You think of Reno, and you may not necessarily think of art.
But murals and sculptures adorn buildings and streets just about everywhere. Burning Man has an office in the city and Burning Man art is installed throughout the town.
The city also houses the state’s only accredited art museum.
Art is such a big deal, the city takes a whole month to celebrate it, with its annual July event known as Artown.
Spike McGuire is a Reno-based singer-songwriter and the founder of Loud as Folk, a monthly musical showcase that highlights upcoming artists in Nevada and across the West.
The event debuted in 2011. More than a decade later, they host showcases every Thursday at the Nevada Museum of Art and every second Thursday in Santa Rosa, California.
He grew up in Reno, when "it really was a casino town," he said.
"Even when I was 14, 15 years old, I was going and seeing great live music every night," McGuire said. "And I think that that actually really impacted a lot of the folks around here and is one reason that we have so many talented musicians these days and so many talented artists these days is because it was so accessible."
He left, but came back to Reno, where he said there's a reputation for hosting good entertainment throughout town.
"There's also just this counterculture, I guess for lack of a better word, of folks that aren't hanging out at the casinos and doing other artistic pursuits," he said.
Spike McGuire, founder, Loud as Folk
