Nevada’s first lady hosts art exhibit at governor’s mansion

Nevada First Lady Kathy Sisolak hosted an inaugural art exhibit in the Nevada governor’s mansion on Monday, after being delayed for well over a year due to COVID-19.

Kathy Sisolak presented the exhibit called “The First Lady presents…” She was joined by Gov. Steve Sisoloak during the presentation.

“When you think of art, you may think of the famous artist or historical masterpieces from a distant time that has left an indelible imprint in our society, but as we showcased tonight, Nevada’s artists continue to ignite the love and appreciation for the arts that lives deep inside all of our hearts,” said the first lady. “Their illustrious and meaningful work takes you on a journey covering a wide range of historical moments in our humanity, which are ultimately brought to life through the inspiration found from their way of life.”

“The First Lady Presents…” initially launched in February 2020. At that time, there was a goal of using the Nevada governor’s mansion as a year-round exhibition venue to present contemporary Nevadan art, as well as historic artifacts from the Nevada State Museum collection.

The program was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last fall, program partners had reconfigured the initiative into a monthly online platform. In doing so, this allowed to present more artists to a wider audience in a remote manner. Then in February 2021, “The First Lady Presents….” relaunched with a monthly online pairing of a contemporary Nevadan artist with an artifact from the Nevada State Museum’s Curator Corner.

Monday marked the opening reception in the governor’s mansion of the show. Parties that assisted in helping put that together include Myron Freedman, director of the Nevada State Museum, the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, the Nevada State Museum in Carson City, and Mark Salinas, the public art consultant and curator.