Americana tales
Singer-songwriters and Idaho natives Micky Braun and Jeff Crosby team up for a couple of shows in the area this week. The two will kick off their “Hold This Town Together” tour with a performance at this month’s First Thursday event at the Nevada Museum of Art, followed by a show in Carson City this weekend. Braun, a staple in the red-dirt music scene, has built a devoted following with his band Micky Braun and the Motorcars, known for their raw, rootsy sound and themes of resilience and self-discovery. Jeff Crosby delivers songs that explore love, loss and life on the road. The First Thursday event starts at 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 6 at the Nevada Museum of Art, 160 W. Liberty St. Tickets are $15. Entry is free for NMA members. Visit www.nevadaart.org/event/first-thursday-57. The musicians will also perform at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Nashville Social Club, 1105 S. Carson St., Carson City. Tickets are $20. Call 775-515-0020, or visit thenashvilleclub.com.
Art to heart
Discover and support local artists, and bid on your favorite piece of art at the University Galleries’ Biennial Valentine’s Art Auction. This year’s auction features a mix of about 100 established and emerging artists, spanning a wide variety of styles and mediums, with prices starting at $50. At 5 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7, participants can preview the diverse collection of artwork up for auction. The silent auction begins at 6:30 p.m. Proceeds from the biennial auction will support more than 20 exhibitions, allow more than 15 professional artists to provide educational lectures, and provide opportunities for student workers, as well as maintain gallery spaces, support daily operations and expand educational programs. The free event takes place at Galleries South in the Jot Travis Building, 1164 N. Virginia St., at the University of Nevada, Reno. Go to www.instagram.com/p/DFLuMCzyUKn.
Heart on the strings
The Tahoe Symphony Orchestra and Chorus presents E.P.I.C. | Elizabeth Pitcairn in Concert. The soloist (pictured) will play works by Romantic era composers Camille Saint Saëns, Alexander Borodin and Ernest Chausson, as well as fan-favorite encores, on the Stradivarius “Red” Mendelssohn violin. The concert series kicks off at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 7, at St. John’s Presbyterian Church, 1070 W. Plumb Lane, in Reno. Other shows start at 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8, at Cornerstone Community Church, 300 Country Club Drive, in Incline Village; and 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 15, at the CVIC Hall, 1604 Esmeralda Ave., in Minden. Tickets for these shows are $15-$75. Pitcairn will also perform at a special Valentine’s Day event offering a romantic, candlelit setting, a photo corner and raffle tickets, as well as hors d’oeuvres and sparkling wine or non-alcoholic beverages for guests with premium-seating tickets. “The Red Violin: An E.P.I.C. Valentines Day Special Event” starts at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Feb. 14, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 200 Island Ave., in Reno. Tickets are $80-$125. Call 775-524-2175, or visit www.tahoesymphony.com.
Busy as a bee
Learn about plants, pollinators and other animals that live around us while crafting gifts for the special people in your life at Bee Mine. Build bird feeders; stamp greeting cards; create paper flowers; plant houseplants and more during this valentine-themed crafting event at the Museum of Natural History at the University of Nevada, Reno. The museum will be open for special behind-the-scenes tours, highlighting the plants, bees and other collections that inspired the crafts. Admission is free, but space is limited. You can find a link to RSVP by going to www.facebook.com/events/964563778452189. The time slots are 1 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 8. The museum, at 975 Evans Ave., is located in Room 300 on the third floor of the Max Fleischmann Agriculture Building, on the southeast corner of the UNR campus. The closest street intersection is Evans Avenue and Record Street. Free parking is available on Saturdays at Record Street and Evans in the silver 12 lot. You can also visit www.unr.edu/natural-history or www.facebook.com/unrmnh.
Sow and grow
Yes, we’re still in the thick of winter—but spring is just around the corner. Last week, Washoe County Extension Master Gardeners kicked off its “Gardening in Nevada: The Bartley Ranch Series” to get residents prepared for the growing season. Rod Haulenbeek and Mark Humphreys will present “From All About Seeds: This Year’s Flowers to Next Year’s Plants,” at 6 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 11. Other talks include “House Plants” on Feb. 18, “Fire Adapted Landscape” on Feb. 25 and “Pond/Water Gardening” on March 5. The free classes will be held on Tuesdays through March 25 in the Western Heritage Interpretive Center at Bartley Ranch Regional Park, at 6000 Bartley Ranch Road. You must register for each class. Go to extension.unr.edu/master-gardeners/washoe.aspx for more information.
Take note
Artists show their appreciation for our state in the exhibition Nevada, P.S. I Love You Postcard Project: Love Notes From Across the Silver State. View an array of postcards made by people of all ages expressing through art what they love about Nevada in this ongoing project started by Nevada Humanities. There will be a reception and hands-on postcard activity starting at 5 p.m., Tuesday, Feb. 11, in the Metro Gallery, on the first floor at Reno City Hall, 1 E. First St. Admission is free. The show runs through March 7. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Visit www.nevadahumanities.org or www.reno.gov/community/arts-culture/city-art-galleries/metro-gallery.
Power of the verse
Prepare to be moved by the spoken word at the 2025 Poetry Out Loud Washoe County Semi-Final Competition. Poetry Out Loud, a program of the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation, encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry through memorization and recitation. This program helps students master public-speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. High school students compete at local, district and state levels before advancing to the national finals. Students from Wooster High School, McQueen High School, Reed High School, Coral Academy and Davidson Academy will compete in the semi-finals, which start at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12, at The Holland Project, 140 Vesta St. Admission is free. Visit hollandreno.org.
¡Qué romántico!
The University of Nevada, Reno’s Performing Arts Series 2024-2025 continues with a performance by Tres Souls. The Los Angeles trio performs the vintage sounds and songs of the bolero style that was popularized during the Golden Era of Mexican Cinema. Singer Rocio Mendoza, along with guitarists Roberto Carlos and Jesus Martinez, formed the band in 2011, driven by their passion to revive bolero music in Los Angeles and preserve its rich heritage. Each member of the trio brings a deep-rooted knowledge of traditional music, inherited from their families and passed down through generations. Engage with the artists; gain insights into their creative process; and experience their fusion of classical styles and trio romántico tradition at a free outreach event starting at 3:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the North Valleys Library, 1075 N. Hills Blvd. Tres Souls will perform onstage at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 13, at the Nightingale Concert Hall, 1335 N. Virginia St., inside the Church Fine Arts Building at the University of Nevada, Reno. Tickets are $40 for general admission, $38 for seniors, UNR faculty and staff, $16 for youth ages 3-17 and $5 for UNR students with ID. Call 775-784-4278, or go to www.unr.edu/pas.
11 Days a Week is written and compiled by Kelley Lang. Want your event included in 11 Days a Week? Email 11days@renonr.com for consideration. Email advertising@renonr.com for advertising info!
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