Today a dedication ceremony was held for a brand new mural that was installed along California Avenue near Keystone.
They say this mural adds character to the neighborhood, plus this was a space that was often graffitied, so they hope this will deter that behavior.
Megan Burner, the arts and culture manager for the City of Reno, says, "Public art has the ability to create connection, spark conversation, and transform everyday spaces into spaces people remember and enjoy."
She said today meant way more than just a dedication and celebration of a mural. Rather, it's about celebrating collaboration, creativity, and community identity.
"From community workshops and town halls to public surveys and ongoing neighborhood engagement, this mural really was shaped by the voices of the community every step of the way."
Sorell Raino-Tsui, the designer and lead artist, mentions, "It's a really special piece. I feel like it really resonates with Reno; it's a great honor to try and capture the identity of the community, and I hope we did you proud."
The mural was designed by the ABG Art Group and spans approximately 1,000 feet.
"This was a major art production; it's over two football fields long, corrugated concrete, over 100 gallons of paint, and hundreds of spray cans. I can't say enough about how challenging it was and how massive this is, probably the biggest project we've ever done. We really try to do Reno proud."
He also says, "The City of Reno, thank you so much for this opportunity; it's not that often that cities fund large projects like this. We had six artists working on this project, all getting paid a living wage, and that commitment to funding projects in the city has a ripple effect in the creative community, and it means a lot to us to be supported by the city and by the community in this way."
The project was also funded through room tax revenue from 2025 and did not exceed $100,000.
Raino-Tsui explained the concept for us further for the mural: "The content has a lot to do with Reno's culture history. The piece kind of moves from day to night, and it's a bit of a historical timeline starting at the Native Americans and going into the western days and the natural elements of Reno and ending with modern Reno."
