early twentieth century, and the first to document Dixon’s early wanderings and extended visits in Nevada. The exhibition garnered national media coverage including Cowboys & Indians Magazine as well as a special segment by Jack Sutton on KTVN. Maynard Dixon in Nevada, was further elevated by a robust program lineup that included a discussion on Dixon’s representation of laborers during the construction of the Boulder Dam by award-winning art historian Dr. John Ott and author and Dixon expert Donald J. Hagerty who discussed the famous works completed at Dixon’s famous San Francisco studio. Other programs included An Evening with Brenn Hill & Andy Hedges, and insights by Western art expert Dr. Mark Sublette on Dixon’s lasting influence on our understanding of the American West. The exhibition was accompanied by a 250+ page publication, co-published by Rizzoli and Electra in New York and the Nevada Museum of Art.
Visiting Artist Program Spotlights Contemporary Art
In August, the Museum launched the Joyner/Giuffrida Visiting Artist Program, an initiative developed in partnership with renowned collectors Pamela J. Joyner and Alfred J. Giuffrida to foster dynamic conversations around global contemporary art. The annual series features international artist exhibitions of newly created work, along with public programs that engage diverse audiences. The program debuted with a collaborative wall installation by Brazilian artists Tadáskía and Ana Cláudia Almeida that explored themes of religion, nature, sexuality, and the artistic process. The inaugural year set the stage for future projects and highlights the Museum’s dedication to supporting emerging contemporary artists and public dialogue.
Remodel Embraces Power of the Pollinators
In September, the remodel of the ground-level Grand Atrium Commons was unveiled, featuring a renovated reception area, modernized café seating and a family greeting area. The new furnishings added a colorful ambiance to complement a new permanent installation The Power of Pollinators (And Other Living Things) by David Allen Burns and Austin Young of Fallen Fruit. Featuring wallpaper and sheer drapery, the installation welcomes guests to experience a glowing environment surrounded by the flora and fauna of the Great Basin.
Museum Recognized for Climate Action Award
The Museum was awarded a Frankenthaler Climate Initiative (FCI) grant supporting its facility wide LED Light Retrofit project. It was one of many climate-forward actions initiated as part of the organization’s commitment to climate action and sustainability. The award recognized the Museum’s Sustainability Plan and the efforts taken to incorporate energy mitigation strategies into long-term institutional thinking.