About the work

A colorful depiction of Pyramid Lake, circa 1920s - 30s. Housed in a period frame under glass. The artist’s studio label is attached to reverse in a clear sleeve. It lists Pierce’s Reno address on Chestnut Street, the title of the work “Picnic Rocks, near The Sage,” and the location as “Pyramid Lake, Indian Reservation.” 

About the artist…

If anyone could be described as a matriarch of the visual arts in Nevada, it would be Minerva Pierce. Pierce is arguably the best-known artist from the Latimer Art Club—named after California artist Lorenzo P. Latimer—which flourished in Reno during the 1920s and 30s.

Pierce’s depiction of Pyramid Lake has a strikingly similar composition to Lorenzo Latimer’s version of the lake that is also listed in our Heritage Gallery. The two watercolors offer a unique insight into the work of teacher and student. 

Lorenzo Latimer frequently journeyed to Nevada to teach painting classes, helping students like Pierce to become regular exhibitors and art instructors in Reno. 

Pierce is also important for having supported local arts organizations in and around Reno, notably as a charter member of the Nevada Art Gallery, better known today as the Nevada Museum of Art.

Her exhibitions included the Nevada Art Gallery, Brundidge's art store, the University of Nevada Library Gallery, and the Nevada Art Association. While living in San Francisco, she exhibited at the de Young Museum, the Legion of Honor, and the Oakland Art Gallery. In 1938 her work was exhibited at the Third Annual Exhibition of American Art at Rockefeller Center in New York City. 

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