Photo Exhibit at U.S. Capitol Celebrates Nevada’s Public Lands

WASHINGTON – Seventeen images of diverse, federally managed lands in Nevada are on display in the U.S. Senate’s Russell Building Rotunda. The exhibit, organized by the non-profit group National Parks Conservation Association’s (NPCA), is intended to educate lawmakers about the unique aspects of Nevada’s public lands. The images will be shown from September 26-30, 2016.

The ‘Home Means Nevada’ exhibit, titled after the state song, showcases Nevada’s “bragging rights” to the oldest living tree species, the rarest fish, the first-ever national recreation area, the darkest skies, the most wilderness areas and the largest wildlife refuge in the lower 48 states.

“In a state of sweeping vistas, majestic mountains, unusual geologic formations, native artifacts and pioneer history, we have much to celebrate and many opportunities to better preserve these places and our state’s unique features,” said Lynn Davis, senior program manager of NPCA’s Nevada Field Office, which organized the showing. “This exhibit presents the broad array of Nevada’s public lands and provides a forum for photographers who, inspired by the Nevada landscape, convey the significance of protecting special places.”

The idea for the exhibit is based in the historical use of visual resources to build public interest and stewardship. Photos and artwork from the late 1800s and early 1900s of places like Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Nevada’s Lehman Caves were significant in the creation of the National Park Service (NPS), celebrating its centennial this year, and other federal land agencies.

The collection is expected to be shown throughout Nevada over the next year. Images in the exhibit include:

• Striking and almost fanciful photos of Great Basin National Park and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, taken respectively by photographers Kelly Carroll and Robert Park;
• A unique underwater photo of the rarest fish in the world, the Devils Hole Pupfish, by Olin Feuerbacher, an aquaculturist at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge where the much-studied limestone cavern of Devils Hole is located;
• A rarely-seen perspective of the layered geology of Lake Mead National Recreation Area, photographed by retired NPS superintendent Alan O’Neill;
• A view of Tule Springs Fossils Beds National Monument as lightning strikes in the background, by Bruce Loeffler;
• A color-saturated panorama of Walker Lake with clouds mirrored in the water, by Kimberly Reinhart; and
• A perspective of artist Michael Heizer’s massive land art ‘City,’ with the artist himself in the foreground and the newly designated Basin and Range National Monument in the background. Michael Govan, CEO of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art contributed the compelling image.
• A time-lapse photo of the night sky over the rugged and remote Alta Toquima Wilderness by conservation activist Kurt Kuznicki;
• A sunset silhouette during the Perseids Meteor Showers by Cristian Torres;
• A stark black-white photo of a sagebrush junction of the historic Pony Express Trail by famed American West photographer Deon Reynolds;
• An unusual photo by Sam Davis in the vintage format of an old-time spectrograph which, in a light way, recognizes lands within Nevada managed by the Department of Defense;
• An immense panel of spirals, symbols and other petroglyphs in Gold Butte by Las Vegas-based international photographer Mike Hill;
• An exceptionally detailed photo of two male bighorn sheep by acclaimed wildlife photographer Sharon Schafer;
• An unusual aerial view over the exacting conservation-focused organization of Burning Man on Nevada’s Black Rock playa by Will Roger Peterson, cofounder of the well-known annual event, and;
• Two photos by the respected acclaimed artist Peter Goin, one of children enjoying a remote hot springs and of the stark and beautiful landscape of the Black Rock Desert.

The exhibit was curated by University of Nevada Las Vegas adjunct professor Sergio ‘Checko’ Salgado with graphic design support by Paula Jacoby-Garrett. The Nevada Arts Council and Nevada Humanities provided travel stipends for some of the attending photographers. Nevada Humanities Executive Director Christina Barr is one of the Nevadans who is accompanying the photographers to DC to meld a message that the arts and humanities can connect people to their sense of place.

MGM Resorts International and Barrick Nevada provided funding to support the execution of the exhibit and a corresponding opening reception.

The Nevada State Museum Las Vegas assisted with the printing of narrative signage. Nevada Art Printers handled photo mastering and printing, and Las Vegas Color Graphics providing Forestry Stewardship Council -certified printing services for a limited-print commemorative booklet.

National Parks Conservation Association, a non-profit, nonpartisan organization, has more than one million members and supporters across the country, including nearly 10,000 in Nevada.

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About National Parks Conservation Association

Since 1919, the nonpartisan National Parks Conservation Association has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks. NPCA and its more than one million members and supporters work together to protect and preserve our nation’s natural, historic, and cultural heritage for future generations. For more information, visit www.npca.org.