Open-Air Art Gallery
Gerlach Open-Air Art Gallery
Gerlach welcomes visitors to a new Open-Air Art Gallery, featuring panels and larger murals. Use this page as a guide as you stroll through town, starting at Bruno’s Gas Station on the east end of town.
High Rock Canyon: Ann-Sophie Gaudet
Bruno’s Gas Station - Main Street
”The exploration of the raw wilderness of High Rock Canyon and the unforgettable experiences I had there provided the inspiration to create art that captures the freedom, the beauty, and excitement of the journey.”
From where you stand at this mural, on a clear day, you can see across the vast playa. Keen eyes can spot the southern end of the Black Rock Range and the Black Rock itself, where the Lassen-Applegate trail led weary emigrants through stunning High Rock Canyon and eventually on into California and Oregon.
Ancient Geometries: Rachel Stiff
Gerlach K-12 School, East Sunset Blvd.
Rachel is an artist/educator based in Carson City, NV, and holds an MFA from the University of AZ in Tucson (2012) and a BFA from the University of Montana in Missoula (2009). She was a featured artist in the exhibition ‘Tilting the Basin’, shown by the Nevada Museum of Art (NMA) in Reno and Las Vegas. In 2017, a series of her paintings was included in “The Nuclear Landscape” exhibition, in conjunction with the NV STEAM Conference at the NMA. A true Westerner, her work examines the construction of the modern landscape and desert-urban interface through abstraction.
Standing Here: This portion of the school closed following the economic crash of 2008. The Oscar-winning movie “Nomadland” starring Frances McDormand depicted that tragic chain of events.
Spirit of the West: Reese Sutfin & Terri Lambert
Old Stanley Theater, Main Street
This husband and wife team has been collaborating on projects throughout the West since 1996. The wild horses of the west are direct descendants of horses that escaped or were released by early American settlers in the 1800’s. In 1971, the U.S. Congress recognized that “wild free-roaming horses are living symbols of the historic and pioneering spirit of the West.” Many still make their home in this area and can be spotted on backcountry travels, and often along Highway 447 and State Route 34.
Standing Here: You are in the heart of Gerlach at this location, near some of its oldest buildings and the historic water tower.
Seventh Fire: Kimberly Lawson
Gerlach Community Center, East Sunset Blvd.
A little boy, center (Adonis Nakooedu Ike Lucas) from the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, sits drumming surrounded by his ancestors in prophesied times where humanity has a choice to choose materialism or spirituality.
Also Shown:
Keith Andren (1979 - 2021) Te-Moak tribe of the Western Shoshone Battle Mountain Band.
Judy Trejo (1940-2002) Summit Lake Paiute Tribe.
Wovoka (1856-1932) Northern Paiute, Smith Valley. Paiute spiritual leader and founder of the Ghost Dance Movement
Standing Here: We are not only at a present day community hub – where potlucks, events, meetings, and more take place, but we are also standing where native peoples of the entire region once gathered in ancient times.
The Flow of Time: Zoe Caron
Gerlach Senior Center, East Sunset Blvd.
Swirling water represents ancient Lake Lahontan and the life it supported. Gerlach was once underwater. A mammoth and Shasta ground sloth weave through to modern times to a small pronghorn herd, Great Basin collared lizard, and kangaroo rat. Modern pronghorn are relics of larger herds that once roamed the area. Lizards and kangaroo rat populations likely expanded as the land became more arid. “My artwork is a celebration of all things living. Through crisp lines and natural patterns overlaid on backdrops of intense abstractions, I express the natural world’s flow and energy.”
Standing Here: Step back from the wall and view the mountain range to the east of town. You will notice the horizontal lines of ancient shorelines etched into the mountainside. Imagine, this was once underwater.
Tomorrow Never Comes Until It’s Too Late (aka “Playa Jazz”): Juan Bonilla
Indie Press Revolution at the old Gerlach Clinic
Juan’s first impressions of this area came at night when working on the railroad siding in town. The reflection of the moon hit the sands and minerals creating a glow that seemed to light up the skies and mountains. Intrigued, he became a regular visitor. He thinks of the Paiutes and of how they were able to survive in these lands and call it home. For Juan, the desert is neither boring nor uneventful, as seen in his abstract style.
Standing Here: We gain a sense of play in Juan’s piece, which is often reciprocated as children play at the brightly colored playground adjacent to this building.
Center of the Universe: Alyssa Cumpton
Joe’s Gerlach Club, Main Street
Alyssa Cumpton lives and works in Elko, Nevada. In 2024, she was the Artist-in-Residence with the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area and Friends of Black Rock-High Rock. Her work explores the natural world and hopes to bring about an appreciation of wild spaces across the country. She works in several mediums, including traditional acrylic painting, chalk art and murals. Alyssa was commissioned by a local property owner to paint another mural in town. Take a side trip down Del Ora Road and you might spot it.
Standing Here: A Saturday night at Joe’s can be an essential stop for the heartiest of Gerlach experiences.
Petroglyphs: Nathaniel Benjamin
Friends of Black Rock-High Rock, Main Street
Petroglyphs, traces left by people who once called this place home, but from a vastly different perspective, reminded me of what I was doing painting this panel. In tribute to them, I superimposed these petroglyphs over my own painting of Gerlach’s night sky. We can only imagine what these symbols meant to the artists who carved them, but, by looking up, we can consider the same questions they must have: Who are we? Where did we come from? What are we meant to do here? Some of the oldest petroglyphs ever dated are located nearby.
Standing Here: On the edge of town, we are in dark skies territory. Wander into open space and experience magical night skies.
Running Free: Cyan Samone
Bruno’s Apartments, Main Street
“Running Free” captures the untamed spirit of the pronghorn—North America’s fastest land animal—racing across the open desert at sunrise. This mural is a celebration of motion, light, and the profound sense of freedom that the desert landscape offers. The desert, often thought of as barren or harsh, holds a quiet, expansive beauty that invites reflection and release. In the early morning light, when shadows stretch long and the air is still cool, there’s a kind of magic—an overwhelming sense of possibility. That’s the feeling I wanted to chase and capture: the exhilarating openness of a place where nothing holds you back.
The colors in this piece are intentionally bright and heightened. They don’t reflect reality so much as they reflect feeling—the way the sunrise feels on your skin, the way motion feels in your chest when you let go. They are the electricity of being alive.
Standing Here: Look behind you across the salt flats, and imagine herds of pronghorn running across the landscape.
Thrust SSC: Bryce Chisholm
Bruno’s Cafe, Main Street
The Black Rock Desert is a vast and untamed expanse and has long been a stage for extraordinary feats—from the record-breaking speed of Thrust SSC to the artistic explosion of Burning Man. In the heart of Gerlach, Bruno’s stands as a legendary gathering place, where history and community intertwine. This mural is a tribute to the land, the speed, and the creativity that help define this remarkable place.
Art in the desert.
In addition to this project, Gerlach is home to the Bike Bridge, a sculpture previously placed at Burning Man. You’ll also find a mural commemorating the Emigrant Trails (320 Main St., at the Friends of Black Rock building). For the past few years, artist Bunnie Reiss has adorned various Burning Man-owned properties with bright folk art often featuring wildlife of the area. If you’ve found the “trailer park”, it is sure to bring a smile to your face. Just outside of town, a mile-long art installation called Guru Rd intrigues visitors with its endearing messages to locals and insight into the world at large. Planet X Pottery offers several galleries, including a painting studio, Several talented artists also reside here, and their work can often be found at community events.
Fly Ranch.
Fly Ranch offers an opportunity to experience several large-scale art pieces from Burning Man on their weekend Nature Walks. Walks also include a visit to the famous geysers. A labyrinth is open to the public most Sundays. Visit FlyRanch.org for more information. Fly Ranch is private property.
Cultural Tours around town.
Art & Culture tours exploring Gerlach can be arranged in advance and are available for small groups. Sometimes these occur in conjunction with local events such as Black Rock Rendezvous over Memorial Day weekend, 4th of July, or Gerlach’s annual Chili Cookoff in October. Please reach out to our project coordinator if you are interested in a tour at any time of year. Tours include fun facts, tales of intrigue, and environmental discussions.
The Gerlach Open Air Art Gallery is funded by a grant from Travel Nevada, supported by Friends of Black Rock-High Rock. Help us continue to share the story of this unique area by donating today. Thank you!