Modernism in the American Desert · Alicia Barber · Reno

Event Details

Part of the Modernism in the American Desert symposium.  Reno, Nevada embraced modernism as a visual manifestation of its mid-century metropolitan ambitions and self-ascribed status as the “Biggest Little City in the World.”  The city dazzled with neon-crowned motels and casinos, Googie, Populuxe, and Mid-Century Modern forms spanning the civic, cultural, and commercial. But subsequent decades of economic decline and neglect have associated the modern with an outdated past through narratives that prioritize politics, PR, and promises over preservation and place. We’ll explore landscapes of loss and light.

Alicia Barber

Alicia Barber, PhD, is a historian, writer, and public scholar who specializes in the built environment and cultural history of Nevada and the American West. She is the founder of Stories in Place, a historical consulting firm, and co-founder and editor of Reno Historical, a map-based app and website that brings Reno’s architecture and stories to life. Barber spent a decade teaching at the University of Nevada, Reno—where she directed its Oral History Program—and now collaborates with museums, government agencies, artists, architects, and community groups to explore how stories and memory shape place.