Buy me love

Sheppard Contemporary and University Galleries director Paul Baker Prindle imagines a day where Reno’s galleries are packed every weekend, and lines lead out the door at art exhibits and community spaces.

“I just have this dream that there will be so many things happening at once, and that going to a gallery will become part of people’s idea of socializing,” he says.

Baker Prindle took over the director position for the University of Nevada, Reno’s galleries back in August 2013 (“Big picture,” Sept. 26, 2013). Since then, he says his experience has been “wonderful.”

“We have some really big programs on the horizon for next year,” he says.

But the ambitious plans must be funded in part by art department fundraising. So every two years, the UNR art department hosts an art auction featuring professional and student art work. The funds are matched by the federal Work Study program, which helps employ student employees.

This year, Baker Prindle estimates that there are around 117 art pieces up for auction, not including gift cards and other items for sale.

Elizabeth Ferrill, an artist who teaches screenprinting and printmaking, submitted her work as a faculty member to support the art department.

“It’s a really festive event,” she says. “I think Paul managed to put it all up in a really classy way. There’s such a diversity of medium. The students here are really talented.”

Stremmel Gallery also donated 39 pieces to be sold on consignment.

“That was a first for them and for us,” says Baker Prindle. “It allowed us to greatly expand the range in price points.”

Auctioned art ranges from $50 in price up to $5,000. Ensuring that affordable art was available was a priority for Baker Prindle.

“I think that people who live here in Reno are interested in having locally-made art in their homes,” he says. “But not everyone can drop $6,000 on a piece. A lot of people end up buying art from IKEA, so we wanted to make sure that we did have some art for the same price you can get from IKEA. But it’s all original, often locally-made art work.”

Interested buyers can already visit the gallery to bid, but the official opening is on Valentine’s Day. Patrons will be able to purchase art at the event using Square, a mobile payment service.

Baker Prindle wanted to make Sheppard Contemporary seem open and approachable even with so much work to display, so he opted for a randomized pattern on the walls rather than pairing art by size or color. Sculptures and models are perched on display podiums, and the mounted art ranges in medium—paintings, screenprints, photography and mixed medium pieces are all available.

“It’s a super eclectic display,” he says. “This is how I hang art in my house.”

Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette was Baker Prindle’s primary inspiration—he wanted to capture the romance of a Versaille palace without the typical Valentine’s Day tropes. Blocks of pastel pinks and purples are painted on the wall, and it’s a subtle way to add dimension without detracting from the art work. The DJ will also be playing music inspired by the film’s soundtrack.

Baker Prindle is hoping the event will draw new people to the gallery space to showcase UNR’s place in Reno’s art scene.

“More than anything, people who live in Reno look forward to this every year, so we want to have a fun party,” he says. “We want to see galleries become better social spaces.”