Holman Arts & Media Center

Immersive arts and media in the heart of Tahoe

Exterior view of a two-story arts center building with a mix of wood and beige siding. The building has large windows, a balcony, and a sign reading “Holman Arts Center.” A person walks near the entrance, and sunlight filters through nearby trees.

Where creativity meets the Tahoe landscape

The Holman Arts & Media Center in Incline Village offers 10,000 square feet of adaptive studio space surrounded by forest and lake. Renovated in 2014, the building supports sculpture, painting, digital media and experimental forms without restriction. Natural light floods open work areas, encouraging movement, collaboration and invention.

Facing the campus, the Garage Door Gallery reveals student work in real time. Large glass doors lift to expose process, not just product. Pedestrians pause. Conversations begin. Artists respond. The building itself invites critique, visibility and creative risk.

A collage of artwork featuring five distinct pieces. On the left, a close-up shows hands shaping a clay vessel on a pottery wheel. Below it, a textured relief sculpture with organic, folded forms is displayed. Two abstract paintings with intricate line patterns in muted tones occupy the center. On the right, a vibrant landscape painting depicts rolling hills in shades of orange, green, and blue, with flowing shapes suggesting vegetation and terrain.

Summer arts workshops over 40 years strong

Each June and July, artists from across the country converge on the Holman Center for five-day workshops led by internationally recognized instructors. This annual tradition began over four decades ago and has grown into a cultural anchor for Incline Village and the Lake Tahoe region.

Participants work side-by-side with master artists. They explore new media, challenge their techniques and learn from one another while immersed in Tahoe’s natural brilliance.

Explore Summer 2025 Workshops

Undergraduate arts at Lake Tahoe

The Holman Arts & Media Center is home to art courses for those undergraduate students studying in the Semester at Tahoe program. These courses emphasize the creative process and environmental understanding. Each course is designed to deepen both artistic skill and place-based awareness.

Spend a semester at Lake Tahoe

A group of people sit around a large table in a ceramics studio filled with pottery tools and shelves of clay pieces. One person at the center demonstrates a pottery technique using a clay piece, while others watch attentively. The table holds mugs, bottles, and sculpting tools.

Arts, science and environmental problem-solving

The Holman Center transforms how the community interacts with the environment. It is more than a classroom: it is a platform for exploration and cross-sector collaboration.

Exhibitions like Convergence Zone bring together wildfire researchers and visual artists. Scientific data pairs with visual storytelling to increase accessibility and emotional resonance. Researchers benefit from new interpretations and wider public understanding. Past projects at The Holman Center have explored:

wildfire soil heating and smoke modeling
post-fire landscape recovery
the sensory experience of ecological change

A person sits cross-legged on a cushioned chair, typing on a silver laptop. The individual is wearing a green sleeveless top and blue jeans. The background includes a radiator and part of a light-colored wall.

MFA in interdisciplinary arts

The Holman Arts & Media Center hosts the university’s low-residency MFA in interdisciplinary arts. This 2.5-year program is designed for working artists who want to deepen their practice while staying rooted in their home studios. The low-residency MFA program combines independent work with immersive, faculty-led experiences:

two 10-day residencies each year at the Lake Tahoe campus
personalized mentorship from professional faculty
online seminars to support you in your ongoing keep project

Create where you live. Gather where ideas spark. Stay connected throughout.

Explore the MFA program

Public exhibitions and visiting artists

Gallery programs connect residents, visitors and students with rotating exhibitions that challenge, provoke and inspire.

Recent features include:

Public shows and exhibits like these blend sound, sculpture, image and interaction. They make the creative process visible and participatory.

Public events that build cultural capital

From artist talks to lecture series, The Holman Center plays a central role in Incline Village’s cultural life. Evening events draw attendees from across the region. Residents rely on these programs for connection, growth and artistic enrichment.

The Center also delivers measurable economic value to the community. As a hub for creativity and connection, it draws visiting artists, workshop participants and art lovers to our community.

Explore upcoming events and exhibits

A stone entrance sign for the University of Nevada, Reno at Lake Tahoe campus. The sign is mounted between two stone pillars with lantern-style lights on top, surrounded by tall pine trees and natural landscaping.

Partnerships that extend beyond campus

The Holman Center builds connections between the University of Nevada, Reno and leading cultural institutions. In partnership with the Nevada Museum of Art, faculty now teach University courses in downtown Reno.

Inaugural offerings beginning fall 2025 include:

Art and Place
Neuroaesthetics
Experimental Studio Intensives

Other collaborations include “Pints with Professors,” a program created with the Tahoe Institute for Global Sustainability. Faculty present research at Alibi Public House in Incline Village, making ideas on ecology and science more approachable for the public.

A model for the future

The Holman Arts & Media Center sits at the frontier of creative education because the University values collaboration, environmental awareness and interdisciplinary innovation. As new challenges arise, the center adapts and responds without losing sight of its purpose.

Creativity here is not isolated. It is shared, challenged, tested and reimagined in full view of the community. This is not just where art is made. This is where art meets the world.