November 2, 2023

Discover art across Nevada’s rural communities.

Exterior picture of St. Mary's Art Center. The front of the building has a white porch and balcony sticking out from the front which features intricate wooden rails painted white with 4 column sets with two columns in each set. The building is 4 stories tall with 16 windows on the front, and three large windows in the attic space. There are trees and other foliage surrounding the building.

ST. MARY’S ART CENTER

Photo of a bedroom in St. Mary's Art Center. There are two beds side by side and a night stand along the right hand wall, while a window, a dresser, and a rocking chair are along the left hand wall. The beds feature colorful quilts and a pillow. The nightstand has a lace doily with an antique lamp on top of it. There are three pictures on the walls, two on the left and one on the right. The first picture on the left is of a woman in a blue dress sitting on the ground. The second photo on the left is of a town with colorful, multistory buildings with mountains behind the buildings. The picture on the right is more colorful buildings with mountains behind. A adiator sits under the window, and the walls have a traditional floral wallpaper and a wooden wainscot chair rail along the bottom. On top of the dress are towels and a flower vase. The rocking chair has a red cushion pillow for sitting on and a white lace pillow for back support. Virginia City

Perched above a backdrop of rolling foothills, St. Mary’s Art Center looks like it was once some Comstock silver baron’s mansion. But this stately structure has much humbler roots: It was Virginia City’s first hospital. Built in 1875, the facility operated for more than 65 years before finally shuttering in the 1940s.

In the 1960s, the city announced plans to demolish the building. Thankfully, two Virginia City residents—an artist and a Catholic priest—saw its potential and teamed up to convert it into an art center. Half a century later, St. Mary’s Art Center is a proud part of Virginia City’s cultural scene and home to both a permanent art collection and rotating pieces featuring local artists.

A downward shot of a staircase showing the split between the two levels. On the left, the stairs head down, and on the right, the stairs head up. The stairs are blue with a dark floral pattern carpet attached to them. The handrail is wooden with ornate spindles with a smooth, shiny finish. Down on the first floor leads to a hallway and an entry room. The carpet on the floor down below is the same carpet attached to the stairs. There is a wooden table next to the entry way with pictures and a lamp on top of it. There is an electrical box, a fire extinguisher, a sign pointing to said extinguisher above it, and a clock on the wall. The walls feature a wooden wainscot chair rail throughout both floors. The doorway to the entry is large and has three window panes on top of it. In the entry room, the floors are wooden with a blue floral rug on top of it. On top of the rug, there is an old wheelchair. On the farthest wall of the entry way sits the front door with windows next to it, and an entry table sits to the right of the door. The second story is mostly cut off in the picture, but leads to a hallway with rooms.If you’d like to check out this historic structure, head online to book a guided tour. Consider signing up for their workshops, canvas and cocktail classes, and favorite annual events like the Paranormal Sleepover Party on Halloween and Holiday Faire in December.

St. Mary’s Art Center is also available year-round as a gathering and lodging space. More than a dozen hospital rooms have been converted into charming
guest bedrooms, and the center is ready to host anything from weeklong artist workshops and yoga retreats to weddings and church groups.

Interior of Bizarre 101 in Walker. The scene features an eclectic array of furniture. A white couch with a floral patterned fabric sits along the back wall of the interior. A painting that has two halves of heads sit on top of the couch. Above the couch is a painting featuring a man in a fedora. To the left of the couch, there is a green night stand type table with a large lamp sitting on top of it. In front of the couch, there are two wooden chairs and a wooden coffee table with a statue on top of it. There is a red rug underneath the coffee table. To the right of the couch sits another lamp and a wooden fireplace with three vases on top of it. Above the fireplace are two paintings; one is a painting of a man, the other is a painting of a female dancer with yellow ribbons flowing around her. To the right of the fireplace is a wall divider that has five paintings attached to it. The four paintings closest to the fireplace are abstract pieces. The last one is a painting of a retro style camper painted pink on the bottom with a silver top, a blue door attached to the camper, and a woman with black hair standing in front of the camper. Next to the paintings sits a table with an abstract base and a glass top. On top of the table is a green cake stand with knick knacks resting on top of it. There are two dinner table style chairs with black leather seats sitting to the right of the table. Towards the back of the photo sit two more large paintings, one is gold and has a white orb on it, while the other is another woman dancing with yellow ribbons that turn blue around her. The walls are painted in a gradient style fashion with pink, lavendar, and yellow on one wall; green on the other. There are 5 windows which allow light in.
Bizarre 101

BIZARRE 101

Walker Lake

Exterior shot of Bizarre 101. A rectangular building with cinderblock walls sits as a background to a yard filled with rock, sand, and art pieces. The building is painted pink, purple, green, brown, blue, orange, and yellow. There is a metallic structure in front of a door on the left that hangs wind chimes. Underneath the metallic structure is a set of green outdoor furniture. There is foliage next to the metallic structure, and a stray reserved parking sign. In the lower left of the photo, there are four stumps sitting around a rectangular black fireplace that has wood inside it. On the right in front of the building, there are more outdoor funiture sets and other various indistinguishable items. An at piece sits in the middle of the building that features a wheel, a rams head, and bird like wings. Behind the building are mountains and another building. Walker Lake is known for its serene landscape and bighorn sheep, but drivers speeding past might not know that it is also home to an exciting art scene.

When artists David and Maryknoll Bowen left California in search of a place to retire, they had never heard of Walker Lake. The couple were on their way to the Southwest when they first laid eyes on its quiet waters. The moment they saw the disused garage on the shores of the ancient lake, they knew exactly how they wanted to spend their retirement.

Neither had operated a gallery or a retail space, but everything just seemed to work out. A close up of a section of the previous interior shot for Bizarre 101. In the front sits a wooden chair with a large round bowl in it. Laminated posters sit within the large bowl. Behind the wooden chair to the left sits the wooden fireplace with vases sitting on top. A painting with a woman with wings next to a jaguar sits in front of the fireplace. Above it is a sketch drawing of a man. Behind the chair to the right sits a dividing wall with paintings leaning against it. First two paintings are abstract pieces. The next two are stacked on top of each other; first one has 5 women standing next to each other, posing. The second photo is more abstract. The last painting shows half of the RV painting, and two hoodies are sitting between the two paintings. One hoodie is red and orange, the other hoodie is green. A sculpture of a dog sits below the last painting. Residents came out of the woodwork to help refurbish the garage, converting it into both a home and a gallery, and a diverse group of local artists contributed to the exhibition space. When Bizarre 101 opened in February 2022, the space was stocked with works by woodcarvers, jewelers, painters, potters, and metalworkers.

Next time you’re passing through Walker Lake, be sure to stop in and say hello to the Bowens. The gallery is located on the west side of Highway 95, between the Baptist Church and Big Horn Crossing (look for the colorful mural of local legend Cecil the Sea Serpent).

Exterior of Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery. A stone square building with the words 'ART' adorn the left side of the building. In the front of the building, there are large glass windows that read 'mesquite fine arts gallery' and the words 'ART' down below. In front of the building are various different cacti and sculptures. There is a side walk leading all around the building. The top right of the photo has leaves hanging down from a tree that isn't pictured in the photo. There is a light post in front of the building that has a sign on it that says 'Fine Arts Center. Parking in rear. Entrance off of N. Yucca St. "
Mesquite Fine Arts Gallery

Interior of Mesquite Fine Arts Center. A gallery wall in the front right hand of the photo which showcases various types of art. There are 20 mixed media pictures on the wall. Below the pictures is a table with other various types of art pieces. In the front bottom right is an animal print seat. On the left center, there is a separate room with shelves and other art pieces adorning them. To the right of the shelves are large windows and the entrance to the art center. MESQUITE FINE ARTS

Mesquite

Mesquite is mostly known as a golf-lover’s paradise, but if you’re more into arts than sports, swing into the Mesquite Fine Arts Center & Gallery. This cultural hub represents a whopping 180+ active member artists, allowing visitors to easily discover new artists and affordable pieces of all mediums.

In addition to its gallery space, this art-lover’s oasis also hosts cultural events and classes. So, if you’re staying in town for a few days, be sure to head here to brush up on your drawing, painting, and pottery skills.

Ely Art Bank

ELY ART BANK

Ely

Converted from a working bank into an art gallery and cultural center in 2013, the Ely Art Bank features a permanent collection of paintings and sculptures. Whether it’s indigenous art, folk art, or modern art, you’ll find plenty to peruse—and purchase—in this rich collection of handcrafted jewelry, photography, paintings, and furniture.

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