I was so excited to get my Ski & Ride issue of Tahoe Quarterly! I haven’t been writing much lately (juggling four kids’ schedules plus the daily difficulties of a toddler going through a terrible two streak is not helping my productivity) but I was psyched to take on this Arts piece for TQ!
The Nevada Museum of Art is running an exhibition on Lorenzo Latimer, a landscape artist born in 1857. Latimer traveled to Fallen Leaf Lake, near Lake Tahoe, in 1914, where he often hosted workshops. Two of his participants were Reno women who convinced the artist to come to the Biggest Little City to teach. Latimer began spending time annually in Reno and his students became the founding members of a group known as the Latimer Art Club–a club which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year and was instrumental to the Reno art scene. In fact, the LAC played a big role in the founding of the Nevada Art Museum 90 years ago.
Today, the LAC has a membership of about 90 artists and throughout the air hosts art shows, a scholarship and, in honor of Lorenzo Latimer’s signature style, plein air painting sessions. I think it’s so amazing that an artist’s work can last and inspire for generations. The NMA exhibit is very well curated, with paintings that not only show Latimer’s work, but also those done by his first group of about seven students. It’s amazing to see how his work influences their styles, and I especially enjoyed seeing Latimer’s painting beside that of Minerva Pierce’s, where they both painted the same scene (and, in truth, I preferred Pierce’s take).
Anyway, a big thank you to the Ferraro Group and the NMA for giving me a wonderful tour and a ton of information. And a big congrats to Sylas and the rest of the TQ staff on another fabulous issue–Ski & Ride is on stands now!
Tahoe Quarterly’s Winter issue came out a few weeks ago and it looks great! I wrote an article about Tahoe City artist Karey Dodge, who is reviving Lake Tahoe’s traditional art of basket weaving. Her works are beautiful, and she often incorporates unique rocks and gemstones into her creations.
I wrote about quilt designer Karen Colbert, who is based in Incline. She creates these beautiful and intricate designs out of fabric that are so much more than just quilts—they’re art. She was really interesting because she never considered herself an artist growing up. She worked in an engineering firm and later got her degree in business administration from Sierra Nevada College. It wasn’t until she was pregnant with her daughter that she took up quilting was a hobby and yet, somehow, it became her livelihood. I think it’s fascinating the different routes people take in life, and a reminder that even though you may think you know and understand the track you’re on, things can always change.
Alison O. Bender 