By Kelsey Kloss, Reno Gazette-Journal

One spacious room displaying photography now fully encompasses Erik Lauritzen’s characteristic view of Nevada’s landscape. The exhibit, Stop the Car, Dad!, recently left the Truckee Meadows Community College art gallery and now is on display at Bartley Ranch.

“I loved it; it’s quintessential Nevada — that’s what I would call it,” said writer Maria Denzler, who decided to visit the exhibit on its first day at Bartley Ranch.

The photography showcases a boom-and-bust lifestyle evident in many deserted Nevada towns by drawing attention to sometimes forgettable roadside scenes. Deserted snow cone stands marking a dry landscape or a locked gate leading to endless space present eerie reminders of past life in abandoned towns.

“We just want to provide an opportunity for the public to experience a piece of Nevada they don’t typically see and to bring attention to things other than just gambling and divorce,” said park ranger Bryan Harrower.

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