Fresh Air with Color
Exhibition Dates: June 30 – September 25, 2025
Exhibition Reception: Friday, August 22, 5-6:30pm
Exhibition Venue: Community Center’s Crowell Board Room,
851 E William St, Carson City, Nevada
Fresh Air with Color
Exhibition in the Crowell Board Room
The Capital City Arts Initiative presents Fresh Air with Color, a group exhibition that honors four years of a plein air project, Watercolor Carson City.
Flatbed Concert 2021
The Fresh Air with Color exhibit will be in the Community Center’s Crowell Board Room, from June 30 —September 25, 2025. CCAI will host an artists’ reception on Friday, August 22, 5:00 – 6:30pm with artists’ introductions at 5:30. 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.
The nineteen participating artists include: JoAnn Carpenter, Kaz Chandler, Marguerite Crokus, Eileen Fuller, Kristi Grussendorf, Tom Howard, Leslie Kuhn, Shanae LaVelle, Laura Lawrence, Virginia McLaughlin, Joanna Murphy, Nancy Podewils-Baba, Colleen Reynolds, Anette Rink, Joyce Rossi, Lynn Schmidt, Keiko Tanabe, Shani Thompson, and Judy Welsh. The artists are from northern Nevada, California, Utah, and Wisconsin.
The project asked artists to select a local site and create a painting plein air during three days of the annual August event. The term plein air refers to painting from life, absent the use of photographic reference, and most commonly done outdoors.
Of the 39 pieces in the exhibit, viewers will recognize city buildings, local homes, area landscapes, and several close-up details of downtown gardens.
The plein air program, Watercolor Carson City, began in 2021 and continues through 2025. CCAI’s exhibit, guest curated by Colleen Reynolds, includes selected works from 2021 – 2024. https://www.colleenreynolds.com/
The event began when Judy Welch of the Carson City Democratic Women’s Club (CCDWC) approached artist Colleen Reynolds to assist with an art show at the Nevada Governor’s Mansion. All proceeds generated from the four years of art sales and raffles have been donated to Western Nevada College student scholarships and to the Capital City Circles Initiative.
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.
image right: Laura Lawrence, Levitt Flatbead Concert, watercolor, 15″x11″, 2021
image left: Shani Thompson, Harbor at Sunset, watercolor, 15″x11″, 2023
image center: Fresh Air with Color exhibition flier