NadaDada Motel lets artists be themselves

Some of the dozens of artists involved in the NadaDada Motel art event gather on the roof of the historic El Cortez Hotel. See inside their rooms by clicking on any of the photos below. (Credit: David B. Parker.)

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Make no doubt, those who dare venture this weekend into the Nada Dada Motel will see and experience life in an entirely new way.

From the ridiculous to the sublime, decadence to decay, sensuality to sexuality to a bloody, horror-filled human sacrifice, it all takes place at the NadaDada Motel. So, be sure to leave your children at home. Or not. Your call.

What is the NadaDada Motel and who are its residents?

The Nada Dada Motel resides June 17-21 within the historic El Cortez Hotel on Second Street and its across-the-street neighbor, Town House Motor Lodge, in downtown Reno. Its residents are nearly 100 artists from around the country, although the majority is locally based.

It’s essentially a living art gallery. Each artist is autonomous from the other, though some collaborate, many times spontaneously. Since these are hotel rooms and most of the artists will be sleeping at the hotel, not all rooms are guaranteed to be open at the same time.

So what you see at noon might be completely different than what you see at, say, 9 p.m.

“It’s 50 separate art shows,” said Chad Sorg, local artist and one of six original founders of the show. “So, it’s up to the artists to keep their rooms open when they want. That being said, the artists have put so much work into their rooms with expectations of receiving visitors. So, yea, the public is welcome by all the artists to enjoy the surroundings and hang out all day if they like.”

There is nothing stuffy about the NadaDada Motel, except for, perhaps, the air. But that’s the point. It’s housed in the historic El Cortez Hotel, built in 1931 and one of three remaining major Art Deco buildings in Reno. Once a high-class hotel, it is a registered national landmark that boasts Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe, among others, as former tenants and performers.

“This takes people out of the wine and cheese element of the art world,” Sorg said. “Here, it’s Pabst Blue Ribbon and cigarettes. This is a more honest representation of the artist’s lifestyle. You’re peering behind the scenes, seeing art being made and a bunch of artists just hanging out with each other and not feeling the need to impress.”

SK James, a local artist who recently was invited to become a visiting professor of Digital Art and Design at one of China’s top art academies, has this to say about the art exhibition:

“The thing with NadaDada is that it’s an organization with a mission toward disorganization,” he said. “The charter is that there is no charter. NadaDada is a lawless community that’s blossomed because it represents something that’s still wild about creating art in a city as colorful as Reno and in a state that continues to live up to its reputation as the American Frontier. It’s art on the edge of a lot of things, and it's surprising to see that so much of what NadaDada does collectively blends together as art in its own right.”

What type of art will be on display?

The various types of artistic styles on display include neon, performance, poetry, paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures and conceptual.

What is art?

That depends on whom you ask. Mike Mollet of the Los Angeles-based Mud People describes it in one sentence: “Art is whatever you can get away with.”

Dianna Sion had a slightly more introspective description: “Art is never having to say you’re sorry. Art is a strong healing power.”

Ultimately, the expected audience will be as diverse as the artists in the show. After all, this is Second Street in downtown Reno. Daytime crowds tend to be different than those that come out at night. But they all come for the same reason.

“Viewers come because we’re a bunch of freaky artists creating,” Sion said. “They like to be blown away. That’s what we do. That’s our job – to take them into another place in space and time.”

Check out our NadaDada Motel event page for more specifics and special events that are scheduled.