City Of Reno: City Of Reno Introduces New City Artist

Press release from the City of Reno:

09/28/2021 11:06 AM

The City of Reno is proud to announce Ruby Barrientos as the next City Artist. Barrientos was appointed by the Reno Arts & Culture Commission and will serve as the City Artist from July 2021 to June 2022.

“I am grateful and honored to be this year's City of Reno's City Artist,” Barrientos said. “I am excited and hopeful that my work will ignite creativity, unite communities through art, and encourage dialogue amongst diverse groups. As City Artist, I'm thrilled for the opportunity to share my latest body of work at the Metro Gallery, which will bring cultural diversity to the forefront of the gallery.”

Barrientos’ artwork will be on display during regular business hours at the Metro Gallery on the first floor of Reno City Hall (1 E. First St.) through November 24, 2021. The public must enter through the second floor of the City Hall parking garage, between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday (with the exception of holidays), to view the exhibit.

There will be a reception for Barrientos and her exhibition, titled Nuwave Mayan: Ancestros, on October 14, 2021 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Metro Gallery. The artist will talk about her new work and her process during the reception.

Ruby Barrientos is a first-generation Salvadoran American artist born and raised in Reno. She is an artivist and incorporates her unique artistic voice that she coined as Nuwave Mayan, a style that fuses her Salvadoran Mayan ancestry and heritage in the creation of socially relevant visual art.

Barrientos and Animarte Reno will host an array of hands-on art activities for all ages at the McKinley Arts & Culture Center on Saturday, October 2, 2021 from 1 to 4 p.m.

During her tenure as City Artist, Barrientos will also curate an exhibition featuring work by visual storyteller Iyana Esters, as well as have the opportunity to engage with constituents via public talks about her process and artwork.

The Reno Arts & Culture Commission created the City Artist program to promote visual artists living in Reno, highlight visual art in the community, and engage with the public.

This press release was produced by the City of Reno. The views expressed here are the author’s own.