First Thursday

Meet up with friends for this long-standing monthly tradition of live music, beer, and plenty of fun. Live music hosted by Spike McGuire and presented in partnership with Loud as Folk, a regional singer-songwriter showcase.

Hosting partners: Bibo Coffee Co. 

Koyaanisqatsi

This documentary draws its title from a Hopi word that means “life out of balance” and reveals how humanity has grown apart from nature. Beginning with extensive footage of natural landscapes and geological formations, the film transitions into thought-provoking footage of modern civilization and technology. 

This feature-length, non-narrative film complements the “Altered Lands and the Anthropocene” section of Into the Time Horizon.

Discovering Flora with the Nevada Native Plant Society

Learn about the incredibly diverse flora in our region with Emma Wynn, President of the Nevada Native Plant Society. She shares how the nonprofit organization started and ways to engage with Nevada’s 2800+ wild plant species.
 
 
This is part of an Art Bite series featuring local conservation and sustainability organizations, which complements Into the Time Horizon.  

Branches of Life: Forest Resilience and Collaboration on the Truckee River

When we protect our forests, we protect life. Healthy, resilient forests along the Truckee River reduce wildfire risk, safeguard water quality, and preserve the beauty and biodiversity that define Northern Nevada. 

Learn how the Nevada Chapter of The Nature Conservancy is working to improve forest health – before catastrophic wildfires occur – by restoring the natural role of fire, strengthening forest ecosystems, enhancing community safety, and honoring Indigenous knowledge. 

This is part of an Art Bite series featuring local conservation and sustainability organizations, which complements Into the Time Horizon.  

Artist Talk: Myth, Mycology, and Symbiosis with Xiaojing Yan

Enjoy an evening exploring the open-ended experimentation of artist Xiaojing Yan. A Chinese immigrant living in Canada, Yan investigates how nature, an inherent force within traditional Chinese art, transcends sculpture. Yan’s sculpture Lingzhi Girl is featured in Into the Time Horizon, and part of the Museum’s permanent collection.

Fly Fishing, Water Protectors, and River Justice with Autumn Harry

Autumn Harry (Paiute), an artist and a leader of River Justice, discusses how the Indigenous-led project advocates for the just stewardship and riparian health of the Truckee River. River Justice prioritizes river stewardship in consideration of Numu (Northern Paiute) communities downstream who are impacted by policy decisions, planning, and developmental threats to surface water. 
 
Harry is from Kooyooe Pa’a Panunadu, also known as Pyramid Lake, and is the first Numu woman fly-fishing guide at Pyramid Lake’s famed Lahontan Cutthroat Trout fishery.

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.

SOLD OUT: 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; and Elizabeth Koebele, Associate Professor at University of Nevada, Reno.
 
 
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