PBS Reno ARTS

Laura Newman, Author, The Darling of the Black Rock Desert.  2024 Silver Pen Award winner Laura Newman has a new book releasing in March.  She treats us to readings from a story in The Darling of the Black Rock Desert and discusses her work, which is partially informed by her insatiable desire to travel and experience the world. 

The John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art is a relatively new museum, open since 2019 on the campus of the University of Nevada.  Director Stephanie Gibson introduces us to the museum, its exhibits, philosophy and desire to be a cultural touchstone for the entire community.   

Dana Nollsch is a familiar face to Reno area theater groups.  He talks about his transition from theater photographer to theater reviewer at renoarts.news, and now his new identity as a podcaster with Creatives Talk.

Melissa Taylor, Reno Little Theater.  How do you adapt a classic?  RLT is producing a new adaptation of Dial M For Murder and Director Melissa Taylor gives us a preview of the new production.  Taylor explains the process of directing a 70-year-old play and preparing it for a modern audience.

Megan Berner, City of Reno Arts and Culture Manager. We’ve all seen public art – sculptures and murals and the like – but what do you know about how it got there?  Megan Berner, Arts & Culture Manager for the City of Reno explains the process, tells about the updated master plan and asks for public input, then gives us a preview of some upcoming public art for 2025. 

Dennyse Sewell, CEO, Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts. The Pioneer Center is more than just the place to see the Reno Phil, AVA Ballet and Broadway touring shows.  CEO Dennyse Sewell explains the ways the Pioneer is actively reaching out to the community, enriching lives by bringing the arts to the people who need them,and shares her excitement for the next few months of performances.

John Trent is a longtime journalist and University of Nevada, Reno alum who faced the enormous responsibility of writing the University’s 150th Anniversary retrospective book. Trent tells us how he managed it, and what he learned that inspired him during the journey to completing The University of Nevada 1874-2024, 150 Years of Inspiring Excellence.

Chris Lanier, 2024 Reno City Artist. As his term approaches its end, Reno City Artist Chris Lanier discusses the position he’s held since January, his solo exhibit Backyard Radiance  and Slow Draw, his curated City Hall show, plus his role as an art instructor, with all its joys and challenges.

Donald Johanson, Paleoanthropologist. It’s the 50th anniversary of Dr. Donald Johanson’s discovery of the Australopithecus afarensis Lucy in Ethiopia.  We learn how Dr. Johanson continues to emphasize the importance of science communication at the Institute of Human Origins at ASU, which he founded.  His continuing mission is to advance our understanding of human history.

Ryan Costella and Rod Hearn, Democracy Suicide. Can art help us bridge the divides that grip our country?  Ryan Costella has created Democracy Suicide, a nonpartisan stage play that is the result of his own soul searching, which he expressed in the form of poetry, and eventually a staged performance with actors.  Rod Hearn plays one of the four characters who create a moving and powerful experience intended to challenge and inspire audiences.