The Inspired Generation of Reno

Burned, melted, dusty metal fills the hurried space of The Reno Generator. A new depot of counter-culture continues to recreate itself in the warehouse district of Reno, Nevada. Renovation. Where ideas upon expression are determined to make it to the streets from an engineering drawing on a diner napkin.

Burning Man is nearly four-months away, but art cars and burner installations have been processed since 2013. For some, the space reflects aspiration to fabricate a state-of-the-art community for events throughout the city such as the upcoming Sculpture Fest on May 7th.

“I can see the benefits of community art at the Generator. I hope it continues to grow, giving more people the opportunity to be involved in art projects,” says artist Joseph Peace.

The cold, concrete floors of the Generator hold the infrastructure of designful art studios. Hand written notes, drawings, and schedules developed on well-used white boards governs the amplitude like an office of cubicles gone wrong. Carefully crafted rocket ships and dried up clay sit still. Molded into creative art forms through the simple act of being. Composers such as screen printers and welders become alive in this space, their space, even if it’s the crowded space next to a sustainable worm farm.

The warehouse holds 31 resident studios and a dozen of other stations where new ideas can be achieved from a simple conversation. Cues from Burning Man echoes the zone embracing love, free-expression, and participation from one neighbor to the next.

“One of the first things people would think when they’d walk into the empty warehouse was, ‘Wow! It’s almost too big to walk across.’ So, that first day, we gathered in the space to roller skate and scooter and bike around for a couple hours before we filled the place with gear and projects and people,” says Kris Vagner who was the volunteer coordinator in 2013.

“They all need to give back to the community somehow,” says director Lindsay Adams, “Whether it is a workshop, or (hopefully) a donation from their own project.”

Artist Peace is currently constructing a disco art car named D.O.R.I.S. According to his indiegogo.com campaign, the acronym stands for Disco Operative Radical Inclusion Shuttle.

“The idea for DORIS came from the Disco Knights camp who wanted an art car that fits with the theme of their camp. DORIS probably wouldn’t have happened if the Generator didn’t exist,” says Peace.

Time management is an essential part for these larger projects, having only a few short months remaining until the world descends on the playa. The 30th Burning Man festival hosts nothing but the space, the man and the art.

Art cars, mutant vehicles, dancers, producers, festivalgoers, and volunteers encircle the man, as it burns the last day in full party mode. Some art cars have been returning to the playa for years, stopping at the Generator to tune in and drop out. They’ve become a staple of the burning man experience.

“The Generator hasn’t really grown since I started DORIS but as we get into the Burning Man build season, there is definitely more activity,” says Peace.

Space triangles, welded by Schultz, have just recently begun their long journey for another project at the Generator named The Space Whale. The tail end of the whale will be complete by the Reno Sculpture Fest. This piece has been funded $125,000 from various donors to live at Burning Man in 2016. Artists are optimistic that the community will see their good intentions for a larger audience and possible funds.

The Generator burns the current casino based economy of Reno to redefine the city itself as an art project continuously in progress.