In Reno, art isn’t always something you conceal in a gallery. It’s something you can stumble upon during your morning walk or seek out beneath the neon haze of a Friday night. In Reno, art often lives on brick walls, in alleyways, and towering in public plazas, inviting everyone to interact without hesitation.
This city has evolved into a living gallery—from massive sculptures migrated from the playa to immersive, playful worlds visible from the sidewalk. In Reno, art isn’t passive; it’s a relationship between place and imagination, between artist and passerby.
Light After Dark: Western Lights Festival
One example of how Reno’s art scene continues to infiltrate and change the city (for good) is the Western Lights Festival. Reno’s urban landscape will blaze with light as the Western Lights Festival returns, illuminating downtown with creative experimentation and community spirit.
Mark your calendars for February 19-21, when six downtown blocks will transform into an illuminated art experience nightly from 5-10 p.m. During this time, City Plaza, Virginia Street, and the Riverwalk—all general high-traffic areas—will glow with interactive installations, projections, and sculptures that blur the line between landscape and dreamscape. The event is free and open to all, emphasizing accessibility and community participation.
Expect glowing forms, animated pieces, and surprising pockets of color and sound that invite visitors to touch, question, and linger. For families, art lovers, and anyone curious about what public art can look like, Western Lights is a chance to see Reno reimagined and lit from within.
Art That Stays: Sculptures and Burning Man Legacies
Beyond illuminated festivals, Reno’s year-round outdoor installations give us landmarks, stories, and meeting places. Many in Reno can picture their favorite statue downtown. Mine is a Reno classic, the Space Whale. Giant sculptures like the famous Space Whale or the iconic word sculpture BELIEVE at City Plaza provide visual anchors downtown that are somehow familiar yet awe-inspiring. Many pieces originated at Burning Man, but found lasting homes here, merging Reno’s urban identity with its creative heritage. Others are commissioned by The City of Reno like the large, abstract piece made of stainless and Cort-ten steel along the roundabout at the intersection of Virginia, Mary, and Center streets (pictured).
Skiland “Ski” Judd, director of operations at The Generator, echoes the importance of Burning Man’s creative influence shaping public art in our region. As Judd (pictured) explains, “Many artists build and test large projects in Reno throughout the year, and these works often end up in public spaces and communities far beyond the event itself.” That means Reno isn’t just housing art, it’s building it, nurturing it, and exporting creativity globally.
Walls That Speak: Murals in Midtown & Downtown
Murals stretch across Midtown and downtown walls like illuminated chapters of a city-wide story. More than 100 pieces transform alleyways, parking structures, and side streets into immersive visual experiences. From David abstractions to narrative portraits, Reno’s mural scene honors history, celebrates culture, and embraces playfulness.
While some murals stand out like the vibrant orange flowers in local muralist Erik Burke’s “Back In The Day Is Now” on the South facing wall of Kramer’s in Midtown or the vast abstracts of the Reno City Hall parking garage (pictured), others take a bit more work to see. The Ganesha mural in Midtown Reno, often described as a colorful mandala, is located in an alley near the old Recycled Records, generally north of Moran Street, created by artist Naem. Another gem is the (pictured) Lincoln piece, which spans across a large wall along 4th Street (Old Hwy 40), not far from State Historical Marker 220 (which commemorates the ‘Fight of the Century’ between Jack Johnson and Jim Jeffries in 1920).
For a guided and maybe more comprehensive look, Travel Pineapple offers narrated tours that explore murals and public sculptures via lively pedicab or walking routes. Their MidTown Mural Pedicab Tour, Downtown Reno Pedicab Tour, and Tour of Burning Man Art blend local history, artist bios, and hidden gems into an easily accessible adventure that is ideal for both visitors and longtime locals.
I recommend venturing out to spot murals more than every few years, because as time moves on - sometimes so do murals, whether they are repurposed and painted over or fade with weather and wear.
Under the Mountain: Immersive Art at The Potentialist
North of downtown, visible from the sidewalk day and night, a surreal architectural creature rises across the façade and interior of the Potentialist Workshop. The immersive installation “Under the Mountain” sprawls across indoor and outdoor spaces, inviting visitors to step through imaginative portals or simply witness its presence from the street.
Inside The Potentialist, artists work in studios, rehearse performance pieces, and plan collaborative installations (several pictured). Outside, public-facing elements hint at the world within, which is a reminder that art in Reno often defies boundaries.
Pan Pantoja, art director of The Potentialist, reflects on the significance of creating public works that will outlast us:
“There's no way to convince people who don't find value in art that it is valuable. However, this entire city will be dust one day; this is inevitable, but when they dig it up and find the sculptures that remain, they will think that once there was greatness here. And the question is, do you want to be great?”
The Generator: Reno’s Creative Engine
The Generator in Sparks, a few minutes north of downtown Reno is a community makerspace that provides artists with the tools and collaborative support needed to design and build large-scale public artworks that fuel the region’s boldest sculptures and installations from concept to creation.
Judd describes the mission of The Generator simply. “We provide tools, space, and shared knowledge so artists can take on projects they couldn’t do alone. Public art is a key part of our mission. We believe creative work should be visible, easy to access, and part of daily life in the city.”
Large-scale sculptures built here eventually land across Nevada in plazas, festivals, neighborhoods, and public walkways, giving everyday passersby access to creativity on an industrial scale.
Art for All: Why Public Works Matter
Supporting public art isn’t just decoration. It’s economic, social, and emotional infrastructure.
“Supporting local art is a direct investment in our community’s creative ecosystem,” says Judd. “Outdoor and public works like sculptures and murals make art accessible to everyone. You don’t need a ticket, a gallery event, or any special knowledge to enjoy them.”
Public art sparks curiosity, ignites conversation, and, piece by piece, builds civic pride. It is one of the few cultural offerings that truly belongs to everyone.
So as Western Lights glows across downtown in February, murals start to stand out on your drive through Midtown, or you seek out the distinct and incredible art our region offers, pause for a moment as these creative landmarks are shaping our city and inspiring many. Reno’s public art asks us to look again, step closer, and imagine the greatness beneath the surface, both today and for generations to come.
“Outdoor and public works like sculptures and murals make art accessible to everyone. You don’t need a ticket, a gallery event, or any special knowledge to enjoy them.”
"When they dig [up Reno] and find the sculptures that remain, they will think that once there was greatness here."