Garnet Mercantile Showcases Largest Collection of Nevada Artists

Deep below street level in one of Ely’s most historic commercial buildings lies a hidden treasure: Possibly the most extensive art collection on public display in all of rural Nevada. The Garnet Mercantile on Aultman Street — formerly a JC Penney store — is a cooperative space that offers local artists and craftspeople an opportunity to display and sell their work. Next door, the Ely Art Bank — a former art-deco bank building turned into a gallery — features a variety of  local artists and special exhibits.

That’s all pretty special in itself. But it’s the basement that will really blow your mind.  In the back of the mercantile and down a flight of stairs, the visitor will find about 160 drawings and paintings by more than a dozens artists. All emphasize Nevada’s varied natural landscapes and rural communities.  The collection was donated to the Ely Renaissance Society by Wally Cuchine, an art collector and former Ely resident who now lives in Eureka. The society operates both the Garnet Mercantile and the Art Bank.

The pieces span a wide variety, from abstract watercolors of remote landscapes to still-life paintings done in oil. Most are by Nevada artists, ranging from the dreamlike colored pencil landscapes by Jack Malotte, a Western Shoshone artist, to minimalist watercolor renderings of horses by Craig Sheppard.

What they have in common is they all strive to capture the diversity of the Nevada landscape. That was the guiding principle behind Cuchine’s collecting.  “Many people think that Nevada is a flat, barren, waterless wasteland,” he said. “So there are lots of landscapes that depict how wonderful Nevada is. We have Pyramid Lake, we have rivers, mountains. In fact, we’re the most mountainous state outside of Alaska.” The collection also focuses on the place where it resides: Eastern Nevada. As such, there are paintings of the High Schells mountain range, Great Basin National Park, spring-fed valleys, and picturesque mining ghost towns that dot the region.  

Cuchine said he gave about 200 pieces of art to the Ely Renaissance Society. Why? Simply because it agreed to keep them on public display. Not all are on view all the time, but the society rotates the exhibit occasionally, and is looking for ways to put more on display, said Jennifer Messina, curator of the basement exhibit. “It belongs to the Ely Renaissance Society, which means it belongs to all of us,” said Messina, a retired high school art teacher. “It’s a beautiful collection. If you love art and you love Nevada, you’ll love this.”  

As extensive as the exhibit is, it’s a mere fraction of Wally’s total collection of Nevada art. Since leaving the Air Force in the 1970s, he has collected more than 2,000 works of art, most of which depict the Silver State.

The collecting really kicked into gear when Cuchine became director of the Eureka Opera House in 1993. He parked an 18-foot travel trailer in Eureka as a home for his collection, then added a larger trailer to hold more art several years later.  “The massiveness of the collection actually began here in Eureka,” he said. “There are quite a number of pieces that represent the history of Nevada. As I moved around the state I met more artists and collected more art.”

 Cuchine has received numerous honors for his contributions to the arts, including a Distinguished Nevadan Award from the University of Nevada in 2006, a Governor’s Arts Award in 2011, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nevada Commission on Tourism.  Today his collection in Eureka is known as the “Loneliest Art Collection in Nevada”. It is generally not open to drop-in visits by the public, which is why the smaller collection in Ely is so important.  Messina said Ely and the Renaissance Society are lucky to have a piece of Cuchine’s collection: It’s a fantastic opportunity to dive into some beautiful art in an unexpected setting.  “I just get high coming down here,” Messina said of the basement art trove. “Everything’s gorgeous, and it’s all Nevada.”   

Cuchine, now 71, wants to ensure his entire collection is eventually accessible to the public. For now, the Ely exhibit is an excellent sample, one that’s sure to inspire appreciation for wild, remote Eastern Nevada.  The Garnet Mercantile, at 363 Aultman St., and the adjacent Art Bank, are open Friday through Sunday, April through December.  

For more information, visit:

Ely Renaissance Society: www.elynvarts.com