Commissioned by the Nevada Museum of Art, Number 136S is a monumental site-specific sculpture by Leonardo Drew created for the museum’s atrium. Suspended from the ceiling and spanning approximately thirteen feet in diameter and twenty-three feet in length, the conical work transforms the central space into a visceral aesthetic encounter that unfolds through movement.

Known for transforming materials through processes of fragmentation, weathering, and reconfiguration, Drew creates abstract sculptures and installations that oscillate between order and chaos, decay and regeneration. Visitors encounter Number 136S from below, above, and at eye level as they move along architect Will Bruder’s spiral staircase, experiencing the sculpture from constantly shifting perspectives. Like other works from this series, the monolithic object appears to be an explosion suspended in time.

As viewpoints change, the work heightens awareness of one’s relationship to space and to others. Extending Drew’s longstanding exploration of transformation into the realm of architecture, Number 136S invites reflection on perception, presence, and interconnectedness. Through its dynamic interaction with the museum’s atrium, the sculpture creates a shared environment for contemplation and discovery.

 

LEAD SPONSOR

Roswitha Kima Smale, PhD

Using fruit as a method of exploring the familiar, the artist duo Fallen Fruit investigates interstitial urban spaces, bodies of knowledge, and forms of civic participation and collaboration. They began by creating maps for what the artists called “public fruit,” or fruit trees growing on public property in Los Angeles. They have expanded their project into an ongoing exploration of the boundaries of public and private spaces while using fruit as both a material object and conceptual framework. Their projects take on many fruit-inspired forms, ranging from the public adoption of trees, the creation of public edible gardens, zines, performances, as well as large-scale immersive installations that examine the history of a given site or collection.

The collective unveils a new commission for the Museum’s Grand Hall, with an immersive installation that spans wallpaper and curtains. Using the flora and fauna specific to Reno, The Power of Pollinators (And Other Living Things) (2024) assumes larger than life proportions inside the Museum walls. The interior motifs are a continuation of the garden outside—fruit, berries, trees, flowers, and pollinators—that appear in Monument to Sharing, in the Linda and Alvaro Pascotto Sculpture Garden. Both works offer a unique public ‘welcome,’ and invite visitors to explore ideas of generosity, agricultural production, and the importance of cultivating community.

Fallen Fruit was originally conceived in 2004 by Matias Viegener, Burns and Young. Since 2013, Burns and Young have continued the collaborative work.