Paul Revere Williams was the first licensed African American architect to work in the western region of the United States. His work in Nevada spans from the 1930s through the 1970s and his architectural contributions collectively helped to define the built environment of the region. Contemporary photographer Janna Ireland has spent the past year documenting Williams’ structures throughout the state of Nevada and her images are featured in the exhibition Janna Ireland on the Architectural Legacy of Paul Revere Williams.

Williams’ architectural body of work in Nevada includes churches, commercial properties, residential homes for the state’s wealthiest residents, and planned communities for working-class citizens. His most notable designs include the La Concha Motel (now the Neon Museum) in Las Vegas, and the First Church of Christ, Scientist (also known as the Lear Theater) in Reno.

Join us for a symposium featuring contemporary photographer Janna Ireland in conversation with Daonne Huff, Director of Public Programs and Community Engagement at The Studio Museum in Harlem. Independent curator and former Director of Architecture and Design at the Palm Springs Art Museum Brooke Hodge will present her essay. Nevada historians Dr. Alicia Barber and Claytee White will present their most recent research on Paul Revere Williams in Nevada.

Doors open at 9 am with coffee. Lunch to follow the symposium and is included with registration.

Scholarships are available. Please email Claire Muñoz for more information.

This event is presented in-person. A recording of the symposium will be made public one week after the event.

Symposium Sponsored by the E.L. Cord Foundation

Inspired by wild places, Deborah Levoy’s songs weave folk, jazz, and soul into a style that is uniquely “exceptional, resonant, and passionate” (SF Weekly). With a poet’s love of language and an expressive voice that can “soar and scat, get folky and funky” (Daily Hampshire Gazette), Levoy enchants with performances that leap from delicate to fierce, from plaintive to joyful, all within the space of a song.

*Doors open at 6 pm with cash bar.

Presented as part of “UPSTAGE: A Literary and Performing Art Series” supported by the Nightingale Family Foundation and the Williams Foundation.

Collateral & Co. presents their newest dance work, Across the Neon Landscape. The company returns to the Museum for a multidisciplinary exploration of the state of Nevada and its history through its iconic neon signs. This special evening will feature the poetry of Gailmarie Pahmeier, Melanie Perish and Max Stone and photography by director of the Neon Nevada Project, Will Durham. Across the Neon Landscape presents original choreography by Collateral & Co. Artistic Director, Caitlin McCarty, and Assistant Artistic Director, Leslie Balzer, in collaboration with Collateral & Co. dance artists.

*Doors open at 7 pm with cash bar.

This program is presented as part of UPSTAGE: A Literary and Performing Art Series supported by the Nightingale Family Foundation and the Williams Foundation.

To explore the work of Paul Revere Williams in northern and central Nevada is not only to gain insight into the remarkable breadth of his creative range, but to open a window into a transformational era in the state’s history. Spanning the 1930s and 1940s, Williams’ work in the region is deeply intertwined with the growth of its distinctive culture and economy, including its development into a divorce capital, tax haven, and national tourist destination.  

Join Alicia Barber, Ph.D., award-winning writer, historian, and founder of the historical consulting firm Stories in Place for a look at the architectural legacy of Paul Revere Williams in northern and central Nevada.

Program support and free program registration for students is provided by the Core Humanities Program at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Jimmy López Bellido, a world-renowned, Finnish-trained, Peruvian-American composer, was invited by Laura Jackson, Music Director of the Reno Philharmonic, to work with curators at the Nevada Museum of Art to select photographs from the Museum’s Carol Franc Buck Altered Landscape Photography Collection to inspire his brand-new composition, Symphony No. 3: Altered Landscape.

The symphony explores the dynamic interconnectedness of humans and the Earth and envisions a hypothetical future where people exist in harmony with the natural environment.

Join us for a discussion with Jimmy López Bellido, Laura Jackson and Director of the Center for Art + Environment, William L. Fox. For tickets to the world premiere symphony, please visit renophil.com

In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Mount Morris Park (now Marcus Garvey Park). The footage was largely forgotten–until now. Summer of Soul shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes concert performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension and more.

Summer of Soul is presented in partnership with Northern Nevada Black Cultural Awareness Society. 

Run time: 1 hour 57 minutes

Free. Advanced registration is required.

The Reno Philharmonic, together with the Museum, explores the marriage of art and music with a new symphony by Jimmy López Bellido. Inspired by The Altered Landscape: Carole Franc Buck Collection, the composition studies the dynamic interconnectedness of humans and the Earth and envisions a hypothetical future where we exist in harmony with our natural environment. Listeners discover an art museum in Mussorgsky’s mind, as he imagines walking from one picture to the next, characterizing each painting through sound.

This program is hosted at the Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts.

NOTE: This event has been rescheduled for Friday, June 24 at noon. Please click here to register for the new date. For questions, please email us. 

Join us in an exploration of “stillness” with published author and meditation expert, Stephen Jacobs. Used as a technique to improve inner balance, focus and reflection, meditation can help support a healthy, happy, productive life. Stephen Jacobs will lead a discussion introducing the benefits of meditation and will conclude with an interactive guided meditation.

Program support and free program registration for students from the Core Humanities Program at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Loud As Folk celebrates their eleven years history highlighting songwriters in Reno with live performances by internationally acclaimed cellist Third Seven, Eric Andersen, Grace Hayes and Whitney Myer. Hosted by Spike McGuire.

Doors open at 6 pm with cash bar.

Presented as part of “UPSTAGE: A Literary and Performing Art Series” supported by the Nightingale Family Foundation and the Williams Foundation.