Resident Artist Program Thrives On Community Support

SILVER CITY, NEVADA- The Resident Artist Program in Silver City was launched in 2014 by Theo McCormick and Quest Lakes, long time residents of the historic Comstock community located in the mountains near Virginia City.

Together the couple co-fund the Program without grants or foundation funding, although both Lakes and McCormick are quick to point out that the Program gets lots of in-kind support - work by community volunteers, gifts of materials, and supportive partnerships with local and regional groups.

For instance, the Program has been gifted with art supplies, equipment and artworks from visiting artists and writers and has recently received its first cash donation from an art lover in Oregon.

McCormick says that people from all over the northern Nevada region have been very supportive, participating in the Program’s free writing, music and art workshops, and attending poetry readings, concerts, and art exhibitions. "And," he added,"probably 20% to 30% of Silver City folks have hosted the visiting artists in their own homes as dinner guests, or given them tours of their home studios or personal art collections, or taken them on hikes or drives to point out interesting spots. It's a really welcoming community."

A number of groups, such as the Silver City Arts group, Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties, Silver City Historic Preservation Society, and St. Mary’s Art Center, have partnered with the Program to add support to exhibits, displays, marketing, receptions, etc.

The Program has also benefited from the work of gifted summer art interns like Marielle Toll, and dedicated “friends of the program” such as Fred Swanson, Nancy Calvert, and Las Swanson.

There’s a crackerjack team of advisers serving the Program, too. Lakes can call on them for insights based on their fields of expertise. Advisers include internationally known photographer Frances Melhop, sculptor and Western Nevada College art instructor Stephen Reid, Christy McGill (performing arts adviser - degrees in both Drama and English), Allison Rasmussen (culinary arts adviser for exhibit receptions), Kerry Rossow (social media adviser -best selling author and CEO of the She Said project) and Jessica Sanford (dance adviser – Earlham College).

“The artists and writers who have Residencies in the community contribute so much while they’re here,” Lakes said. “And they leave a lasting impact even after they’re gone.” A few examples: Pulitzer Prize nominated poet David Lee’s poem about the view from the Resident Artist housing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. Award winning photographer Frances Melhop’s photo portraits of Silver City and other Comstock folks, along with stories recorded by film maker Mary Works Covington, will be unveiled in an exhibition at the Haldan Gallery at Lake Tahoe this October. Michigan-based artist Brian Schorn’s exhibition “Comstock Wabi Sabi,” 22 assemblages created with objects found on the Comstock, has been featured at St. Mary’s Art Center in Virginia City, at 50 West Liberty Street in Reno’s arts district and at the Microsoft campus in Reno. New Zealand artist Sophie Scott’s painting, based on an 1860s photo of Silver City, was on display at the Nevada Legislature during the 2017 session. London-based artist Stewart Easton, whose artwork has recently been shown at both the Tate Modern and the Ashmolean, created a painting of McCormick House that will be included in an upcoming UK retrospective of his work. Oakland-based artist Scott MacLeod gifted his ship model artwork, created in collaboration with Silver City residents, to the community. Today locals continue to be delighted (and inspired to create their own artwork) when they discover the whimsical miniature ghost towns and sculptures MacLeod left in the hills surrounding the town.

About Theo McCormick and Quest Lakes: Theo McCormick was born in Nevada and resided in Silver City for most of his life. The son of Nevada artist and UNR emeritus professor Jim McCormick, he studied physics and computer programming in college and became a software engineer. After completing a degree in literature and history, Quest Lakes moved to Silver City, Nevada in 1989 and fell in love with the community and its fascinating history, mountain views, and wildlife.