FROM A RELEASE:

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. – To accommodate a highly anticipated community mural art project, the Tahoe East Shore Trail will be temporarily closed to public access between the Tunnel Creek Café and Sand Harbor all day on Tuesday, August 4, as well as Wednesday, August 5 through Friday, August 7, after 8 p.m.

The Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Public Art and Nevada State Parks collaborated to commission the mural to discourage graffiti after the SR 28 underpass tunnel was vandalized last year. The design will augment the natural beauty of the Tahoe East Shore Trail and transform a utilitarian tunnel into a community-involved, relevant art experience.

“We are excited to be adding a community art project to one of Nevada’s most iconic State Parks,” said Robert Mergell, administrator for Nevada State Parks. “Our hope is that this unique art installation will inspire and connect with locals and visitors for generations to come.”

In response to the call for artists earlier this year, 34 artists submitted proposals for the chance to paint the mural. The project scope required artists to involve local youth in the creation of the project and ensure its completion could be accomplished with minimal closure of the tunnel and trail. Submissions came from as far as the UK and Canada with the majority coming from local and regional artists.

The mural concept submitted by Tyler Rivenbark and Frida Ticehurst-Rivenbark, a husband and wife art and design duo based in North Lake Tahoe, was selected by a panel of judges. Raley’s Supermarket in Incline Village is providing a $5,000 stipend to the artists and Kelly Brothers Painting, based in Truckee, will donate all of the paint required for the mural.

“Our intent with this art piece is to convey the natural beauty of this region,” said Tyler and Frida. “We want to remind people of the gift we all share by living in or visiting this region, amplifying the sense of belonging, and encouraging participation in keeping this place beautiful and full of enjoyment.”

A physically distanced ribbon-cutting celebration is planned for when the tunnel art project is complete, which is anticipated to be sometime in mid-August.

The Tahoe East Shore Trail connecting Incline Village to Sand Harbor State Park has quickly become an iconic attraction for both residents and visitors interested in exploring Tahoe’s famed East Shore on foot or by bicycle since it opened in June 2019. Please note that access to Sand Harbor via the Tahoe East Shore Trail remains closed until further notice for COVID-19 health and safety precautions.

Source: The Nevada Division of State Parks