As part of a grant from Travel Nevada, Friends of Black Rock and the community of Gerlach are seeking to place eight mini-murals in Gerlach in the form of an Open Air Art Gallery. Each mural will be 4’ wide x 8’ tall. Murals will be on display throughout the town for a minimum of two years, at which time they may be auctioned off with proceeds serving as seed money for the program to continue.
Nevada’s great basin has been inhabited for tens of thousands of years, most recently by the Northern Paiute and Shoshone tribes. Emigrants passed through here in the late 1800s following several routes to California (Lassen – Applegate Trail, Nobles trail, various cutoffs, etc.), through what is now a protected 1.2 million acre National Conservation Area. When a railroad was built, Gerlach became a budding community which utilized the rails for transport of beef to markets farther west. Today, we are a cultural mesh of miners, ranchers, Burning Man employees, entrepreneurs, artists, retirees and community workers. Visitors enjoy the area year round for a variety of reasons from hunting to amateur rocketry, rockhounding, recreation, hot springs, camping and more.
Selected designs will contribute to the story of Gerlach and/or the greater Black Rock Desert region. Topics range from early cultures to modern day history, including recreation, land uses, traditions, wildlife and environment.
Final designs to be approved by Dec. 21, 2024. (PDF) Artists will then paint in their own studios. Final art is due by March 15, 2025. Finished boards need to be transported to Reno or Gerlach by March 15, 2025. Artists to provide a (max) 35-word statement for each piece submitted that will be used in promotional materials. If a longer statement is submitted, it may be edited to fit our needs. Images become the property of Friends of Black Rock and may be used for marketing purposes.
A public unveiling event will take place in May 2025. We ask each artist to attend if possible
Questions? Email Margie Reynolds at gerlacharts@gmail.com
Gerlach, Nevada is located in a harsh environment with temperatures ranging from single digits in winter to over 110 degrees in the summer. Alkali dust storms are not unusual. Because these will be up for at least two years, muralists must use high quality fade-resistant paints and UV/Anti-Graffiti coating.
Selected artists will be paid $1,000 per board, with 50% paid upon material delivery (start) and the remainder paid within 30 days of delivery of final product. Primed substrates (MDO or similar product) will be provided to each artist. Paint and other supplies for final product including transportation of finished piece to either Gerlach or Reno are the responsibility of the artist unless other arrangements are made.
