Explore Reno Burning Man Art Along the Truckee River
The Burning Man Project promotes art beyond the Playa. As the gateway to Black Rock City, Reno has proudly embraced this initiative - with dozens of temporary and permanent art installations throughout the heart of the city and along the Truckee River corridor. These art installations, created by artists from around the world, enrich Reno's cultural scene and support local artists' careers while fostering community spirit and encouraging public participation. While many of the playa’s largest art installations (including each year’s temple and the man himself) are turned to ash at the gathering’s end, many are made of more permanent materials and find themselves displayed as public art in cities like ours.
Have you been curious about Burning Man but haven't had the chance to attend? Are you wondering why tens of thousands of visitors pass through our small city at the end of every summer? When it comes to Burning Man, there’s so much to explore right here in town, along the shores of the Truckee River.
Check out these Reno neighborhoods and the art installations that call them home:
Reno City Plaza’s Burning Man Art
The City Plaza is a 1-acre park located in downtown Reno along the Truckee River and the Truckee River Walk. It stars some of Reno’s best-known Burning Man art installations:
Space Whale - Playa Debut 2016
Matthew Schultz, with the Pier Group, collaborated with Android Jones and Andy Tibbetts to create a 40-foot-tall humpback whale mother and her calf in steel lattice and hand-painted stained glass. The sculpture conveys a testament to family, relationships with nature, and the responsibility to preserve nature.
Believe - Playa Debut 2013
The BELIEVE sign is made of steel and is 12 feet high and 4 feet thick. Its letters are imprinted with bird cutouts to pay homage to the father of one of the artists, but meant to invoke emotions based on experiences related to the word. The sign was part of a word sculpture series that included phrases such as MOM, LOVE, and DREAM.
Reno Burning Man Art in the Riverwalk District
The Riverwalk District is located along the Truckee River, between Arlington Avenue and Lake Street in Reno, and features these Burning Man sculptures:
Portal of Evolution (Bicentennial Sculpture Park) - Playa Debut 2009
Bryan Tedrick created this 26-foot-tall sculpture to illustrate transformation and actualization. Organic, floral shapes sprout from the base, and a massive yet delicate butterfly at the crown revolves in the wind. Visitors are encouraged to stand in the cocoon-like enclosure to reflect on their potential.
Guardian of Eden (Nevada Museum of Art) - Playa Debut 2007
Kate Raudenbush designed Guardian of Eden to frame the knowledge of the earth’s current ecological crisis. The sculpture inspires meditation and physical reflection.
Reno Burning Man in the Neon Line District
Located between West St. and Keystone Ave. and Interstate 80 South to West Second Street. Reno locals and visitors can interact with various sculptures, including several pieces of Burning Man art, which are rotated every two years.
Desert Guard - Playa Debut 2018
The armor of Genghis Khan inspires this 49-foot-tall sculpture. Sculptor Lu Ming created this piece to remind everyone that artificial intelligence should never be used for war and that technology shouldn’t be worshipped.
Rearing Horse - Playa Debut 2018
Sculptor Barry Crawford created the 14.5-foot-tall kinetic Rearing Horse with found objects and new metal. The mechanical horse can stand on its hind legs and cranks on the perimeter fence to power its movement.
Bloom
Michael Christian’s “Bloom” is a 15-foot-tall sculpture with a branch-like appearance and interactive lighting. The sculpture is made entirely of hand-formed steel and can hold 10-15 people inside the core.
Squared
The sculptor, Charles Gadeken, says that SQUARED is a product of the futuristic world meant to define the journey through time. It is one of two identical 50-foot-tall obelisks made of steel tubing and holds 800 full-color LED cast polyurethane cubes, changing colors based on sensory input and interactive controls.
Other Notable Pieces of Reno Burning Man Art:
Ichthyosaur (The Discovery) - Playa Debut 2013
Jerry Snyder’s 50-foot-tall Ichthyosaur Puppet is a plywood replica of the Nevada State Fossil, designed to explore the surreal phenomenon of faith.
Pan's Perch (River School Farm)
Ryan Jackson sculpted a steel fruit-bearing tree with lotus flowers hanging from the branches and the image of a Celtic Green Man to provoke contemplation about the loss of gardens in a modern world.
Treespire (Whitaker Park)
Treespire is a 15-foot-tall steel tree with organically shaped lanterns covered with fabric and lit by LEDs. The lanterns spin in the breeze on windy days. Visitors are invited to interact with the Iron Monkeys’ sculpture, featuring wood and steel benches at its base. The sculpture is meant to create an appreciation for one’s surroundings.
To learn more, you can take a self-guided tour using resources like the Reno Playa Art Trail from Travel Nevada to find permanent and temporary installations throughout the city's Midtown and Downtown districts. For a guided "Burning Man tour" that highlights art installations and murals inspired by or brought from the annual Burning Man event, contact Pineapple Pedicabs.
Looking for more things to do on the Truckee River? Explore a few of our favorite ways to enjoy the Truckee River - here.