The February Truckee Turntable

FEBRUARY 2026

Read along monthly as we celebrate creativity, local events, shared stories, opportunities and artist spotlights.

MUSE is here! Spotted that bright pink spine around town yet? That’s MUSE, a publication dedicated to celebrating and promoting the artists, arts producers, and cultural heritage of Nevada County and our two state-designated California Cultural Districts, east and west. Featuring our Artist and Business Directories, Events Calendar and Cultural Corridor Map.

MUSE 2026 Launch Party

Join us Wednesday, February 4, from 5–7pm at the Truckee Tahoe Airport. Be among the first to grab a fresh-off-the-press copy, bring a friend, and celebrate with our contributors, sponsors, advertisers and staff. Enjoy local DJ David Mack, food, wine, bubbly and NA beverages.

Read MUSE

Here are some of our top pics to stay engaged in February with events and opportunities supporting the unique and special work of our Truckee Cultural District artists and organizations. We welcomed a large crowd on January 28 for the Art at the Airport opening artists reception. This winter exhibition, Sunrise to Sunset, is now on view daily at the Truckee Tahoe Airport through April 15. We encourage you to stop in and experience this rotating gallery that is part of our Nevada County Arts Council Art in Public Spaces program.

February is Black History Month, a time to pause, reflect, and learn. Black culture is deeply interwoven into our everyday lives from music and literature to food, language, fashion, and art. This month, we invite you to engage with educational resources and creative voices that help broaden our understanding and shape a more inclusive cultural landscape here in the mountains.

We’re also excited to share continued momentum from Culture Forward, Nevada County’s first ever six-year Arts and Culture Action Plan. After an extensive community engagement process and the completion of three foundational plans—Marketing, Creative Career Pathways, and Funding—we’re now seeking Culture Forward Ambassadors in Truckee to help us actualize the Strategic Action Plan

→ Email kellie@nevadacountyarts.org to learn more and explore the plans at CultureForwardCA.org.

Read how Nevada County Arts Council and community leaders reflected on our region’s creative economy at a recent Town Hall and shared plans for strengthening the role of arts and culture in local economic life in “We Are the Miracle,” a recent The Union article.

And finally, a well-earned nod to Truckee Roundhouse, our local makerspace whose work in 2025 was marked by growth, inclusion, and deep community connection with more than 680 students served through school and nonprofit partnerships. Take a moment to reflect on their incredible work with a recent Sierra Sun article. We can't wait to see what the future holds for this space.

Submit Your Work for Truckee Literary Crawl

2026 Truckee Literary Crawl — Call to Writers

Submissions Open Now
Be part of the 2026 Truckee Literary Crawl, an annual celebration hosted by the Tahoe Literary Festival that brings writers and readers together across downtown Truckee. Last year’s event filled multiple venues and sparked powerful connections through the written word.
→ Submit your work

Arts Advocacy Day — Save the Date

April 21, 2026 | Sacramento, CA

Join artists and advocates from across California at the State Capitol for a rally, musical march, and legislative meetings in support of the creative workforce. Hosted by California for the Arts as part of Arts, Culture & Creativity Month (ACCM). We’ll there!
→ Save the date & learn more

Happening Around Truckee…

Truckee Art Walk

Friday, February 7 | 4:00-7:00pm

Stroll through downtown Truckee and explore local galleries, meet artists, and enjoy live art demos during this monthly celebration of creativity. To help make the Truckee Art Walk more accessible and welcoming, a Spanish-language flyer is available for download.
→ Follow Along

For the Love of Play

Saturday, February 14 | 7:00pm

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with magic, comedy, circus acts, and music, all benefiting Truckee Donner Recreation and Park District. Hosted by Mitch Clarin of the Truckee Follies at the Truckee Community Arts Center.
→ Learn more & get tickets

Community Stewardship Art Show — 9848.Gallery

On View Beginning February 15
This group exhibition explores themes of stewardship, land, and community through the work of local and regional artists. A thoughtful and timely show rooted in care for place.
→ Learn more

Chicago, Teen Edition— Truckee Theatre

February 20 – March 1
The iconic musical Chicago takes the stage at Truckee Tahoe Theatre Company, bringing classic Broadway energy to the mountains. Don’t miss this limited-run production.
→ Get tickets

Chicago at Truckee Tahoe Theatre Company

Bristlecone Film BFC Kickoff Fundraiser

Monday, February 9 | 7:00 PM

Help build a thriving film culture in the Sierra Nevada with a fundraiser for Bristlecone Film Collective at Good Wolf Brewery. This Truckee-based nonprofit is dedicated to making world class cinema an essential part of our mountain communities.
→ Learn more & get tickets

Happening Now with Nevada County Arts Council…

Wed, Jan 28

Art at the Airport Winter Exhibition: Sunrise to Sunset

Art at the Airport Winter Exhibition: Sunrise to Sunset features work by seven local artists that celebrates the ever-changing light and rhythm of the Tahoe–Truckee day. On display now through April.

Tue, Jan 27

Mobilize | Art Inspiring Activism with Wild & Scenic Film Festival

Juried art exhibition on display at the Rood Center January 16 - May 1. Join us for the Opening Reception on January 30th at 4:30pm.

Fri, Jan 23

East-County Launch Party to Celebrate MUSE

Join us for the East-County launch party to celebrate the third issue of MUSE on Wednesday, February 4 from 5:00 - 7:00pm in the Truckee Tahoe Airport.

Stay connected with local event calendars and community boards for the latest updates on gallery shows, performances, and gatherings. Our favorite resources include: Truckee.com, Visit Truckee-Tahoe, 101.5 KTKE and the Nevada County Arts Council.

FOR ALL THOSE WITH EVENTS TO PROMOTE, DON’T FORGET TO ADD YOUR EVENT TO NEVADA COUNTY ARTS COUNCIL’S COMMUNITY ARTS CALENDAR—IT’S FREE AND EASY TO USE!

Check here each month to find updates on literary happenings in Truckee and throughout Nevada County!

I feel joy in being a part of this creative work and a sense of fulfillment in the community we make together. My newest venture as Poet Laureate of Nevada County is hosting the monthly Tangled Roots Open Mic at Alibi Ale Works at 10069 Bridge St. in Truckee every second Thursday of the month from 6-7:30 pm. Perform your words for others and make a difference. Join us Thursday, February 12.

Some of you may not know that I offer a free monthly Creative Writing Workshop at the Truckee Library, 10031 Levon Ave, called Moments for Memoirs on Friday mornings from 10:30-noon. This workshop is open to all ages and all levels of experience. And the group is welcoming - join us! Our next workshop at the Truckee Library is February 6. Future dates are March 6, April 3, and May 1.

The Poetry and Prose Writing Club at Truckee High has been representing at the Alibi open mic. Two students, Alexis Cota and Aurora Derrick, are also competing this year in the Nevada County Poetry Out Loud competition February 4 at the Rood Center, 950 Maidu Ave, at 5:30pm in Nevada City.

This winter season’s Art at the Airport exhibit, Sunrise to Sunset, celebrates the ever-changing light and rhythm of the Tahoe–Truckee day, from quiet morning glow to fiery evening skies. Featuring work by seven local Truckee Cultural District artists.

Sunrise to Sunset at Truckee Tahoe Airport

Robinson is a Truckee based photographer and director whose work spans fine art and commercial disciplines. After a decade exploring the American West from the cockpit of his 1956 Piper Tri-Pacer with a medium format camera, he's developed a rare perspective on the Sierra Nevada's hidden patterns and textures.

Strickland began his artistic practice in the mid-1970s with silkscreen printing and Bay Area exhibitions, later bringing his graphic arts background to Granite Bay where he became active in the local art community. Driven by environmental and health concerns, he developed a distinctive water-based printing process that embraces chance and simplicity, and his work is now held in national and international collections while continuing to support arts fundraising efforts in the region.

Vrooman has been painting and drawing since 1966, influenced by Canada’s Group of Seven, Maynard Dixon, and Georgia O’Keeffe, with inspiration drawn from her 40 years living in Truckee as well as time spent painting in Sonoma and the south of France. An award-winning national wildlife painter, she was the sole painter for over 6,000 original bird and fish woodcarvings with William Vrooman Woodcarvings, with permanent works displayed at the Donner Memorial State Museum.

Oleson is a vibrant oil painter inspired by nature, movement, and color, drawing from childhood summers in remote Alaska and the Sierra Nevada landscapes she now explores with her herding dogs. Her award-winning, impressionistic work is shaped by palette knives, bold hues, and a belief in art’s healing power. Oleson’s work invites viewers into spaces of wonder, joy, and spiritual connection.

Gray creates large-scale impasto paintings in the landscape, using abstraction, mark making, and bold color to capture interpretations of California and New Mexico scenes, often completed in just over an hour. His work is represented by Kay Contemporary Art in Santa Fe, Elliott Fouts Gallery in Sacramento, and Piper J Gallery in Truckee, and has been featured in American Art Collector, Western Art Collector, Art & Antiques, Outdoor Painter, and the Nocturne Podcast.

Cahill is a photographer and filmmaker based on Donner Summit, drawn to quiet moments outside daily routines. His work, sometimes captured from aircraft with the door open, other times reached after long hikes, reflects a patient, intentional relationship with light, landscape, and movement.

Manning is a multimedia artist, graphic designer, and ski coach living in Truckee, California. In 2020, she graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a B.S. in Creative Technology and Design. She then began developing a creative practice inspired by the landscapes of her travels around the Western US. Sarah primarily works with gouache watercolors, acrylics, and digital media.

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