The Arts

Greek Revival Style Architecture in Nevada

In recognition of the legacy of democracy the United States inherited from the ancient world, classical architecture repeatedly became an inspiration for design in the American Republic. Architectural historians refer to one of the earliest phases of this borrowing as Greek Revival, with eighteenth-century roots and archaeological inspiration. The style was spread by carpenter's guides and pattern books, and its greatest popularity was between 1820 and 1860. Early settlers built Greek Revival houses throughout northern Nevada during the 1850s and 60s, and many survive.

Grapevine Canyon Petroglyphs and Creation Mythology

Grapevine Canyon is located about five miles outside Laughlin at the base of Newberry Peak in the Newberry Mountains. For thousands of years, the Mojave Indians have called this their homeland. Although it is unknown whether the Mojaves created the panoply of rock art that adorns the cliff sides of what they call Avi-Kwame or Spirit Mountain, it is assumed that they or their Paleo-Indian/Desert Archaic ancestors conceived and fashioned the petroglyphs at the site.

Grafton Brown: Lithography

Grafton Tyler Brown (1841-1918) was born of free parentage in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. In all likelihood, he had the distinction of being the first professional African-American artist to venture into Nevada.

Grafton Brown

Grafton Tyler Brown, perhaps the first African American artist to depict California and the Pacific Coast, was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, February 22, 1841. Before he was twenty, Brown moved to San Francisco and learned the art of lithography from C. C. Kuchel. In 1861 and again in 1864, Brown created the two earliest bird's eye views of Virginia City. At the age of twenty-six, he established his own firm, G.T.

Governor's Arts Awards Recipients

While traditional and folk arts are grounded in communities and accessible to all, there inevitably arise exemplary practitioners of any art form who take those traditions to new heights. All of these artists would practice their skills regardless of payment or recognition, and many of them would never think to call themselves artists. They do their work out of love, out of a deep need to express who they are and where they come from, and a talent honed over many years of practice and work.

Gothic Revival Style Architecture in Nevada

Gothic Revival architecture in Nevada is easily identified by its pointed window and doorway arches, and its gingerbread bargeboards along the eaves. In more elaborate manifestations, the style included tracery in the windows, pinnacles, and battlements, but these are often absent in the more humble examples in the state. While Gothic Revival began in eighteenth-century Britain, it first appeared in America in 1832 and was popularized by Alexander Jackson Davis in several plan books.

Gary Short

An itinerant poet at heart, Gary Short has surveyed the universe of Guatemala, Albania, Mexico and, most recently, Tasmania. Throughout all of these journeys, he has returned to the landscape that claims him: the Comstock. He thinks of this last place and Guatemala as his twin homes, his private domain that both welcome the itinerant one on his terms.

Frank Bergon

Frank Bergon is a critically acclaimed Nevada novelist. In 1993, the Western Writers of America made Bergon a finalist for the best novel of the West in recognition of his work, The Temptations of St. Ed and Brother S. He was inducted into the Nevada Writers Hall of Fame in 1998.

Folk Groups

Folklore is shared in groups of people; this is the "folk" in folklore. Folk groups share something in common—a heritage or a place or an interest—that makes them distinctive and gives them their identity. Folk groups can be based on such elements as ethnicity, tribe, religion, region, occupation, family, age, or gender. The folklore of such groups bonds them together with shared meaning, and sets them apart from other groups. People are members of multiple folk groups, of course, and may choose to highlight their various identities in different situations.

Folk Genres

The "lore" of folklore can be divided into genres or the categories of expression that people learn and create as a part of their heritage. At the broadest level, genres can be categorized as oral, performance, material, or customary. Specifically, the list of folk genres is almost endless. Oral traditions include such things as stories, legends, jokes, and songs, but songs can also be grouped with performance traditions as can instrumental music and dances. Material traditions include crafts, costumes, foods, and vernacular (or traditional) architecture.

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