Rural Moments

snapshots from the Nevada folklife archives

Since 1985, the Nevada Arts Council’s Folklife Program has sought to document traditional culture throughout the state. Folk Arts Coordinator Blanton Owen and Folklorists Andrea Graham, Mike Luster, and Debbie Nolan traveled the state documenting people, places, and traditions. These photos presented here are a small portion of their work in rural Nevada between 1985 and 1989. 

These pictures capture a specific moment in time, one that feels both familiar and foreign. These places and scenes still exist and can be found all throughout rural Nevada – the swimming hole, the branding, the railroad tracks and ranch gates, the buildings made with whatever materials were at hand – but the people and technology change. It’s been almost 40 years since these photos were taken and the world is a different place, yet some things remain the same. 

That tension between continuity and change is at the core of folklife. Folklife is about looking at the traditions and practices that get passed down from the generations before and how current generations adapt those practices to their times. New technologies, new locations, and other factors all require traditions bearers to innovate, but the core practice remains the same. For anyone interested in folk and traditional arts, its important to not just look at how the tradition is practiced now, but also to understand how it got there and the history that shaped it. Which is why resources like the Nevada Folklife Archive, which contains all the work done by the various folklorists who have been a part of the Nevada Arts Council, are important. They let folklorists and other people interested in the history of everyday life see what things were like at specific moments in time. Because anytime you look back, there’s often more that’s stayed the same than changed. 

If you’re interested in seeing more of the documentary work done on folklife in Nevada – whether rural or urban – check out the Nevada Folklife Archive online. There’s also a wealth of other resources on Nevada folklife so be sure to check out the Nevada Art Council’s website for more. 

Life

Ranching has been a major industry in rural Nevada for over a century. The rhythm of ranch life has largely stayed the same across the generations, even as modern innovations change things. The scenes captured here are both timeless and of their time, and you can find them repeating if you return to the places they were taken. 

Landscapes

When we think of landscapes, we tend to think of stunning vistas and wide-open expanses, blue skies and still ponds. But humans shape the landscapes around them, and that impact is just as much a part of the landscape as what Mother Nature wrought. These images focus on the landscapes of rural Nevada, both the natural scenery and the human contributions used to make Nevada feel like home. 

Additional sources

As part of their fieldwork, Blanton Owen and Andrea Graham once spent 3 days out at 18 Mile Ranch, living with the Tobias family and documenting their life. They put together a slideshow titled “A Day at 18 Mile Ranch,” accompanied by audio from the ranch and interviews with Dean and Reva Tobias. You can watch the video here. A Day at 18 Mile Ranch, a Nevada Folklife Legacy Project – YouTube

Blanton Owen was the first folklorist at the Nevada Arts Council and spearheaded the fieldwork seen in this exhibition. His contributions to Nevada folklore (as well as more great photos and vernacular architecture) are commemorated in the publication Different Hairs on the Same Dog: The Work of a Public Folklorist, which you can read here.

STAFF & TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Folklife Specialist
Brad McMullen

702.486.3739
bmcmullen@nevadaculture.org

BOOK RURAL MOMENTS FOR YOUR SPACE

Artist Services Specialist / Art Installer
Stephen Reid

775.687.7108
sreid@nevadaculture.org

Folklife Exhibits and Publications