Some 44 artists apply for Gibbons portrait commission

A committee of four meets Aug. 6 to narrow the field of artists seeking to paint Gov. Jim Gibbons' official portrait down to three finalists.

A total of 44 have applied, according to Cultural Affairs Director Mike Fischer.

State Arts Council Administrator Suzanne Boskoff said the portrait, which state law mandates for each outgoing governor, is an important part of Nevada's historical record.

"The best of the portrait artists capture not only the spirit of the individual but a nuanced sense of what that individual's experience was like," she said. "You see it through facial expressions, body language."

She said capturing the governor and that sense of what his tenure was like rakes "remarkable skill" on the part of the artist, which is why the selection process is so important.

Boskoff said it is best done near the end of the governor's tenure because the job changes the governor's appearance.

"You feel the weight and importance of the office," she said. "You see it with Gov. Guinn, Gov. Miller, and I think you'll see it with Gov. Gibbons."

During the process, she said, the governor works with the artist at all stages as he or she continues "to refine that portrait until the minute that they can't."

Normally the Legislature approves funding for the oil painting in a governor's final session. That didn't happen in Gibbons' case because it was his first term and he was running for a second. The Interim Finance Committee earmarked $20,000 for the portrait at a meeting last month.

Boskoff said that means the time frame to get Gibbons' portrait finished is much more compressed than, for example, in Guinn's or Miller's case.

The artist who wins the commission must be a professional artist living in the United States with proven experience in completing at least two commissioned portraits.

In this case, Boskoff said the governor wants the painting finished by Dec. 17.

The candidates consist of 24 from out of state and 20 from Nevada.

The selection panel consists of Nevada Museum History Curator Bob Nylen, Nevada Arts Council member Julia Archer, Nevada Museum of Art Curator Ann Wolfe and Donna Ruthe, owner of Today's Realty, who was selected by Gibbons.

Boskoff said she expects them to present the governor's office with three finalists. The governor will make the final selection himself.