Nevada Museum of Art and Dragon Lights Festival Present Special
“Icky” Lantern in Collaborative Exhibit
(October 10, 2024 – Reno, NV) — In an exciting partnership between the Nevada Museum of Art (Museum) and Tianyu Art & Culture, visitors to Deep Time: Sea Dragons of Nevada and the Dragon Lights Festival will experience the exquisite craftsmanship of Chinese artisans through a special “Icky” lantern installation.
“We are honored to have had the opportunity to design a unique lantern for the Nevada Museum of Art’s Deep Time exhibit,” said Huiyuan Liu, event manager for Dragon Lights. “This collaboration is deeply meaningful to our artists, who are proud to contribute to such a significant Nevada exhibit.”
The “Icky” lantern, inspired by Nevada’s iconic prehistoric ichthyosaur, has been installed outside the Museum, offering a vibrant welcome to passersby and museum visitors alike. A replica has been installed at the Dragon Lights Festival currently taking place in the Wilbur D. May Arboretum & Botanical Gardens in Rancho San Rafael Park.
“The Icky lantern is an additional way to invite guests to experience art and history,” said Amy Oppio, chief operations officer, Nevada Museum of Art. “This partnership with Tianyu Art & Culture allows us to explore new ways to tell the story of the ichthyosaur through the beauty of traditional Chinese lantern-making, while highlighting Nevada’s rich prehistoric past. We are grateful to the Dragon Lights Festival for partnering with us to creatively introduce both family experiences to our communities”
The tradition of Chinese lanterns originates in ancient mythology. During the springtime around the Chinese New Year, a creature known as Nian would emerge to terrorize livestock and communities. Fearful of loud sounds and bright colors, Nian was eventually driven away using colorful lanterns and loud noises. This is how the Chinese Lantern Festival was born—a celebration of light, family, and good fortune, believed to ward off misfortune and bring blessings for the New Year.
Today, the Lantern Festival is a cherished tradition, celebrated in the first month of the Chinese New Year for 15 days. It brings families together to celebrate their accomplishments and look forward to a bright future. The “Icky” lantern stands as a symbol of these traditions, merging the deep history of Nevada’s prehistoric sea life with Chinese cultural heritage.
For more information about the Dragon Lights, visit the website at https://dragonlightsreno.org/
For more information about the Deep Time exhibit at the Nevada Museum of art, please visit the website at https://www.nevadaart.org/
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