- On this edition of "ARTEFFECTS," a former Nevada Governor and U.S.

Senator adds published author to his list of accomplishments.

(mellow jazz music) - The book is full of my shortcomings and the victories.

It was a labor of love, but it took a lot of time.

(mellow jazz music) - [Beth] Photographers breathe new life into a collection of historical sculptures.

- [Howard] They love to just come out here at night in the snow and rain, sleet, hail, and shoot pictures of 'em.

(soulful music) - [Beth] Incarcerated youth receive a chance for self-expression, growth and pride.

(upbeat urban music) - The mural is to inspire the kids to follow through with their dreams, that even though they are in a position currently that that's not the end all.

- [Beth] And paper silhouettes with a three dimensional message.

- [Turburam] Art's supposed to be meaningful.

If you're cutting silhouettes, it's supposed to be something to tell story.

(playful music) - It's all ahead on this edition of "ARTEFFECTS."

(mellow jazz music) (music fades) - [Narrator] Funding for "ARTEFFECTS" is made possible by Sandy Raffealli with Bill Pearce Motors, Heidemarie Rochlin, (upbeat music) in memory of Sue McDowell, (upbeat music) the Carol Franc Buck Foundation, and by the annual contributions of PBS Reno members.

(upbeat music fades) - Hello, I'm Beth Macmillan, and welcome to "ARTEFFECTS."

In our featured segment, we sit down with Richard Bryan, a retired U.S.

Senator and former governor of Nevada.

Bryan is now a published author having captured his decades of experience in politics on paper.

We sat down with Bryan to discuss his memoir, "My Life in Nevada Politics."

(playful staccato music) - 1942, Fifth Street Grammar School, I'm going to kindergarten.

And Miss Hancock was a legendary kindergarten teacher.

The assignment was coloring within the lines of a map.

And I was not always within the lines.

So the note that was sent to my mother was, "Richard needs to learn to stay within the lines."

How prophetic.

Years later, when I was involved in politics, I ran into her at a meeting, and I said, "You were so right."

(chuckles) "My Life in Nevada Politics" is about my experience growing up in Las Vegas and then moving to the political ranks after I graduated from Las Vegas High School and University of Nevada.

- "My Life in Nevada Politics" is the story of one of the most important figures in Nevada political history.

Richard Bryan's career in politics starts as a boy.

He's seven years old or so and he tells his classmates in elementary school, "When I grow up, I'm going to be the governor of Nevada."

He goes to the Nevada Assembly, to the Nevada State Senate.

He runs for Attorney General.

He doesn't win the first time, but the second time he does.

He parlays that into the Governor's Office of Nevada.

- Ladies and gentlemen, Nevada's governor from 1983 to 1989, Richard Bryan.

(audience applauding) Although you're Senator Bryan, you're Governor Bryan to me.

But what about your first day in office?

- Well, I had wanted to be governor from the time I was a kid.

And it was difficult to comprehend that I'd arrived.

That morning, we drove on down.

And in the back, there's a sign with the governor's parking space in it.

Said, "Governor Bryan."

I must say in the entire six years that I served as governor, every time pulling into that space was always kind of an exciting moment for me.

(playful music) - After one term and a remarkably sweeping reelection, he's called to serve in the United States Senate.

And he serves with some distinction there for two terms.

His whole life is devoted to public service.

- I've had some success: you know, a legislator and attorney general and governor and U.S.

Senator.

It wasn't always smooth sailing.

(playful music) In each phase of my life, there was a learning experience, and that was important for me to communicate.

(playful music) The book is full of my shortcomings and the victories.

It was a labor of love, but it took a lot of time.

- This was a process that took years to complete.

However, along the way, there were some hilarious moments, and they all come from his own experiences.

Now, think about it.

This young candidate for office for the State Assembly, he finds himself in a bowling alley going from lane to lane to lane.

In between rolls during league play, he's passing out his little cards saying, "Hey, I'm running for the Assembly."

- John L. Smith was an absolute godsend.

I knew of him.

His mother had been a secretary in the District Attorney's office when I was there.

And John L. had a column in the "Las Vegas Review Journal."

And I think you need to have someone who you have a comfortable relationship who can say to you, "That doesn't sound very good.

"Let's try this."

(upbeat music) Really, the most challenging part were probably my gubernatorial years and my years in the Senate.

Because there were a lot of bills that I was voting on.

So I needed to have some research done, and John did a lot of research.

- There's a lot of fun going from the small town to the big city, if you will, in the book.

As Nevada grows, he grew along with it, in politics.

But he also takes time to think about the people who helped him along the way.

- John and I would meet together and go over a draft that I had written and made some suggestions.

He would then send me the revised copy by email.

I'd make whatever corrections or changes and send it back.

- The result was something that's certainly in his voice.

And I think people who take time to read it will see the person that he is.

(upbeat piano music) - There was a book signing for the book.

Tell me how you'd like me to sign your name in my book.

Governor Sandoval, as I call him now, the president of the university, I asked him to join us.

And John L. Smith was the moderator.

My father's influence was profound.

And the statement that he made to me so many times growing up, "Every citizen has an obligation "to give back something to his or her community."

I would hope the people who read my book recognize that life presents some hardships, some difficulties and setbacks for all of us.

The lesson is, move forward.

(upbeat music) - To learn more, visit the University of Nevada Press at unpress.nevada.edu.

A once prominent collection of sculptures depicting several American presidents now sits in eerie decay on a farm in Williamsburg, Virginia.

It's become an artistic playground of sorts for the photographers who are lucky enough to capture the deteriorating sculptures of our former leaders.

(peaceful music) - I came upon the President's Park that I built about 15 years ago.

And they were closing up the park and asked me to come destroy the heads here.

So I decided I'd move 'em to the farm.

And that took several days and a little bit of experimentation.

And we got 'em up here and lined 'em all up, cleaned a few of 'em up.

All of a sudden, they become a photographer's dream.

They love to just come out here at night in the snow and rain, sleet, hail and shoot pictures of 'em.

And they've gotten very popular all over the world.

- I wanted to photograph this, these sculptures, under the nighttime sky.

There was actually some shooting stars that were a meteor shower that was forecasted.

So I approached him about it, and Howard allowed me to do it.

So that's how I found out about it.

And soon thereafter, I convinced him that, you know, why don't we not keep it privatized and see if we can't open the property up for tours for the general public, albeit only a few times a year.

And he allowed us to do so.

- We've done probably three or four band shoots out here.

Ozzy Osborne came out here once.

He was unusual.

We've done some plays out here with some like 14-foot-tall people walking around from New York, dressed up like...

I mean, there'd be 60 of 'em.

It was a crazy shoot.

We've done fashion shows, had some engagements, had some requests to have weddings out here.

I mean, I'm getting calls from literally all over the world.

Somebody called me from Russia, and they'll be here in a few days.

Sweden, Canada, Mexico: I mean, it goes on and on, all the requests.

- People love places that are abandoned and bizarre and unique, particularly when they're local and historical.

Our demographic is very diverse.

It's anyone between eight and 88.

- For me, it's every time I come out here, I have a whole new group of photographers.

And they've never been out here, they're seeing it for the first time.

And they're trying to figure out, how are we gonna shoot these statues in the dark?

And then I start doing my magic, and they're all like, "Wow, that's amazing, that's crazy."

And, you know, they just never can imagine they're gonna get these shots of these statues in the dark.

So that's what keeps me coming back here.

- It's weird.

It's like I've been out here so many times, it's just like, it's like coming back to old friends.

- I've actually got the plans drawn up now for a walking park and museum, music festival parks.

And I've been designing this place for walking trails and different activities for years.

- I like Andrew...

I know, I say this, there's a lot of people that don't care for Andrew Jackson.

But to me, his epaulets are epic.

I love Andrew Jackson.

Abe Lincoln's probably my second, as it pertains to the actual sculptures themselves.

- When I first saw them, I was speechless.

It's really hard to kind of put into words.

Because either just the scope of the size of what they are, the condition in what they are, you know, they're obviously the presidents.

You don't see the presidents in that type of condition.

It's a unique setting.

I mean, I think the first time anybody sees it, you really don't know what to think.

You know, it has an apocalyptic feel to it.

And, of course, from a photography standpoint, they're outstanding.

You know, we always had sort of a bucket list of items.

Snow, you know, we wanted to go down there and capture them in the snow.

They look completely different there.

Lighting 'em at night, doing the light painting type of stuff.

It's just a different way to see them.

We've caught them at sunrises, interesting skies.

If it's cloudy, if it's not, if it's wet out there, if there's rain, now you get reflections.

They just tend to look different.

If it's a sunny day, they kind of look one way.

If it's a moody day, kind of brings out a little different character with them.

So it is something that it's really a four-seasons kind of place to go shoot.

That just the conditions change make all the difference.

I've never really had somebody that said, "This isn't as cool as what I thought it was gonna be."

(peaceful music) - This place has become iconic.

It's Americana, it's bizarre.

My opinion is they look better.

Based on their derelict state, they deserve to be seen in weather that is less than optimal.

(playful music) - [Howard] They're a work of art.

I couldn't see crushing 'em.

They'd spent a lot of money transporting 'em and building the first park.

(playful music) I put 'em here in hopes of opening a new park or some sort of walking path or attraction for 'em, (melodic music) maybe a museum with them.

(melodic music) (melodic music) (melodic music) (melodic music fades) - To learn more, visit thepresidentsheads.com.

Now it's time for this week's art quiz.

Which United States President disliked his original official painted portrait so much that he hid the painting in the closet before having it destroyed?

Is the answer A, James Buchanan; B, Chester A. Arther; C, Theodore Roosevelt; or D, Calvin Coolidge?

(catchy music) And the answer is C, Theodore Roosevelt.

(haunting music) At the Falkenburg Road Jail in Tampa, Florida, young people were given the opportunity to participate in a mural project.

Working with a professional artist, they were able to express their creativity and become inspired in the process.

(somber music) - You are now at Falkenburg Road Jail, which is our main facility for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

Presently, we house about 3,300 inmates today.

Of those 3,300 inmates, unfortunately, we do have 31 juveniles.

Those juveniles are here because they've been either adjudicated an adult, or they're here on adult charges.

So because they're juveniles, they have some protected status and things like that.

So that's why we won't be showing the inmates' faces or their bodies here.

(peaceful music) That's what brings us here today.

You'll see the mural behind me is an attempt to help these kids to realize that even if they are here, or if they're here visiting, that they can make other choices.

(peaceful music fades) (upbeat music) - My name is Kiva Williams.

I'm the founder of Mahogany Kids Fine Arts Foundation.

We empower minority youth through music, art, and dance.

At Mahogany Kids Fine Arts Foundation, we take pride in giving kids experiences that they wouldn't have outside of, you know, their own network.

I decided to do a mural because I went to the jail for like a leadership program.

And the program director told me that they're open to people coming in and doing things with the juveniles.

I was like, "Oh my God, an art mural would be perfect."

So I contacted my friend who's, you know, an artist.

And I was like, "Hey, "this would be a really cool partnership.

"Let's," you know, "give it a go."

(upbeat urban music) - So the mural is to inspire the kids to follow through with their dreams, that even though they are in a position currently that that's not the end all.

That they still have a bright future ahead of them, and that they should look forward to it.

My graphic design background aided me in developing a concept.

So I drew everything out on the computer.

I was able to play with colors.

I wanted it to be bold and fun, something that will really uplift their spirits when they come into the building.

There's two days for the mural.

The first day, I'm gonna sketch it out.

I will also create it as like a paint by numbers.

So it's gonna be interactive for the juveniles as well as our volunteers, which hopefully, we'll have some of the staff members.

And day two, we'll actually get to work.

So we'll start painting, and it'll all come together.

- I love the mural.

And I was in there when the artist was talking to the kids about, you know, what are their interests and what are their favorite colors.

And she incorporated all of it.

So they were so excited when they got the chance to see it on the wall and start painting.

(urban music fades) The majority of juvenile offenders that we get are going to be around 14 or 15 and they're mandated to go to school, so they're either in K through 12 or GED.

But their teachers are school board teachers, so Hillsborough County School teachers, and they follow the same school schedule that the Hillsborough County Schools follow.

On spring break, they don't have as much to do.

They actually miss being in school because, you know, they're engaged, they're doing something.

So they were so excited to be here and be a part of it yesterday.

It was really nice.

("Amazing Grace") - Ah, my kids.

(chuckles) They're amazing.

They call me Nana Chap.

("Amazing Grace") They're here for different charges, but if you really get to know them, you'll understand that their stories are about the same.

Dad may be in prison, and mom is an addict.

And many of them are being raised by grandparents, my generation, which is not an easy thing to do, you know?

But to me, this was an opportunity for them to recognize the talents that they have.

And it's something that I talk to them about to pray for, for God to reveal what their talents are.

And yesterday was a wake up call for them.

And they were so focused.

They were not playing around or joking.

They were really focused on what they were doing.

That is beautiful.

And I told them, I said, "You know, you don't realize it, "but you're leaving a little bit of your fingerprint here "for the next generation that comes in here."

("Amazing Grace") - So unfortunately, the majority of the kids in the jail are Black and Brown youth.

So as a mom of three minority kids, impacting minority youth is important to me because I have three kids of my own.

So I wanna make sure that I'm being an example and someone who the kids can look up to, because I wanna do my part in serving the community.

- It's important for artists and other people in the community to be involved with our juvenile population, because it gives them a feeling of support.

And they know that they can do more than just be here, incarcerated without hope.

They can go out and they can get a job.

They can continue their education.

There are people out there that are going to give them a chance.

They're not just thrown away because they're in jail.

- They don't have to stay here.

They don't have to get into the adult system and things like that.

So we hope that everyone that comes in here leaves here in a better place than what they came.

I think the mural's great.

I'm looking forward to seeing it completed.

This has only been a day, so two days to get this done is a little feat in itself.

(peaceful music) - We're almost finished, we're on day two.

I'm really excited for the finished product.

- What I saw yesterday lifted their self-esteem.

And, you know, it's really good for them to be able to do these things, because they're able to release.

- When they came in, they were enthusiastic.

They wanted to help.

They wanted to be a part of the process.

And I feel like they're very proud of their work.

- I think this was amazing for both the youth and the adults to come together, work on something.

Having good behavior, and just having something to look forward to to motivate them, it was amazing.

(peaceful music) - To learn more, visit facebook.com/mahoganykidsfinear.

For our final segment, we meet Turburam Sandagdorj of Reno.

Using black paper, sharp scissors, and plenty of patience and technique, this artist creates highly detailed silhouettes.

Through his process, which he has perfected over 30 years, he celebrates his Mongolian heritage, his love for nature, and an appreciation for a simple lifestyle.

(vibrant music) - My name, Turburam Sandagdorj.

I am a Mongolian American professional silhouette artist.

I create silhouettes called Tsagasun Baru.

Tsagasun Baru is the paper silhouette art in Mongolia.

(vibrant music) My father influenced me as the artist.

(vibrant music) In the college, I learned ceramics.

Ceramics is two-dimensional.

The ceramics and the papercuts is not different.

It's the same thing, it's the same feelings, just you using different tools and materials.

You need to grab the paper and scissors and start to cut.

It's very important in the silhouette: the tools, the scissors.

I tried it with using that aggressive tool into the fragile materials.

I using hot press paper.

It's very thin.

It's almost like silk.

And you just cut straight in the curve.

I always think about connection.

Without connection, all your lines just collapse down.

I try to start to end just one image, one meaning, one feeling.

(tranquil music) Sometimes, you see this whole concept in your mind.

(tranquil music) A lot of my arts express the life of the nomads.

(tranquil music) The nomadic lifestyle is very minimal.

The nomads love the nature.

That's my message.

I love the nature.

You see the open space and the sky like the blue like the ocean.

In the night, you see just the Milky Way, thousand stars, and you just connect.

It talks with you.

(tranquil music) I always simplify everything.

It's kind of minimal.

I just choose the minimal life for me that works for me, and also expressing into my art.

I illustrated more than 40 books: mythology, the folk tales, poetry, and history.

(tranquil music) I love the history.

It's made me think about where I came from.

(tranquil music fades) - To learn more, visit sturo.art.

And that wraps it up for this edition of "ARTEFFECTS."

If you want to watch new "ARTEFFECTS" segments early, make sure you subscribe to the PBS Reno YouTube channel.

And don't forget to keep visiting pbsreno.org to watch complete episodes of "ARTEFFECTS."

Until next week, I'm Beth Macmillan.

Thanks for watching.

- [Narrator] Funding for "ARTEFFECTS" is made possible by Sandy Raffealli with Bill Pearce Motors, Heidemarie Rochlin, (upbeat music) in memory of Sue McDowell, (upbeat music) the Carol Franc Buck Foundation, and by the annual contributions of PBS Reno members.

(upbeat music fades) (peaceful music) (peaceful music) (peaceful music)