All new face

Despite local officials' frequent cries that “Reno is Artown,” tourists might dispute this based on the appearance of its downtown corridor. But one event in the 2014 Artown festival, the Circus Circus 24-hour Mural Marathon, is intended to help address this problem.

The idea stemmed from a conversation between art professor Howard Rosenberg of the University of Nevada, Reno and Richard Bartholet, president of the Regional Alliance for Downtown and director of the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at UNR.

“We met one morning at the corner where City Hall sits and took a walk from there up Virginia Street to UNR,” Bartholet says. “At Circus Circus, we commented on how much more attractive the new parking garage structure was than the façade of the actual casino. And then Howard said, 'We could paint something on it.'”

That spark of an idea inspired Bartholet to reach out to Circus Circus management, who took the idea and ran with it, bringing in casino marketing director Debbi Engebritson, who set up a series of meetings with local artists, architects, festival organizers and prominent local citizens to solicit input on how to get the casino's seven, 19-by-14-foot panels fronting Virginia Street painted. Chad Sweet, public relations and gallery director for Sierra Arts, and local artist Pan Pantoja suggested the winning idea: a competition.

Beginning on July 13 at 10 a.m., seven artists will each begin painting on one of the panels. Artists will each receive a stipend of $750 for materials, much of it spray paint, and will be responsible for their own equipment and labor. The work will be completed—before a panel of judges and any local spectators who pop by—over a 24-hour period, with live tweeting taking place throughout the marathon. When time is called at 10 a.m. on July 14th, the five judges will go to work. Cash prizes will be awarded for the first ($2,000), second ($1,000) and third place ($500) winners.

Interested artists should submit an application and work samples to Engebritson before June 27. The seven artists, and two alternates, will be selected July 3, with a minimum of three spots reserved for locals.

“I love putting such a short tap on it,” says Chad Sweet. “It gives it a sense of urgency. They'll have a little prep time, but nothing makes artists work harder than seeing it get dark out and realizing, 'We have to turn on the flood lights, and we only have a few hours until morning!'”

The panels will remain up for only one year. The competition is meant to be an annual event, with the previous year's work being covered and repainted.

The public is invited to drop in anytime during the 24-hour competition and cheer on (or heckle) the artists.