12 murals and public art pieces to admire in Reno
Wherever you go in Reno, be sure to check out the more than 100 murals and public art pieces decorating the city’s walls and streets.
From Downtown to Midtown, the streets of Reno are teeming with public art, featuring more than 100 murals and sculptures by local, national, and international artists.
Some capture the city’s heritage and history, some look to the future, and others are creative relics from the annual Burning Man festival. Most public art in Reno can be viewed on a guided or self-guided tour, or you can just happen upon it naturally while spending the day in the world’s Biggest Little City.
With so many Nevada murals and sculptures to choose from, it’s hard to narrow the list down, but you simply can’t go wrong with any of these 12 public art pieces in Reno.
Nevada Row mural
Where: Midtown District
Artists: Erik Burke and Joe C. Rock
Featuring portraits of individuals who made significant yet unconventional contributions to Nevada’s history, this collaborative mural measures 250 feet by 20 feet. Painted in 2016, it features architect Frederic Delongchamps, basket weaver Dot So La Lee, Paiute religious leader Wovoka, rancher Ben Palmer, landscape artist Michael Heizer, Nevada Historical Society founder Jeanne Wier, President Abraham Lincoln, African American boxer Jack Johnson, Northern Paiute activist Sarah Winnemucca, and author Mark Twain. Those native to Nevada are depicted in blue, while those from outside Nevada are depicted in warm tones.
Mural on the Virginian Tower
Where: Downtown Reno
Artists: Derek Douglass (concept) and Anthony Castillo (painter)
Covering 17 entire stories on the side of a former hotel turned apartments, the Virginian Tower, this bright and youthful mural of a woman wearing checkered Vans and taking a photo was inspired by artist Derek Douglass’ daughter. He has said that he wants the mural to evoke hope and spread creativity in Reno. Despite its size, it was completed in just three weeks.
Dia de los Muertos
Location: Wedekind Rd. and I-395 Underpass
Artist: Asa Kennedy
Depicting traditional Day of the Dead symbols, this mural by Reno artist Asa Kennedy was created with kids from three schools in the surrounding area. It was painted on both sides of the street in 2019 and is part of the city’s Arts Belong Here project. The kids involved were taught all about mural-making. In honor of the Hispanic holiday, the public was also invited to paint loved ones they’ve lost on an altar as part of the piece.
Face of Reno
Where: Downtown Reno
Artist: Christina Angelina
The 80-foot by 35-foot Faces of Reno mural was spraypainted over three days in 2016 on the south side of the Whitney Peak Hotel parking garage, across from Harrah’s. The painting depicts a female in a hoodie with long flowing hair, but the artist has never said who the subject is. A user on Reddit admitted to being mesmerized by her eyes.
Space Whale
Location: City Plaza
Artist: Matt Schultz and Android Jones
Located downtown at the corner of First and South Virginia St., near the entrance to the Riverwalk, Space Whale is a life-sized stained glass and steel sculpture of a humpback whale mother and her calf. Created for Burning Man in 2017, the playful pair can be enjoyed day or night. The sculpture is illuminated by color-changing LEDs when the sun sets.
Lahontan Cutthroat Trout
Where: Midtown District
Artist: Louis Masau
An environmental street artist from London, Louis Masau, added the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout to his portfolio of murals of endangered creatures, painting it on the side of a building on S. Virginia Street in 2016. Nevada’s state fish is indigenous to the Great Basin area, named after the Pleistocene-era Lake Lahontan in Northwestern Nevada. Walker Lake and Pyramid Lake are remnants of the ancient lake.
River Life mural
Where: Downtown Reno
Artist: Anthony Ortega
Located on the banks of the Truckee River at West Street Plaza in Downtown Reno, River Life is a vibrant representation of the flowing river, featuring a mallard, mountains, a sunset, and the Reno skyline. It also features regional fish, including the German Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout, and Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. Painted in 2025, the artist calls it a tribute to the city’s wildlife and outdoor sporting spirit.
Locomotion: A City In Motion
Location: Locomotion Plaza, Virginia and Third streets
Artist: Brad Carney
With abstracted elements like train tracks, mountains, sagebrush, the Truckee River, and pieces of the Reno flag, this 18,000-square-foot ground mural is painted on a dirt space between the Whitney Peak Hotel and Eldorado Resort Casino. It was designed by Philadelphia artist Brad Carney and painted with the help of more than 250 volunteers.
Portal of Evolution
Location: Bicentennial Park
Artist: Bryan Tedrick
First displayed at Burning Man in 2009, this sculpture along the Riverwalk has a cocoon-like enclosure for its base, sprouting whimsical flowers and a butterfly that spins in the wind. California artist Bryan Tedrick made the kinetic sculpture from steel.
Mural on the National Bowling Stadium
Where: National Bowling Stadium
Artist: Rafael Blanco
Painted in 2023 by Spanish native Rafael Blanco, who earned a master’s degree in painting and drawing at the University of Nevada, Reno, this brightly colored mural covers most of the exterior of the National Bowling Stadium. It is meant to combine bowling imagery with Reno’s diversity, as reflected by various silhouettes around the building.
Floral Bouquet Mural
Where: Downtown Reno
Artist: Erik Burke
Decorating the side of the Center Street parking garage since 2019, this mural by fifth-generation Nevadan Erik Burke depicts colorful flowers in front of a black background. The flowers are inspired by his high desert upbringing. The 150-foot-by-70-foot mural was funded by the Art Belongs Here program.
The Great Basin Indigenous Mural
Location: UNR
Artist: Autumn Harry
A member of the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe, Autumn Harry’s mural depicts a visual representation of Native American communities in Nevada through the years, specifically in the Great Basin region. A tool for empowerment and cultural preservation, it provides representation for Native American students, staff, faculty, community members, and visitors at the University of Nevada, Reno. It is located on the west/northwest side of the Ansari Business Building.
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