A 92-year-old Nevada man’s unique artistic hobby will be on display at the Nevada Public Library in October.
Larry Reinig, who has lived at Windsor Manor for a little over five years, said he’s excited to have his decorative gourd pieces out where the public can enjoy looking at them.
As he sits in his recliner, where a cyclone-themed blanket rests over the back of the chair, Reinig tells you about his background, much of which had nothing to do with art.
He was born when his family lived at Toledo, Iowa, and then his family moved to a farm at Gladbrook, Iowa, and he gradated from high school there in 1952.
He attended Iowa State University for a year before Uncle Sam came calling. “He wanted me for two years,” Reinig said. When he got out of the military, he started work as a brick layer, which he did for 20 years. He later finished his working years as a lineman for Iowa Electric. “I was too busy working,” he said, to have any interest in art.
But in retirement and his travels to Arizona, Reinig had more time, including the time to take a class on working with gourds to create art pieces. He got hooked, and for the past 26 years, he’s been enjoying creating all kinds of unique artistic pieces, many of which he gives away to family (which includes three grown children, plus grandchildren and great-grandchildren) and friends.
The idea of displaying his art pieces at the library came about when he saw a short article about Wade Presley, chair of the City of Nevada’s Public Arts Commission, in the August issue of Our Nevada. “He called me,” Wade said, “and I found out about what he does. I came over, and we met and he showed me all of his artwork and told me he was hoping to have it displayed somewhere.”
Wade called the library staff and talked to them about their display case, and they had an opening for something in October. Wade worked out the details with Reinig for an October showing.
Connecting to local artists, Wade said, is another thing that members of the Nevada Public Arts Commission can embrace, and maybe they’ll see a need, in the future, for more places in the community where local artists can display their work.
Most recently, Reinig has been working with very small gourds which he transforms into toothpick holders. But as you glance around his apartment, you can see that he has worked on many gourds of various sizes and shapes. “I even made a fountain out of one that was this high,” he said putting his hand just below his waist.
Larry gets the gourds he works on from the southwestern United States, where they grow thick-skinned gourds. He has a friend who brings back many to him when she’s visiting that area.
He said he’s come to realize that hobbies take both time and money. He’s added various tools through the years — like sanders and drills — to do more with his projects. He also buys paint, as he uses water-based paints on his gourd pieces, and then seals them with a coat of polyurethane.
Reinig said he also enjoys the occasional canvas painting and likes watching the Cyclones’ games on TV, but he spends majority of his time crafting gourds in his apartment.
“It’s relaxation for me,” he said.
–Written by Marlys Barker, City of Nevada