ABG Art Group was selected to paint a mural along the heavily corrugated concrete retaining wall near the intersection of California and Keystone Avenues. The wall has over 1000 feet of horizontal space with varying vertical heights ranging between 3 to 18 feet. The goals for this project include highlighting the unique character of the neighborhood, increasing awareness of public art, and engaging with the community to create artwork that inspires and reflects the neighborhood. 

Artist Selection and Design Process 

March 2025: A request for qualifications (RFQ) was opened to artists nationally. The call sought artists or teams with experience in designing murals informed by community engagement, specifically those of this size and complexity, as well as artistic examples that fit the needs of simplified designs to meet the challenges of the wall. 

April 2025: The PAC and RACC selected ABG Art Group of Northern California, from among 57 highly competitive applications.  

May 2025: Reno City Council approved the recommendation of the PAC and RACC to commission ABG Art Group to create the California Avenue Mural.  

August 2025: ABG Art Group and Arts & Culture Staff hosted an artist workshop on August 27th at McKinley Arts and Culture Center, as well as a Town Hall to gather community feedback on August 28th from 5:30 - 6:30 pm at McKinley Arts and Culture Center.

December 2025: Initial design released to public with an accompanying survey for a second round of community feedback. 

Winter 2025 - Early 2026: Design finalized and painting begins. 

Community Engagement

The artists have designed the mural based on 123 survey responses and two in-person workshops in Reno in August. 
The presented design combines the top choices on color and content using the initial community survey to craft a cohesive story. Residents of the immediate surrounding neighborhood to the wall were directly mailed invitations to participate in the initial community input survey online and join the in-person events. Representatives from the Reno Sparks Indian Colony were also consulted for specific elements of this design. 

About the Artists 

From the artists, "Studio ABG is “Elliot” Trent Thompson and “Tsui Xiao-Rui” Sorell Raino-Tsui, an art and design duo with backgrounds as visual artists and creative directors. Our combined expertise allows us to create works and experiences that tell stories in unexpected and distinctive ways. Studio ABG exists to develop and produce dynamic art, with an established history of working with local fabricators of various mediums. We set ourselves apart by merging the storytelling of our contemporary works and cultural themes, with cutting edge applications for public art."

"Tsui Xiao-Rui” Sorell Raino-Tsui has created a career by bridging the realms of art, community engagement and business development. Through ventures like Athen B. Gallery and later ABG Art Group. Sorell transformed Oakland's art scene, providing a developmental platform for local artists to transition into public art professionals. From this established history he was selected as the city of Oakland's Cultural Strategist in Government for Public Art. As an artist, Sorell continues to push boundaries, using his expertise in fabrication and public art development, to produce specialized public and private installations that blend various artistic mediums and cultural themes.

Trent Thompson, a creative conduit with over 8 years of experience in public art management, brings a unique blend of artistic vision and design skill with marketing expertise. His extensive network of artists and fabricators, coupled with a keen eye for detail, allows him to adeptly manage and curate impactful public art programs, leaving a lasting impression on the community."

Read more about the artists, their community involvement, and see examples of past works on their website. 

If you have questions or would like more information, please email publicart@reno.gov.   

Photo: "Reno's Tapestry" Mauricio Rameriz; Courtesy of Mauricio Ramirez 

The new City of Reno Public Safety Center now serves as the headquarters for the Reno Police Department (RPD). Located in the heart of our downtown, the building’s central location helps ensure RPD’s swift emergency response and makes it convenient for residents to access. The site was formerly home to the Reno Gazette-Journal. Renovating the existing building provides a more sustainable option, allowing the City to reduce waste while also preserving a rich piece of the Biggest Little City’s history. 

The City of Reno is commissioning artists for a series of projects on site of the new Public Safety Center. The City of Reno is looking for projects that take into consideration the history of the site and the unique characteristics of the surrounding environment. However, the theme of the artwork does not need to be directly connected to public safety functions and imagery, or to Reno history. 

There are a total of five artistic projects for distinct needs and locations at the new Public Safety Center. 

1. Public Safety Center Community Engagement Room  
2. Public Safety Center Outdoor Mural 
3. Public Safety Center Vestibules 
4. Public Safety Center Kuenzli Sculpture 
5. Public Safety Center Plaza Sculpture 

Artist Selection  

• May 2024: A nationwide call as a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for three mural opportunities was opened and closed.  

• July 2024: A nationwide call as Request for Qualifications for two exterior sculpture opportunities was opened and closed. Additionally, members of the public were asked to respond to a brief survey about public art in the Kuenzli-Kirman-Sutro neighborhood. An additional survey was launched simultaneously internally for City staff and others who work at the building. All preliminary finalists for the five projects were given the results of these surveys to assist in their presentations at the Public Art Committee meeting(s). 

• August 2024: Reno Arts and Culture Commission (RACC) selected preliminary finalist for the three mural opportunities.  

• October 2024: A total of eight finalist for the mural projects presented at the Public Art Committee meeting 

• November 2024: The RACC recommended Rebecca Wallace, Rafael Blanco and Mauricio Ramirez to proceed as selected artist for the three murals. Additionally, three finalists were selected for the Kuenzli and Plaza sculpture opportunities.  

• February 2025: The six selected finalist for the public art sculptures presented project approaches and early concepts as informed by community surveys.

• March 2025: The RACC recommended Mark Reigelman and John Fleming to proceed as selected artists for the two sculpture opportunities.  

• April 2025: Rafael Blanco gave a talk titled “Ditching The Studio” detailing his journey in becoming an international public mural artist after his first mural while living in Reno. Reno City Council approved the recommendation for Mark Reigelman as the artist for the Kuenzli Sculpture and John Fleming as the artist for the Plaza Sculpture.  

• May 2025: Rafael Blanco completed the mural in the entry vestibules at the Public Safety Center. Mauricio Ramirez hosted a virtual talk and feedback session on the exterior mural on May 15th, 2025. 

• June 2025: Mauricio Ramirez to begin painting the exterior mural. Mark Reigelman and John Fleming visit Reno on June 25th for a site-visit and community engagement session from 11am to 1pm at the Public Safety Center. 

• July 2025: Mauricio Ramirez completed work on the exterior mural. 

• August 2025: Rebecca Wallace installed her three paneled Mural in the Community Engagement Room.

Selected artists will be expected to work with City staff to conduct community engagement sessions with users of the building and the surrounding neighborhood. The final design of the artwork will be created from input from these sessions. 

The Projects 

Public Safety Center Community Engagement Room - Artist Selected, Rebecca Wallace

Photo: "Community Engagement Room Triptych" Rebecca Wallace; City of Reno 

Rebecca Wallace is a muralist and art educator.  She has been painting for over twenty-five years, creating murals and showing art throughout the United States. She received her MFA from California College of the Arts and spent a year working for Evans and Brown Mural Company in San Francisco. Her background includes working with incarcerated youth and adults, and over 9 years of teaching art at different Community Colleges. She currently teaches Painting and Drawing at Mendocino College. You can view more of her paintings on her artist website.

Rebecca Wallace surveyed the community to inform the natural elements featured in the painting from wildlife, plants and locations. 

Public Safety Center Outdoor Mural - Artist Selected, Mauricio Ramirez 

Photo: "Reno's Tapestry" Mauricio Rameriz; City of Reno

Artist Mauricio Ramirez has painted murals through out the United States and internationally with community as his inspiration and frequent collaborator. You can learn more about the Chicago area artist on his website. Mauricio Ramirez plans to host community engagement sessions with the Reno residents to inform his final design.  

“Reno has individuals, especially those who are unique to the communities who I am interested in creating an opportunity to showcase through a mural I would like to symbolically uplift not only some individuals, but of the community as a whole.” - Mauricio Ramirez

Artist Mauricio Ramirez and the City of Reno surveyed the community and worked with stakeholders to identify subject matter that would be meaningful and reflective of the City of Reno and the Reno Police Department. 

Public Safety Center Vestibules - Artist Selected, Rafael Blanco 

Photo: Detail of "Home" by Rafael Blanco; City of Reno

A native of Alicante (Spain), Rafael Blanco is a visual public artist fascinated with identity, human expression, and diversity. As a result, these core elements are often represented throughout his work. Trained as a classical studio painter for more than 15 years, Blanco had his first encounter with public art in 2014 at the Circus Circus Mural Marathon. You can find other examples of his work on the National Bowling Stadium and the University of Nevada, Reno campus where he also earned his MFA in Painting & Drawing. Blanco currently lives in the outskirts of Chicago with his family and continues creating large-scale murals around the country. You can learn more about Rafael Blanco and his work on his website.  

Public Safety Center Kuenzli Sculpture - Artist Selected, Mark Reigelman

New York based artist Mark Reigelman creates public art that utilizes research and exploration of community in the design phase of his process. His artwork is a blend of abstraction and literal representation which integrates into civic spaces and reflects the community engagement that informs his designs.  

Selected artists/artist teams/design team will be expected to work with the community, City staff, and stakeholders to design the final artwork. 

Public Safety Center Plaza Sculpture - Artist Selected, John Fleming

Pacific Northwest based artist John Flemming’s work spans a broad portfolio of art, architecture and conceptual/environmental projects including public site-specific works across seven states. His work is guided by respect for the natural world, reclaimed materials and letting the materials speak for themselves.     

Community Input 

The Project: For the Plaza sculptural installation in front of the Reno Public Safety Center on Sutro and Kuenzli, artist John Fleming is creating a public artwork depicting the Truckee River inlaid into the paved plaza leading to the entrance of the building. The river will be made of artistic paver tiles featuring stories of the river, poems and/or sayings representing the Truckee River topography in Reno. 

Your River Stories: To capture the essence of the river, artist John Fleming invited the public to share their river stories. The collection of these stories will be etched into the pavers that represent the Truckee River as it meanders through Reno and the plaza. 

In December 2025 artist John Fleming put out a call for public contributions of poetry and stories to inform and fill out the public artwork. 

Photo: Rendering of exterior artwork for Moana Springs Community Aquatics & Fitness Center; Courtesy of Michele Gutlove

Photo: Rendering of exterior artwork for Moana Springs Community Aquatics & Fitness Center; Courtesy of Michele Gutlove 

The City of Reno worked with artists and artist-led design teams to develop a large-scale public art project that comprises multiple artworks and locations for artwork at the new Moana Springs Community Aquatics and Fitness Center.   

Artist Selection and Process

The public process started with an open call in June of 2023 for qualifications from which the City of Reno Arts & Culture department with the Reno Arts and Culture Commission selected five artists/artist teams to develop proposals for public art to be installed in the new Moana Springs Community Aquatics & Fitness Center.

November 2023: Artists/artists teams finalist presentations the City of Reno

December 2023: Finalist presentations the City of Reno collected community input through a public survey the results of which were used by the artists/artist teams to inform their proposals

February 2024: Artists/artist teams presented their final proposals for the Moana Springs Community Aquatic and Fitness Center. Following the five finalist proposals the City of Reno solicited public feedback with a survey asking for feedback on proposed projects.

April 10, 2024: City of Reno Councilmembers approved the unanimous recommendations from the Reno Arts and Culture Commission (RACC) and the Public Art Committee (PAC) to select Michele Gutlove to create public art for the new Moana Springs Community Aquatics & Fitness Center.

April 2025: Michele Gutlove installed “Medley,” the interior portion of the installation.  

Early 2026: Expected installation of exterior artwork.

About the Artist 

Photo: "Medley" Michele Gutlove; City of Reno

Michele Gutlove is a glass artist and architect based in Massachusetts. She has been working with glass for over twenty years. In her own words: “After becoming an architect, I discovered glass making, and felt like I had grown wings. When I was awarded my first permanent art commission, the possibilities of creating three-dimensional glass to fill a specific space and dance in changing light was absolutely thrilling.” She has completed over 40 public installations.  

Gutlove earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree (1983) from the University of Oregon and a Master of Architecture and Structural Engineering degree from Arizona State University. 

The exterior and interior art were inspired by the setting, nestled within view of several mountain ranges. The art will be uniquely of its place, with the actual mountain ranges interpreted into glass, stainless steel, and light, according to Gutlove’s project proposal. 

If you have questions or would like more information, please email publicart@reno.gov. 

Photo: "Chur Chur" James Dinh & Mandy Palasik; Courtesy of James Dinh

Reno's Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) completed a widening rehabilitation project along Sky Vista Parkway in the North Valleys in mid-2023. Improvements include street lighting, eight-foot sidewalks, and five-foot bike lanes on both sides of the roadway. A roundabout has been constructed as part of the project at the entrance to North Valleys Regional Park. The City of Reno, in partnership with the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Washoe County, NV and Washoe County, will develop a large-scale public art project that will be placed in the roundabout at Sky Vista Parkway and Silver Lake Road.   

Artist James Dinh was selected by the Public Art Committee (PAC) and Reno Arts and Culture Commission (RACC) as one of three finalists from a pool of 60 artists applications for this public art project. After being selected as the finalist for the project, Dinh led multiple community engagement sessions in Reno in October 2024 followed by a community survey to reach his initial design.

On the design concept, Dinh shares that the sculpture is inspired by the results of the community engagement, where themes related to nature (such as birds) predominated. Nature as a theme is also appropriate considering the roundabout’s location at the entrance to the North Valleys Regional Park, where beautiful mountains serve as the backdrop.

The sculpture has two components: “branches” and “birds”. Fabricated from steel pipes, the “branches” allude to the area’s sagebrush and grasses. Their dynamic curving forms express movement, transformation, and flight.

At the tip of the “branches” are bird-like forms made from “folded” steel plates. The shape of the “birds” was inspired by the Mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides), which is the state bird of Nevada. The Mountain bluebird is a small migratory songbird that can be found in the Reno area, living in mountain meadows and sagebrush. The birds make a “chur chur” sound, which is the tentative title for the sculpture.

The “birds” also allude to the racing planes that once flew from Stead Airport. The sculpture is intended to express a sense of aspiration, freedom, nature, and community.

Artists Selection and Community Engagement  

On June 12, 2024, City of Reno Council members approved the recommendations from the Reno Arts and Culture Commission (RACC) and the Public Art Committee (PAC) to select James Dinh to create public art for the roundabout located at Sky Vista Boulevard and Silver Lake Road, at the entrance to North Valleys Regional Park. Dinh has expansive experience creating public art including projects in Santa Clarita, St. Paul Minnesota, University of Nebraska and more.    

August 2023: Initial Community Input Survey to gather feedback for Call for Artists.

December 2023: Call for Qualifications from artists for the Sky Vista North Valleys Roundabout Opens 

February 2024: Call for Qualifications applications close on Submittable, PAC begin review 

March 2024: PAC and RACC select three finalists: James Dinh, Tylur French, and Virginia Kistler.

April 2024: The three finalists present to the PAC and RACC on their artistic process and approaches to community engaged public art projects. 

May 2024: James Dinh is selected by the PAC and RACC to recommend to City Council for the project, a second community input survey is launched .

June 2024: Reno City Council approves the recommendation. 

October 2024: In collaboration with O'Brien Middle School students and art teacher Josue Valadez, Dinh began lessons in oral history and public art prior to the artist’s visit. Once on-site, James and Josue led students through a two-day workshop using basic materials such as wires, popsicle sticks, and paper to create small sculptures that express themes derived from their family history. The goal of the workshop was to foster communication and connection between youth and older generations and have students interpret oral history themes into an abstract 3D form. According to James, “Students are often taught 2-D art but rarely 3-D sculpture”. His lesson plan connected students with the project and showed them the usefulness of oral history and sculpture in public art while also providing a mode for James to gain insights into the local community to inform his concepts and designs.

November 2024: James Dinh released a survey soliciting specific feedback on the elements of art and design to further inform the final design based on input given during site visits with the North Valleys community.  

December 2025: Installation of sculpture. 

If you have questions or would like more information, please  email publicart@reno.gov.