July 6, 2021
Nevada State Bank Celebrates Artown with Massive Mural
RENO – July 6, 2021– Nevada State Bank (NSB) kicked off its West Liberty Mural Project with a special event for bank colleagues and members of the Reno community today when NSB’s Executive Vice President, Northern Nevada Division Manager Rick Thomas joined artist Jesse Melanson to paint the mural’s first strokes from atop a lift raised high above West Liberty Street.
In an official Artown event, Melanson (JMEL) is brush painting the Nevada State Bank West Liberty Mural live beginning July 6. Completing the mural should take about 10-12 days. It is being executed in a low polygon artwork style to represent the future and technology, and how that contrasts with the Earth, water and natural surroundings of the Reno area. Melanson’s goal is to create something that shows the beauty of the high desert mountains and surrounding waterways in a way that’s relatable to anyone in Reno as they’re traveling between downtown and midtown.
“When it’s finished, the artwork above our West Liberty Branch will showcase Nevada’s natural beauty and resilient spirit,” said Thomas. “We hope Nevadans will follow along with Jesse throughout Artown as he transforms our building into something the local community will be proud of.”
The mural fun really started a few days earlier, though, when Melanson painted his doodle grid – a method of mapping and scaling his artwork – on the north side of the bank’s West Liberty branch, giving the impression that his graffiti-style lettering was the final mural. His doodle grid stretched across 76 feet and climbed 23 feet, and it was filled with inspiring words and illustrations hand-picked by NSB executives, such as “Art lives here,” “The Door to Your Future,” and “Home Means Nevada.”
“I want the art to help ground people and make them feel welcomed at West Liberty while recognizing the beauty of the area. I hope this mural inspires people to be creative and get outdoors, and go explore this beautiful landscape,” said Melanson. “At West Liberty, the low polygon style I’m using highlights the melding of technology and nature, two very powerful resources that can work together.”
Melanson is a multidisciplinary artist whose eclectic work styles explore relationships between how we can and do experience space and time. “Nevada State Bank believes in the arts. As a major sponsor of Artown, their support embraces access to the arts, which is validated by commissioning public art on their building,” said Beth Macmillan, executive director of Artown. “The location where this art will be created is a connecter between the arts district of downtown Reno and the gateway to the blossoming Midtown district. We are thrilled to bank with and be sponsored by a bank that supports the arts.”
To learn more about Nevada State Bank’s mural installation visit www.nsbank.com/mural and keep up with the mural’s progress on Facebook and Instagram.
About Nevada State Bank (@nevadastatebank)
Nevada State Bank is a full-service bank offering a complete range of consumer, private, and business banking services, as well as wealth management services, with a robust statewide branch network. Nevada State Bank’s colleagues regularly volunteer in their communities and have been dedicated to helping make Nevada a better place to live for the last 63 years. Zions Bancorporation, N.A. is included in the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Financial 100 indices (NASDAQ: ZION). For more information on Nevada State Bank, visit www.nsbank.com.
A division of Zions Bancorporation, N.A. Member FDIC.