The city of Reno has named Joanna Drakos as its 2026 City Artist. “A big congratulations to Joanna for being selected as our City Artist for this year,” Mayor Hillary Schieve said in a City of Reno press release. She noted the important role of art in the community and expressed excitement for Drakos’s work in the coming year.
Drakos will begin her tenure with a solo exhibition from June 29 to Aug. 21 at the Metro Gallery in Reno City Hall, featuring her nonrepresentational work focused on color, shape, and line. She will then curate a group exhibition from Aug. 31 to Oct. 23, selecting a variety of abstract art, according to the City of Reno announcement.
“Being selected as the 2026 Reno City Artist is the highlight of my artistic career,” Joanna Drakos told the City of Reno.
Drakos, a Reno local who began her full-time art career in 2020, has exhibited her work across the Reno and Lake Tahoe regions, including the Reno Tahoe International Art Show since 2022. She has received grants from the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Drakos also co-founded the Downtown Modernists art collective, and her work can be viewed in Carson City and online.
