Dec 22 2009
The first thing you will notice about the Nevada Museum of Art is its remarkable and unusual building. It is a four level, 60,000 square-foot structure by architect Will Bruder. Its design was inspired by the Black Rock Desert and is intended to be an environmental statement about the northern Nevada region.
About the Nevada Museum of Art
The original organization from which the Nevada Museum of Art came from began in 1931 as the Nevada Art Gallery. One of the original founders, Charles F. Cutts, donated his Ralston Street home and art work in 1949, giving the Nevada Art Gallery a building for its growing collection. In 1975 two art historians were hired and in 1978, the Hawkins House on Court Street was purchased to accommodate the expanding collection, programming, and exhibitions. The name was changed to the Sierra Nevada Museum of Art.In 1983, the Board of Trustees set up an endowment to contribute to the annual operating budget. A larger building was obtained in 1989 and the organization's name became the Nevada Museum of Art. The current building at 160 W. Liberty Street opened to the public in the spring of 2003.
Current Exhibitions at the Nevada Museum of Art
The Nevada Museum of Art has both permanent and rotating exhibits. The NMA website has information about current, upcoming, and past exhibitions.Visiting the Nevada Museum of Art
The Nevada Museum of Art is at 160 W. Liberty Street in downtown Reno. There is free parking in the Museum lot on the east side of the building, plus free and metered parking along nearby streets.Admission is $10 general, $8 for students and seniors, $1 for children 6 to 12, and free for members and children under 6. Tickets can be purchased in the Museum lobby and are also available online for both admission and other events. There are no extra fees for online tickets. Guided tours, offered on a first come basis, are included with admission.
Museum and gift store hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Thursdays, hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The Nevada Museum of Art is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and national holidays.
Visitors with special needs can be accommodated. To make arrangements, call (775) 329-3333 x253 at least one week before the planned visit.
Food service in the Museum is provided by Café Musée. It is open Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Café Musée also caters and the food is outstanding. I had the pleasure of sampling their wares at a special event I attended at the Museum.
Source: Nevada Museum of Art
