Over 1,200 votes were cast in the art installation contest hosted by Tahoe Fund and Clean Up The Lake 

After a heated competition, the Tahoe Fund and Clean Up The Lake announced that the new art installation created from some of the 25,000+ pounds of litter removed from Lake Tahoe will take the form of a bald eagle holding a Lahontan cutthroat trout. Over 1,200 votes were cast in the contest to determine the sculpture’s design, with the bald eagle and trout combination taking first place over the Sierra Nevada red fox and Lahontan cutthroat trout. 

Following the unprecedented year-long scuba clean-up of Lake Tahoe by Clean Up The Lake, the Tahoe Fund with support from Tahoe Blue Vodka, commissioned artists to create a sculpture using some of the recovered items from the Lake. “Surfaced,” depicting the bald eagle and trout, will be created by internationally recognized artists Joel Dean Stockdill and Yustina Salnikova with production by the art agency Building 180. Once complete, it will become a permanent art installation at the new Tahoe South Events Center to educate visitors about what lies beneath Tahoe’s blue waters.

“Over the past year, our dive team collected over 12 tons of litter. The artists are going to have some really interesting pieces to work with as they create their next masterpiece,” said Colin West, founder and executive director of Clean Up The Lake. “What I’m most excited about though is that this sculpture will be a lasting reminder of the importance of the effort each of us need to take to prevent litter from reaching the depths of Lake Tahoe.”

“This contest was a great way to make every person who voted part of the Clean Up The Lake story,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “All three of these endangered animals call Tahoe home and serve as an important reminder that we need to take care of the lake — for each other and for them.”

The new Tahoe South Events Center, scheduled for opening in early 2023, will feature two levels: an event floor, suites, conference and meeting room level, as well as an event lawn area. Seating for up to 6,000 will be available for concerts, performing arts, trade shows, and sporting exhibitions along with a seasonal micro-transit system. It is expected to host up to 130 events a year with opportunities to expand visitation into shoulder seasons and mid-week periods. The anticipated economic impact to the entire community is estimated at $40-60 million per year. When completed the center will employ around 15 full-time staff members and between 200 to 300 part-time staff to run the events. 

Tahoe Fund is pleased to announce board member Cory Ritchie as our new board chair. In addition, we have added new firepower to our small but mighty team. Caitlin Meyer joins us from Senator Feinstein’s office as our first Chief Program Officer and Caroline Waldman has been hired as our Communications and Program Director.

A member of the Tahoe Fund Board and Executive Committee since our inception in 2010, Ritchie has served as vice chair for two years. During her tenure, she has been keenly focused on the completion of projects like the acquisition of Johnson Meadow that preserve open space, provide recreational access and have high conservation value. Ritchie is also a huge supporter of programs that get kids outdoors and close the “adventure gap” such as Generation Green, Adventure Risk Challenge, SOS Outreach and the Boys & Girls Club’s efforts to get kids on bikes. She succeeds Allen Biaggi as board chair, a role Biaggi held for two years. He will remain on the Tahoe Fund Board of Directors.

Caitlin Meyer joins the Tahoe Fund from California Senator Dianne Feinstein’s office where she worked for over eight years, most recently as a senior aide handling forestry, wildfire and water policy. As Chief Program Officer, she will lead the Tahoe Fund’s forest health, lake clarity and transportation initiatives in collaboration with the board of directors and project partners. She will also be responsible for helping to secure public funding for environmental improvement projects in Tahoe through legislative work.

Prior to the Tahoe Fund, Caroline Waldman was the communications manager for United Way Worldwide, handling outreach campaigns for education, financial stability, and health programs. In her new role as Communications and Program Director, she will manage the communications and outreach initiatives of the organization. Additionally, she will work with the board of directors to aid in the development and management of the Tahoe Fund’s stewardship and sustainable recreation project portfolio.

“Twelve years ago, I decided I wanted to give back to our Tahoe community. As a parent of young children, it was important to me to be efficient with my time, yet make a big impact,” said Cory Ritchie, Tahoe Fund board chair. “It’s been very rewarding to be part of such an effective and efficient organization. We couldn’t do any of it without our project partners; collaboration is key to our success. I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve accomplished together, and excited about what’s to come.”

“I’m thrilled to have Cory as our new board chair, and to have Caitlin and Caroline on board to help us advance our efforts to complete more environmental projects in the Tahoe Basin,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “The depth of experience and commitment all three of these women bring to our team is tremendous, and I’m excited to see what their leadership will help us do next!”

The Tahoe Fund is a nonprofit organization that supports environmental improvement projects that restore lake clarity, expand sustainable recreation, promote healthier forests, improve transportation and inspire greater stewardship of the region. Learn more about the Tahoe Fund and its current and completed projects at www.tahoefund.org.

Voters have until May 20 to select a fox, trout or bald eagle for the permanent art installation at the new Tahoe South Events Center

Following the unprecedented year-long scuba clean-up of Lake Tahoe by Clean Up The Lake, the Tahoe Fund with support from Tahoe Blue Vodka, commissioned artists to create a sculpture using some of the recovered items from the Lake. “Surfaced,” a permanent art installation, will be featured at the new Tahoe South Events Center to educate visitors about what lies beneath Tahoe’s blue waters. Today, the nonprofits are launching a contest inviting the public to vote on the endangered animal form the sculpture will take: a Sierra Nevada Red Fox, Lahontan Cutthroat Trout or Bald Eagle holding a Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. Votes can be cast online until May 20.

“Clean Up The Lake’s incredible effort to surface trash around all 72-miles of Lake Tahoe is nearing completion and the team has already removed over 21,000 pounds of trash,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “By creating a permanent art sculpture at this wonderful location with some of what was recovered from the lake, our hope is that it will inspire greater environmental stewardship and remind those who love Lake Tahoe that it’s up to all of us to take care of it.”

“Our team has been hard at work beneath the surface of Lake Tahoe for the past year,” said Colin West, founder of nonprofit Clean Up The Lake. “We are thankful to have such a wonderful location to see our work turn into a beautiful piece of art that will further our efforts to improve the environment.”

Known for creating beautiful art from recycled and reclaimed materials, the sculpture will be made by internationally recognized artists Joel Dean Stockdill and Yustina Salnikova by Building 180. One of their best known sculptures is “Ethyl,” an 82-foot life-size whale made from 5,000 pounds of hand recycled trash that was commissioned by the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Hub Strategy & Communication for a campaign about plastic pollution and ocean conservation.

In 2020, Clean Up The Lake partnered with the Tahoe Fund to raise the funds necessary for the first-ever 72-mile scuba clean-up of Lake Tahoe. Thanks to a matching $100,000 donation from Tahoe Blue Vodka, $25,000 from Vail Resorts, more than 135 Tahoe Fund donors, NDSL’s Lake Tahoe License Plate Program and other grant giving agencies, the dive team started the clean-up on May 14, 2021. Their effort is expected to be completed on May 10, 2022.

The new Tahoe South Events Center, scheduled for opening in early 2023, will feature two levels: an event floor, suites, conference and meeting room level, as well as an event lawn area. Seating for up to 6,000 will be available for concerts, performing arts, trade shows, and sporting exhibitions along with a seasonal micro-transit system. It is expected to host up to 130 events a year with opportunities to expand visitation into shoulder seasons and mid-week periods. The anticipated economic impact to the entire community is estimated at $40-60 million per year. When completed the center will employ around 15 full-time staff members and between 200 to 300 part-time staff to run the events. 

To vote on the sculpture design, visit https://tahoesouth.com/surfaced-art/.