Tahoe Truckee Region Art, Culture & Media Digest

The city of South Lake Tahoe has launched the Arts, Culture, and Tourism Microgrants Program, which will fund free local artistic projects and cultural events.

The Town of Truckee is asking the community to weigh in on a sculpture that will be placed at Donner Lake.

Cal Orey, a South Lake Tahoe resident for the past 24 years, has produced about a dozen books—the latest titled “Soulmates With Paws.”

“Ski Patrol Pups’ follows the story of the author’s puppy, Walter, as he and his friends learn what it takes to become ski patrol dogs.

Tara Cannon has found that she loves to bring people together, and she’s done just that by organizing movie nights for locals on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore.

The South Yuba River Citizens League previews the 21st Wild and Scenic Film Festival on February 16-20, 2023, with a theme of “CommUNITY.” Next year marks the 40th anniversary of SYRCL, formed in 1983 to save the Yuba River watershed.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom recently joined the California Museum in announcing the 15th class of inductees into the California Hall of Fame. They join 138 Californians previously inducted for embodying the state’s innovative spirit.

Annie Walker is the artist behind “Sierra Juniper.” a new mural that’s being installed in midtown, on what once was the blank, white wall behind Blue Dog Pizza on Lake Tahoe Boulevard. The piece was commissioned by the Tahoe Art League.

Lake Tahoe Community College and local artist Shelley Zentner are partnering to host a one-year anniversary recognition of the Caldor Fire in the college’s Haldan Art Gallery. on Aug. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. in the library building.

After writing several children’s books about Hawaii’s natural beauty, part-time Incline resident Kevin Sullivan has written a book featuring Tahoe’s basin. The goal is to raise awareness to preserve the environment for the next generation.

The Tahoe Fund and Clean Up the Lake have announced that the new art installation created from some of the 25,000-plus pounds of litter removed from Lake Tahoe will take the form of a bald eagle holding a Lahontan cutthroat trout.

Classical Tahoe Festival and Music Institute has announced its upcoming season, which runs July 14 through Aug. 18. Guest conductors Jonathan Darlington, David Chan, and Ken-David Masur will lead the orchestra.

Following Clean Up the Lake’s year-long scuba clean-up of Lake Tahoe, the Tahoe Fund is commissioning artists (with support from Tahoe Blue Vodka) to create a sculpture using some of the recovered items. “Surfaced” will be featured at the new Tahoe South Events Center.

Archaeologist and historian Mark Selverston reviews Dr. Tanis Thorne’s new book, “Nevada City Nisenan,” which weaves together archival data, historical records, maps, photographs and illustrations to describe how the indigenous Nisenan people lived before the Gold Rush.

For the first time in three years, the California State Fair will return. This Sacramento tradition of food and carnival rides is now four months away.

El Dorado County Fair Association CEO Kathy Dunkak stepped into her new role after about five years as the fairgrounds’ deputy manager, and she’s looking forward to its return in June—the first time the event has been held since 2019.

In July 2021, a mural on the Nevada State Bank building was created as part of Reno’s annual Artown festival. A colorful depiction of the ancient Sierra Nevada, the piece was created by Truckee resident Jesse Melanson.

Around 60 people took a tour of Stateline’s Tahoe South Events Center, getting a peek at the inside seating bowl, suite level decking, and the box office and main concourse. When completed, the center will have around 15 full-time staff members and employ between 200 to 300 part-time staff.

“Buried: The 1982 Alpine Meadows Avalanche” is a new documentary that looks back at the historic Alpine Meadows avalanche. It will premiere in December but is already gaining traction at festivals.

A new conceptual design has been released showing the future of the Truckee library. The city expects to break ground in 2025 and reopen the library with its upgrades in 2026.

The Crocker Art Museum has unveiled a new exhibit featuring historic artwork, Gold Rush maps and more, with the goal of bringing light to untold portions of California’s history.

A new piece by sculptor Malcolm Tibbetts that commemorates those who fought the Caldor Fire has been erected in front of the CoWork Tahoe building in South Lake Tahoe—the same spot where vandals destroyed another Tibbitts scuplture.

The nonprofit Tahoe Regional Arts Foundation has terminated its application to develop a 22-acre parcel of land near the entrance to Northstar California Resort as The Stages at Northstar.

In the season three premiere of FOX Nation’s “Monsters Across America,” a Tahoe legend makes its debut. Host Kacie McDonnell, who travels across the country in search of “monster sightings,” heads to Lake Tahoe to learn more about Tahoe Tessie.

Despite being a virtual affair this year due to COVID, the Nevada City Film Festival is offering a creative pick-me-up during a tough month. Through Sept. 12, the festival is streaming a collection of 80-plus films.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council decided to terminate a five-year contract with the SnowGlobe Music Festival because event organizers failed to provide an alternative location to hold the event.

The South Lake Tahoe City Council appointed five members to the Police Advisory Commission and also created a new Arts, Culture, and Tourism Commission.

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival is inviting artists to submit work for possible inclusion at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival, returning as an in-person event Jan. 13-17, 2022. Festival director Jess Swigonski said, “I look forward to seeing what creations our vibrant community of artists have in store for our 2022 Art Exhibition.”

A new interactive exhibit called “Reading Forest” by Todd Gilens shares concepts about the forest’s resilience and the ecological change happening in the Tahoe Sierra. The literary art piece can be experienced at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center in South Lake Tahoe.

During the pandemic, Lake Tahoe Dance Festival founder Christin Hanna made a commitment to support her diverse cast of artists. This led to a series of new works debuting at the ninth annual event in Tahoe City, from July 27-30.

Tahoe musicians Robin Orr is getting ready for rehearsal with her new band. In the past couple months, as musicians emerged from pandemic isolation, she put together a colorful pop-rock group called Snowbound.

This summer in South Lake Tahoe, the theater group will be working on acting, singing, dancing, auditioning and theater skills under the direction of Nannette Niven and Marcia Sarosik.