Brett Flanigan, a mural artist from Oakland, Calif., recently finished a mural in the entryway of the Front Door Gallery in the Church Fine Arts building at the University of Nevada, Reno. The Front Door Gallery is an entry point for visitors coming from the Virginia Street corridor into the building and provides a pathway for visitors to enter an art museum space expected to open in 2018.

The inspiration for commissioning this mural piece stems from the mural trend that has taken hold in Reno, where the piece adds to the  approximately 80 murals lining streets of the downtown area.

Born in Montana, Flanigan spent the majority of his childhood on the California coast, where he eventually majored in biology at the University of California, Santa Barbra. As he continues to express himself through painting and other art forms, his background in science shows through in the organic forms within his work. His art is on display in cities all over the world, including Hamburg, Germany; Warsaw, Poland; Brooklyn, New York; and Chicago, Illinois.

"For the piece, I chose organic shapes and very vibrant colors," Flanigan said. "The mural does not have a name because I really wanted the art to speak for itself and allow the viewer to decide what they see."

Murals bring attention to the businesses around them and beautify urban landscapes. It is clear to see that the mural movement in Reno has played a big part in the revival of the Midtown area, enlivening the local art scene. Bringing mural art to the University shows art of the people, creating an urban and contemporary art form for the halls of the University.

"Reno is emerging as the cultural capital of northern Nevada," Director of University Galleries Paul Baker Prindle said in a video produced by Sheppard Contemporary and University Galleries. "We want people to make the trip from the center of the town onto campus and feel like the borders of campus have truly dissolved. We want to be integrated in with the city fabric, and I think that art is a great way to do that."

See the mural come together in this time-lapse video of its creation, and learn more about Reno's booming contemporary street art and graffiti scene. The video also includes interviews with Flanigan, Art Spot Reno co-founder Geralda Miller, Circus Circus Reno Marketing Director Debbi Engebritson, Baker Prindle and other talented local mural artists. Visit the Church Fine Arts building for a first-hand look at the mural and much more.