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Muralist Beverly Caputo's new work, a Nevada-state-shaped portrait of a Basque sheepherder, has finally been installed on the East facade of the Mason's building, on Main Street in Gardnerville, Nevada. Caputo told EuskalKultura.com that after four years in the works, she is “very pleased that the mural is finally installed.” The 12x16 feet painting was inaugurated last week's Tuesday.

Gardnerville, NV. “I am very proud of this work and I certainly have a feeling of accomplishment in seeing the project come to fruition,” said Beverly Caputo, in conversation with EuskalKultura.com. The idea of doing a public mural was brought to the City Hall by the artist herself in 2012. “With Douglas County being so rich in history, I thought it would be a great way to decorate the town as well as celebrate the local history,” she explained. The mural depicts a Basque sheepherder, holding a lamb in his arms, with a dog by his side, and the local mountain range, Jobs Peak, in the back.

Before thinking of the concept and designing it, Caputo said she referenced many Basque images to create the sheepherder and, then, incorporated the rest of the elements in the shape of the state, “to conceptually pull it all together.”

This is not the first time the Florida-native artist used a Basque theme in her work—the city's Sharkey's Casino, for example, has a sepia painting of another artzaina hanging from one of its walls. “The Basques were many of the original founders of the Carson Valley,” she recalled . She especially enjoys painting rural and historical works because “these pieces have a story to tell.”

A community project

The mural took four years to finish because a nonprofit organization, Main Street Gardnerville, had to raise funds for the project. And many organizations, companies, and individuals decided to help, including, among a long list, the local Basque club, Mendiko Euskaldun Cluba. “I feel very honored,” the artist said. It's also worth mentioning that Walter & Walter Construction was responsible for installing the final product, and that they donated their time and labor to hang the mural on the building.

Speaking about her inclination towards creating murals, Caputo highlighted that she likes the fact that the final product is “a shared vision between myself and my clients.”