City to feature local teacher’s artwork

Courtesy City of Fernley

The City of Fernley has installed a new art piece, “The Greeter,” designed by local high school art teacher, Chad Rice. “The Greeter” can be seen in the open space at the corner of Alternate 95 and Fremont Street. The project is currently under construction and when complete will include lights, so the artwork can be seen at night, along with a custom “Welcome to Fernley” sign.

Installation of “The Greeter” is a result of the City’s Arts and Culture Task Force. In 2016, the City Council asked for a way to implement a mechanism for inclusion of Arts and Culture in the City and at that time moved forward with establishing a Task Force on Arts and Culture through the City Manager’s Office. The Task Force was created to devote time and ideas to promote the inclusion of art and culture when possible in future City-related projects, events, and initiatives.

In addition to the mission of the Arts and Culture Task Force, the City is following the vision summary and guidelines as outlined in the Parks Master Plan that was adopted unanimously by the City Council in September of 2017. This included focusing on key ideas and new approaches that will help Fernley maximize the value of its current resources while continually improving the quality of life for residents. The plan outlines a long-term vision and establishes the community’s current values to guide decision making. Specifically, the vision includes capturing opportunities to utilize and care for open space to improve their condition and offerings; in addition to looking for ways to partner for success in being stewards of the City’s natural resources and beautiful landscapes.

About the Artist: Chad Rice is a local artist who has been creating and teaching art in Fernley for 12 years. Although he primarily considers himself a painter, Chad’s most celebrated pieces have been large-scale sculptures. Chad has created numerous installations for the Reno Sculpture Festival, Burning Man, and other regional events. One of his large forced-perspective sculptures, Concentric Smile, is currently on display with the Ripley’s Believe It Or Not traveling art exhibition. Chad’s two-dimensional work can be seen at the Art Indeed Gallery in Fernley, the Reno Renaissance Hotel Gallery, and at numerous other venues in the area. Chad Rice is an Arts Instructor at Fernley High School, and the City is honored to have partnered with him on this project. For comments or questions regarding the City's Arts & Culture Task Force please e-mail [email protected] or call (775) 784-9858.