Melhop Gallery °7077

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CAMPBELL PUBLISHES BOOK

Truckee’s Michael H. Campbell, retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, is the author of “The 3 Foot Pipe: Rail Road Right of Ways.” The book is about using the almost 162,500 miles of railroad right-of-ways as a vehicle to carry water throughout the North American continent. Campbell got the idea while working for Flying Tigers, flying back and forth across the country looking down on the crisscrossing right-of-ways that were built between the late 1700s and early 1900s. The book is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

the arts

The Visionary Art of Cathy McClelland

For Goodness Sake | Truckee | May 25-32 12 p.m. | goodnesssake.org

Gallery Spring Show

Tahoe Arts League | South Lake Tahoe | May 26-June 26 11 a.m.-4 p.m. | talart.org

Lauren DeLaunay Miller Tailgate Talk

Alpenglow Sports | Tahoe City | May 26 6:30-8 p.m. | alpenglowsports.com

Public Tour

Truckee Roundhouse | Truckee | May 28-Nov. 26 1-1:45 p.m. | truckeeroundhouse.org

Books & Brews

Alibi Ale Works - Truckee Public House | Truckee | June 2-June 2 4-6 p.m. | facebook.com

Muse First Fridays

Muse: art reclaimed | Tahoe City | June 3-Sept. 2 4-9 p.m. | museartreclaimed.com

THEmakers

creative awareness | arts & culture | makers’ movement

Melhop Gallery °7077

ART WITH CONCEPTUAL, ETHICAL SUBSTANCE

BY KAYLA ANDERSON

Works of art pop out on stark white walls in a storefront in the Safeway Shopping Center in Zephyr Cove next to Engel & Völkers. This bright and airy space on the corner of Highway 50 and Elks Point Road with contemporary creations is the new Melhop Gallery °7077, named after owner Frances Melhop and the the elevation of her favorite hike to Shakespeare Rock on the East Shore. Melhop has been living in the Northern Nevada region for the past decade working on her master’s degree with a focus in fine arts from University of Nevada, Reno; teaching art classes at Western Nevada College and Truckee Meadows Community College; and exhibiting her artwork in solo and group exhibitions near and far. Melhop is credited for building up the artists’ residency program at St. Mary’s Art Center in Virginia City, Nev.; in 2014, she won the NNDA Comstock Innovator of the Year award for her cultural contributions to the historic town. However, Melhop’s career in the art/ fashion industry started long before. Born in Christchurch, New Zealand, Melhop moved around as she worked as a fashion photographer conceptualizing and shooting stories for publications such as “Vogue Australia,” “Elle Portugal,” “Marie Claire Italy” and “Vogue Italia.” Melhop moved from Italy to Reno in 2011 and then to Glenbrook, Nev., where her husband was born and raised. In spring of 2020, she learned about an 860-sq.-ft. space with lofty ceilings, many windows and kind of an odd design; she thought it would be an ideal she created. Melhop emphasized her vision for building a more thriving arts community and her plan for dedicating a room to a rotating, group-curated show based around a specific theme. The “no such place” exhibit about unconventional landscapes will be running through June, followed by the “Eye Want Candy” summer show about obsession and desire in July. “I am interested in maintaining the gallery and quality of shows as close to museum quality as possible, holding events, thought-provoking exhibitions and working with designers and architects on projects in this region. Having said that, I also want it to be a space where people can come to think and talk about art and its importance in our lives; the gallery acting as a catalyst for art conversation and a place where fun events and collaborations can happen,” she said. The solo exhibition titled “American Snapshot” by painter Kelly Popoff will be on display through June with a reception on June 4 from 4 to 7 p.m. The gallery is open by appointment. | melhopgallery.com n

Frances Melhop in her office at the Melhop Gallery °7077. | Kayla Anderson. All other photos | Courtesy Frances Melhop

art gallery. She opened the gallery in December 2020 and now represents a dozen local, national and international emerging and mid-career artists. “They work in both traditional and non-traditional mediums, exhibiting new perspectives and strong thoughtful work ethics,” Melhop said of her curated group. “These are people I trust and I love their work.” These artists are ones she has followed, admired or personally known for at least 10 years. And they fall in line with Melhop’s mission statement: to support artists that create art with conceptual and ethical substance. When I toured the gallery with her in April, photographs taken in unique American places grabbed our attention and encouraged conversation. Artist Jennifer Garza-Cuen’s photographs showed non-traditional approaches to American landscapes. Melhop explained that the way photographs are displayed can change their context. “[Garza-Cuen] is always on point with the lighting; this is strong work,” Melhop says. We also stopped to admire a picture of a large, concrete Detroit building taken on a gray day, the work playing on perspective and scale. Artwork by South Lake Tahoe’s Julia Schwadron Marianelli and North Lake Tahoe’s Galen Brown was also displayed in the room. In the office where Melhop herself paints, there was an easel set up in a corner, a white desk and a stitching that

ON EXHIBIT

“American Snapshot” & “no such place” Through June | June 4 reception