The TMCC Main Art Gallery will feature fabrics, paintings and sculptural vessels by Tuscarora, Nevada artists Ben Parks and Marti Bein. In 2009 Parks and Being started playing around with micrographs of pathogenic bacteria and viruses- enhancing colors and making patterns with them. Early ideas included using the imagery on fabric. Parks, who also works as a critical care nurse, thought it a natural idea to make scrub tops from these fabrics. This idea evolved into a business venture, Patho Phizz (www.pathophizz.com), a Scrub top design company. Along the way the artists became intrigued with using the microscopic imagery in other ways culminating in this exhibit at TMCC. The Red Mountain Gallery will feature watercolors and prints by Reno, Nevada artists Carol Neel and Penny Pemberton. Pemberton’s exploration into the artistic world evolved as an integral progression of her journey in life as a member of “Healing Arts.” For Neel, the artistic journey is what is important in her work. She strives not to replicate a scene on the planet earth, but to infuse an experiential vision that becomes a unique and personal translation of that journey. The Erik Lauritzen Gallery will feature printmaking and watercolors by Reno artist Lynn Schmidt. Her work seeks to present the elegance of naturally occurring patterns in a new context where they appear both foreign and familiar. The Red Mountain Student Gallery will feature drawings by TMCC student William Johnson. Johnson’s allegorical landscapes encapsulate the mythologies of Western culture transposed upon and isolate desert landscape. The Meadowood Center will feature artwork by TMCC students relating to the theme of Nature. All artists were featured in TMCC’s 38th Annual Student Art and Design Exhibition. RECON│STRUCTURE│NATURE during the month of July is part of the 17th annual Artown festival, July 2012. The month-long summer arts festival features more than 400 events produced by more than 100 cultural organizations and businesses in locations citywide. Artown receives major funding from the City of Reno, and is sponsored by Grand Sierra Resort, U.S. Bank, NV Energy, JLG Inc., Waste Management, Basin Street Properties, Reno Gazette-Journal, KOLO 8 News Now, KTHX-FM and KNPB with additional support from the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. RECON│STRUCTURE│NATURE will be on display at TMCC galleries from July1 – Sep.7, 2012. Closing Reception and Artists’ Talk will be held on Wednesday, Sep. 5, 4-7p.m.