NV STEAM Conference: Pre-Conference Opening Reception at Desert Research Institute

2026 NV STEAM Conference attendees are invited to a celebratory opening reception at DRI, Nevada’s scientific research institute. Experience lighting talks from research scientists, participate in hands-on STEAM activations, and explore research labs in action.

This free event includes light hors d’oeuvres, complimentary beverages, take-home educational resources, and more! Join us for a fun evening celebrating STEAM in action!

Space is limited, reserve your spot by registering today.

Contact stemeducation@dri.edu with questions or for additional information!

*Doors open at 5:30

Opening Talk with Artist and Writer Jonathon Keats

Traverse the expanse of time and consider the environmental complexities that led to the concept and creation of Centuries of the Bristlecone with Jonathon Keats, artist, writer, and experimental philosopher. Keats’ conceptually driven transdisciplinary projects explore all aspects of society, adapting methods from the sciences and the humanities. Following the talk, enjoy a ceremonial etching on the clock.
 
Centuries of the Bristlecone is now on-view and was created in collaboration with Phil Abernethy, Brittany Cox, Jason Iceman, and The Long Now Foundation.
 
This public talk is a complementary program to the 2026 NV STEAM Conference.

The American Southwest with Interdisciplinary Panel Discussion

Be inspired by The American Southwest, a family-friendly wildlife movie that takes viewers on an unforgettable journey down the mighty Colorado River. Narrated by Quannah Chasinghorse, the film showcases the region’s abundant wildlife, confronts the ecological impacts of dams and water overuse, and advocates for better management of the river. Made in association with Natives Outdoors, the movie incorporates an Indigenous storyline and is told through the perspective of some of the Southwest’s most charming characters such as industrious beavers, bugling bull elk, and soaring condors. 
 
 
The film is followed by a panel discussion highlighting the cultural and environmental conservation needs of the Colorado River Basin and local water context featuring Sinjin Eberle from the nonprofit American Rivers; Ryan Olinger from Fork Tailed Media; Elizabeth Koebele, Associate Professor at University of Nevada, Reno; and Melissa Melero-Moose, the Museum’s community advisor to Great Basin Native Artists.
 
 
Enjoy a hosted beer reception following the program.

2026 NV STEAM Conference: Into the Time Horizon

The Nevada Museum of Art, in partnership with DRI, hosts an annual conference serving Nevada’s K-12 educators exploring ideas and educational strategies to incorporate STEAM, design-based thinking, and practices to integrate arts in the classroom to foster student creativity and innovative problem solving.

This year’s theme, “Into the Time Horizon,” draws inspiration from the Museum’s feature exhibition of the same title and explores ideas about the global environment, protecting our planet, and sustainability.  

At this one-day event, artists, writers, scientists, curriculum specialists, and researchers will explore how to help teaching and learning thrive in an uncertain era, and educators will receive classroom-ready toolkits and teaching strategies rooted in interdisciplinary learning, creativity and collaboration.

PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS

Opening Talk with Artist and Writer Jonathon Keats
Friday, March 6 | 4 – 5:30 pm
REGISTER Space is limited. 

Pre-Conference Opening Reception at Desert Research Institute
Friday, March 6 | 6 – 8 pm
REGISTER Space is limited.

NV STEAM CONFERENCE
Saturday, March 7

8 am | Conference Registration, Coffee and Continental Breakfast

9 am | Conference Opening and Welcome
Colin Roberston, Senior Vice President of Education and Research at the Nevada Museum of Art, and Emily McDonald-Williams, Director of STEM Education program at DRI, welcome educators to the 2026 NV STEAM Conference. 

Learning with Nature
Sam Stier, biologist and founder of The Center for Learning with Nature, uses an interactive project about tree ring data to explore how lessons from the natural world (such as biomimicry, nature-inspired design, and wonder-driven inquiry) inform innovation and STEAM learning.

Social and Emotional Learning
Explore elements of social and emotional learning with an arts integration specialist and Paul Bogard, author of The End of Night and editor of Solastalgia: An Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World.

Centuries of the Bristlecone
Artist Jonathon Keats and researcher Adam Csank hold a conversation on deep time, climate, and resilience through the lens of bristlecone pine research, bridging dendrochronology, art, and classroom application.

Native Resilience
Maureen McCarthy and Ileah Kirchoff of the Native Resilience Project along with artist, Oscar Tuazon, explore methods of agricultural and environmental adaptation and climate resilience through Native knowledge systems and scientific data, and offer educator-ready resources designed for immediate classroom implementation.

Discovery Education
Discover ready-to-use educational resources available statewide from Discovery Education with Jenn Hunter, Nevada Manager of Statewide and Strategic Partnerships. 

5 pm | Conference Closing and Synthesis

Nevada educators can earn 7.5 professional development hours (.5 credits) approved by the Nevada Department of Education.

Registration is free for Nevada’s educators. Hosted breakfast and working lunch. 

For additional information, please contact Christina Michael. 

MAJOR SPONSOR
Nevada Gold Mines, operated by Barrick

SPONSORS
Arrow Electronics Inc
Peek Family Charitable Foundation
Melanie Rudnick

SUPPORTING SPONSORS
Bank of America
Robert Z. Hawkins Foundation

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Nell J. Redfield Foundation 

Michael P. Cohen and A Garden of Bristlecones

Michael P. Cohen will talk about what he discovered about human responses to Great Basin Bristlecone Pines when he wrote his important book A Garden of Bristlecones: Tales of Change. He explores the relationship between humans and these iconic trees, how through scientific study (mostly dendrochronology), they shed light on human and climate history, and motivated cultural stories and artistic representations. He will explore some of these as personal stories, motivations, and controversies surrounding those who studied them and others who made them into cultural icons. These trees have become a lens to examine modern humanity’s interaction with nature. 

OLLI Art at the Museum: Caring for Contemporary Native American Baskets

Explore the Museum’s collection of contemporary Native American baskets from a conservation and educational lens with Cienna WindRiver, Native American archive collections and library coordinator. This program is in partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)  and is hosted every third Wednesday of the month.

OLLI Art at the Museum: Ikebana in Bloom at the Museum School

Travel on a journey of Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging, and- delve into the profound beauty and cultural significance of Japanese floral art with museum school instructor Truus Ten Kate Sharp. This program is in partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and is hosted every third Wednesday of the month.

OLLI Art at the Museum: Photo Book Arts

Take a deep dive into book arts with local artist and Museum School Instructor Bobby Lee, and learn how intimate, multilayered investigations of the environment transformed his photography and art practice. This program is in partnership with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) and is hosted every third Wednesday of the month.

BRDI Presents: SITTING STILL

SITTING STILL is a portrait of Laurie Olin, an irreverent urban warrior, and his profoundly social vision as one of the world’s most influential urban designers. It’s the story of the concerns that have defined Olin’s life’s work: urbanization, a lost connection to nature, economic marginalization, and the grave necessity of humanity in design. Join us for a screening of this inspiring documentary film with special introduction and audience Q&A with director Gina M. Angelone.
 
This is part of the Black Rock Design Institute (BRDI) program series for cross-disciplinary design professionals and the broader community.
 
*Doors open at 5pm with hosted beer. Program begins at 6pm.  

Remembering Japanese American Incarceration with– Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement

In recognition of the 84th anniversary of Japanese American incarceration during World War II, Nevada Humanities and the Reno chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League are holding a special screening of Tadashi Nakamura’s film Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement. The documentary chronicles the life of Los Angeles-born artist, dancer, singer, author, and activist Nobuko Miyamoto, who was sent to the Santa Anita temporary detention center when she was only two years old. 

Following the screening, join us for tea and conversation in the atrium. 

Caption: Still of Nobuko Miyamoto and a crowd from Nobuko Miyamoto: A Song in Movement

Image credit: Courtesy of JANM’s Frank H. Watase Media Arts Center and PBS SoCal.