Hello to all you Art Loving Folks! Michelle Gomez here with Tahoe Art League. This past Thursday, I was honored to attend the VIP Preview Night for the 4th annual Reno Tahoe International Art Show at the Reno Convention Center. The show runs through this Sunday, September 14, and let me tell you, it is worth the short trip to The Biggest Little City in the World! Saturday it runs from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

This grand Art Show is a visual spectacle of international and local talent, showcasing jewelry, paintings, pottery, furniture, sculpture, and textiles. And as in past years, there is Post Playa Art coming directly from last week’s Burning Man. Live music, performance, film, lectures, and more fill up the busy weekend schedule. 

As I entered the 70,000-square-foot space, my eyes feasted upon the colors, the shimmer and shine, and the sheer beauty of being bombarded by exquisite creations. This year’s exhibition has a different look and feel from the past three years, which were memorable in their own right. There is a welcoming and open-air attitude that is prevalent throughout the Show. The Preview Night included a little girl on sequined roller skates playing the violin; the UNR drumline marching through the show; opera singers on stage, followed by a fashion show of gorgeous indigenous designs; and a performance of modern dance within an artist’s bespoke furniture space. I was trying to take it all in, while seeing old friends, meeting new artists, and marveling at the massive production that such an art show requires.

Highlights of my evening were, of course, seeing my Tahoe Art League members’ works on display in various spaces.  We have seven artists showing this year. I was tickled to see Richard Reiner made it this year from L.A., as well as his friend Eddie Barbini, with both having ties to cool Hollywoodland. Scott Forrest and his stunning abstract oils glimmering under the spotlights, and TAL President James Parker’s gorgeous oil landscapes,  both show the talent that lives and paints at Lake Tahoe. 

I made a couple of new artist friends,  super passionate and interesting ladies with stories to tell. Christine Abdelmessieh (Tina Art) is Egyptian with a diploma in Coptic Art. Her paintings are unique and different from any other art there. She’s confident and chatty, qualities that not all artists can project.  And Eileen Rothschild is a gem. Her fine art background proves her talent on the canvas. We can’t wait to go to next year’s Bouquets to Art at the DeYoung! And the Crocker in Sacto too! 

For more information on the Schedule of Events,  Ticket purchase and exhibitors,  visit the website www.rtiashow.com

-Michelle Gomez, Tahoe Art League

Photos from Rebecca Bryson and Michelle Gomez. Tahoe Art League members at the show are Nanette Oleson, Richard Reiner, Eddie Barbini, Mel Smothers, James Parker, Barbara Lewicki and Scott Forrest.