Next Nevada Humanities salon turns spotlight on Sun Valley

Sun Valley, Nevada will be the subject of Nevada Humanities’ next bimonthly salon.

“A Virtual Salon: Valley of the Sun” will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, July 17 at facebook.com/nevadahumanities

This virtual conversation will feature a discussion about Sun Valley, the history of this region, the stereotypes associated with trailer park culture and the creativity that is born out of this place.

Moderated by artist Austin Pratt, a diverse panel of experts, including 20th century historian Jonathan Cummins, photographer Alisha Funkhouser and writer Jeannette Martinez will delve into the history and creativity surrounding Sun Valley, a small community of nearly 20,000 tucked away in the arid desert hills just north of Reno. Populated mainly by trailer homes at its core, with newer modern housing springing up around the peripheries, it was touted in 1938 by the Bureau of Land Management as a land of opportunity where homesteaders could carve out a place of their own.

Guest panelists will be online answering questions during this virtual event. A recording of the virtual Salon will be available at nevadahumanities.org following this event.

“Our Valley of the Sun Salon will bring together the lore and history of this place, along with a glimpse into the creative minds that reside within Sun Valley and similar places,” said Christina Barr, executive director of Nevada Humanities. “We hope that you can find time to join our conversation on our Facebook page on Friday evening.”

Part panel discussion, part conversation and part social event that has moved online, the salon program brings people together to converse about thought-provoking topics and ideas. The salon is a welcoming place to learn and share new ideas. This program is part of Artown.

Additionally, an exhibition featuring work from 11 artists and writers who all have close ties with Sun Valley will be on display at the Holland Project in Reno until Aug. 1. Valley of the Sun includes work by Greg Allen, Chris Carnel, Patrick Barry, Alana Berglund, Alisha Funkhouser, Jake Graves, Jeannette Martinez, Omar Pierce, Sophia Pierce, Austin Pratt and Anthony Ortega.

An artists’ reception is open to the public and will be held at 6 p.m. Friday, July 24 at The Holland Project in Reno.

Nevada Humanities is one of 56 independent, nonprofit state and territorial humanities councils affiliated with the National Endowment for the Humanities.

With offices in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada Humanities creates public programs and supports public projects statewide that define the Nevada experience and facilitate the exploration of issues that matter to Nevadans and their communities.