Capital City Arts Initiative

Exhibition Dates: October 14, 2024 – February 20, 2025
Exhibition Reception: Saturday, November 16, 4–5:30pm
Exhibition Venue: Community Center’s Crowell Board Room, 
851 E William St, Carson City, Nevada

Ships of Nevada
Exhibition in the Crowell Board Room

The Capital City Arts Initiative presents Ships of Nevada by Wayne Scarpaci, an exhibition with paintings of USS ships, all related to Nevada.

The Ships of Nevada exhibit will be in the Community Center’s Crowell Board Room, from October 14, 2024 – February 20, 2025. CCAI will host a reception for the artist on Saturday, November 16, 4–5:30pm; the artist introduction will be at 4:30pm. Scarpaci will show his video of the US Navy ships he has painted at 5pm. The Community Center is located at 851 E William Street, Carson City. The Crowell Board Room is open for all the city’s public meetings and upon request. Click https://youtu.be/xYxXB-AJ_aM to watch the gallery interview with Scarpaci. 

Scarpaci uses acrylic to create his paintings on canvas and refers to his style as “realistic impressionism” because he “pumps up the colors and contrast in the paintings”. He typically paints from photographs and he said, “All are historically accurate, and I can do some ships from memory, I have done them so many times.” His art skills are entirely self-taught.

He has paintings on board numerous ships including the USS Iowa, USS New Jersey, USS Missouri, USS Wisconsin, USS Alabama, USS Massachusetts and on the USS Nevada submarine. He has work at the Naval Academy at Annapolis and at the Russian Naval Museum in St. Petersburg (of a Russian battleship). His painting of the USS Carson City was commissioned by Mayor Bob and Susan Crowell and is on board the ship; Susan christened the USS Carson City. Find more of Scarpaci’s work at http://www.artbywayne.net

Scarpaci was born into a career navy family in 1950. He grew up on and around naval ships and naval stations. When he was five, he began drawing the ships he frequently saw. In his teens, he was a US Naval Sea Cadet and served many types of ships. In 1966, he enlisted in the Army’s Nike Missile Program and was stationed at an Air Defense Command Post in Germany. After discharge, Wayne worked as a computer field service engineer on many military and civilian projects. He also served with the California Army Guard on self-propelled field artillery.

Wayne is also an accomplished author. His published book titles include US Battleships, An Illustrated Technical Reference 1941 -1963; and Battleship Nevada, The Extraordinary Ship of Firsts. He published other battleship technical reference titles and a book on Fitness and Nutrition over 60. He and his wife, Swarn, and the family cat, Tasha, live in Gardnerville, Nevada.

CCAI is an artist-centered not-for-profit organization committed to community engagement in contemporary visual arts through exhibitions, illustrated talks, arts education programs, artist residencies, and online activities.

The Initiative is funded by the John and Grace Nauman Foundation, Nevada Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities, Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, Carson City Cultural Commission, Kaplan Family Charitable Fund, Southwest Gas Corporation Foundation, Steele & Associates LLC, and CCAI sponsors and members.

right image: Wayne Scarpaci, USS Carson City, acrylic on canvas
left image: Wayne Scarpaci, USS Nevada, acrylic on canvas
center image: “Ships of Nevada” exhibition flier