Category: Visual Arts
New Film Follows Western States Runners
An attempt to complete the Western States 100 ultramarathon By Kristin Close The Western States 100 Mile Endurance run started with one runner in 1974. It was then a horse race, called the Tevis Cup. Gordy Ainsleigh attempted to run it on foot. After finishing in 23 hours and 42 minutes, he became the first […]
A Talented Trio
Visual, literary and performing artists achieve acclaim Written by Alison Bender With the breadth of talent in the Tahoe region, it’s not easy to cull from a list of the area’s best artists. Between the mountain air, stunning scenery and the appreciative audiences, the area draws outstanding talent. For the Best of Tahoe issue, we […]
Heavy Metals
A Calpine-based welder uses railroad spikes and other “junk” in his singular creations Written by Alison Bender Sculptor Pat Blide credits his mother, who single-handedly raised four boys and a girl, for much of his current success. “My mom was really influential in getting us all to do art,” he says. “We used to make […]
Captured by Color
An engineer turns artist after a “brushstroke” with mortality Written by Alison Bender Broad strokes of bright blues that define lake and sky, swaths of emerald green pine trees, purple-tinged boulders—these vivid and confident interplays of color define the works of impressionist painter Nick “Sninkelletti” Hinkell. Sninkelletti, a resident of Minden, Nevada, grew up in […]
Thousands turn out at Squaw Valley for “McConkey” premier
Written by Laney Olson The words, “Thank you Shane” lit the sky above Squaw Valley on Saturday evening as more than 4,000 gathered in the Village at Squaw to celebrate the life of extreme skier and BASE jumper, Shane McConkey. This marked the start of Matchstick Productions’ “McConkey” North American Tour. The documentary follows the […]
Featured: John Pugh
Truckee muralist paints to trick the eye Written by Tanya Canino Perched on scaffolding against the huge wall of Chico State’s Taylor Hall, young artist John Pugh painted his future: a grand illusion of a wall crumbling away to reveal academe’s Greek columns underneath. Not only did the mural become an iconic campus fixture, its […]
What’s Old is New
Artist turns rustic antiques into timeless furniture Written by Christine Rogel Brad Greenwood creates sophisticated rustic furniture from his studio located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Northern California. He takes an innovative approach to the craft, and in some pieces he incorporates mechanical components or carved images of natural scenes. “I get a lot […]
Featured Artist: Don Fotine
By Tanya Canino This Nevadan artist has followed a long, “blessed” road Don Fotine is inspired each time his small artist’s brush lightly touches a canvas. “I‘m blessed,” says the artist, standing in his Minden, Nev. studio. “I feel my talent is God-given, straight from the Big Guy.” Primarily a representational artist, Fotine […]
Mountain Master
By Jen Schmidt Resort illustrator James Niehues captures Tahoe’s great ski mountains. Early in his career, alpine resort and panoramic illustrator James Niehues found himself on the slopes of Alta during a project. Although he is a native Coloradoan, his still-developing skiing technique and five inches of fresh left him a little overwhelmed. “You’d […]
Featured: Woodworker Malcolm Tibbetts
One end of the square-knot sculpture Martin’s Dream is primarily ebony; the other side, bird’s-eye maple. “There’s a mix of colors in the center of the knot,” says South Lake Tahoe artist Malcolm Tibbetts. “That’s where the strength is.” Tibbetts is a segmented wood turner. He cuts hundreds or thousands of small, perfectly angled wedges of wood—mainly dense hardwoods like mesquite, […]
