Emerging Artists

I create semi-abstract paintings and drawings with acrylic paint, inks, and watercolor. My color palette alternates between high-contrast black and white and a vivid rainbow palette. Imagery frequently includes portraits and figures and a personal vocabulary of mark-making, patterns, and flowing lines. My work is playful yet can depict a variety of emotional states.

My process is intuitive. I think of it as a dialogue. I make a mark, or a shape, then respond to it with another mark or shape, until the page or canvas is filled. I create art to express my emotions and experiences through color and mark-making. When I am making art, I am practicing, playing, and experimenting. Art-making is an exercise in letting go of control and listening to my intuition. Through this process, I connect to my authentic self.

Through my work, I want to connect with viewers on an emotional level and inspire them to create their unique art and express themselves in their unique way. Everyone can be creative. I’m inspired by artists Wassily Kandinsky, Flora Bowley, Rae Missigman, Aya Takano, and Junko Mizuno.

Jana Dierker is an assemblage artist who transforms discarded materials into unique, playful works of art. She skillfully utilizes recycled substrates and unconventional art materials to craft vibrant works of art.

Her creations invite viewers to explore a world where color and creativity collide. Each piece is a testament to the beauty of repurposing, celebrating the potential found in what others might overlook.  

Her art is a celebration of imagination, transforming discarded toys, game pieces, broken jewelry, and other repurposed items into striking assemblages. Each piece is crafted with a commitment to sustainability, keeping materials out of landfills while breathing new life into the ordinary.

From Reno, NV, Jana has captivated audiences with her joyful approach to art-making. When she’s not in the studio, you can find her scouring thrift shops searching for the next inspiration to spark her creativity.

Through her unique approach, Jana Dierker invites viewers to see beauty in the overlooked and the forgotten, creating art that resonates with both whimsy and purpose.

Jenny Kane is a Sparks-based watercolor and acrylic artist who’s recently focused her sights on Nevada motels and other local landscapes. Inspired since her childhood by mid-century motels and neon signs, Jenny is the artist behind the popular “Motels of Reno” playing cards. The cards feature more than 50 watercolor paintings of Northern Nevada icons; the cards are sold at a handful of local retailers and art markets. Outside of her motel-inspired collection, Jenny enjoys painting and sketching colorful landscapes from her travels, both locally and abroad. 

After attaining an art minor in college and becoming a full-time arts and culture journalist, Jenny is now dedicating some extra time to her dream of becoming a “real artist.” As a mentee for the Artists Co-Op Of Reno, Jenny hopes to create a whimsical collection of portraits of local motels. The motel portraits are inspired by the motels’ formerly glamorous selves and also the imaginative children’s books that Jenny spends many of her days reading with her daughters, Holly and Hazel. The works will be part historical throwback and part fantastical illustration. Jenny’s primary job since 2022 has been as the chief officer of food, laundry, and crafts for her family. Were it not for the support of her amazing husband and chief officer of camping, fixing, and fun, Trevon, the girls probably wouldn’t allow for any solo art time for Mom. Jenny is forever grateful for the love, support, and encouragement of her family and friends. 

Social media: Instagram @jennykane88

Email: jennykanearts@gmail.com

Kathleen Hoppe is an artist in Reno, NV, specializing in acrylics and oil. She explores her medium by using abstract portraits to communicate emotions. She grew up loving crafts, and her creativity was nurtured by her family friends. She had an amazing art teacher in middle school who opened an artistic path, whose guidance fueled a fire within. She spent high school doodling on assignments where she discovered her ability to illustrate complex and abstract concepts. She attended the University of Nevada where continued exploration as an artist.

Over the years, the consistent outlet of journaling, painting and drawing has become more than a hobby, but a passion, discovering that creating is crucial. It has become a practice to explore what it means to be human in a complex world. She lives a life of questions and anxieties about her purpose, and discovering the best and most inspiring way to communicate through her art with the emphasis on the messy process of becoming. The purpose of her work is to make people think.

Kathleen has had artwork displayed at McNamara Hallway Gallery at the University of Nevada. She also won first place in the wet media category at the 2024 Nevada Day Art Show at the Brewery Arts in Carson City.

Instagram: @katsdesignss

Sofia Lombardo is an acrylic artist based in Reno, Nevada. As a small child, her interest in art was fostered with the help and instruction of her grade school teacher, Mrs. Loftin. From ceramics to felting and even origami, Mrs.Loftin introduced her kids to a variety of mediums and techniques which stuck with Sofia.
It wasn’t long after her time in Mrs. Loftin’s class that Sofia sold her first works to her elementary school librarian. She sold handmade bookmarks for 50 cents, each marked with a special star in the corner. These early experiences allowed Sofia to create from a place of openness and curiosity which remain essential to the spirit of her practice.
More recently, Sofia graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with degrees in both Art History and Political Science. She has shown work in local galleries, worked on community murals, and created work used for events around town.
Sofia now works in a style that relates most to abstraction and surrealism, and has created work that can be characterized by their bright saturated colors, full shapes, and use of variable patterns. Much of her work concerns the role and observation of self from a detached third-person perspective.