Miffed Artist Finishes Urinal Road Show

By BRENDAN RILEY

CARSON CITY, Nev. – A local barber and amateur painter, miffed that an out-of-state artist is painting Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn’s official portrait, is home from an odd odyssey – stops in all state capitols to photograph his own rejected Guinn painting above urinals.

Adam Baker said his last urinal photo-op was at the Alaska Capitol in Juneau on Wednesday. Now he plans to raffle off his painting of Guinn and donate the proceeds to charity.

Videos of Baker’s long, strange trip can be viewed on the Internet, by going to YouTube and searching for “Kenny’s Big Adventure.” The videos mix a bit of history about the 50 capitols with – you guessed it – a lot of bathroom humor.

Baker said Thursday that he encountered few problems in documenting his urinal stops, and questions about his state of mind were raised “only by my in-laws. They’re a little bit leery” about his tour that took more than a month and cost him about $4,500.

“All in all, it was worth it,” Baker said. “The main reason I did this was to just get the message out that outsourcing sucks.”

“It was meant to be lighthearted and funny but serious too. Support your state, dang it,” said Baker, who held down his costs by flying to regional airports, then renting minivans and driving to capitols in the regions. Along the way, he camped in Wal-Mart parking lots.

The official Guinn portrait that will hang in the Nevada Capitol is being painted by Michele Rushworth of Sammamish, Wash. Rushworth, selected in September, came with experience, having painted the official portrait of Washington Gov. Gary Locke.

Baker doesn’t deny Rushworth’s talent, but said there are many talented artists in Nevada who could have done a great job.

Baker, 42, who paints portraits of his barbershop customers, offered to paint Guinn for free in 2003. He was invited to the Nevada Capitol, where he photographed the governor as a basis for his portrait. A preliminary portrait was returned, and he later competed unsuccessfully to become the governor’s artist.

Guinn spokesman Steve George said Baker’s painting was rejected because “it wasn’t very good.” George added that the cross-country bathroom display “speaks a lot of what he thinks about his own work.”

—

On the Internet, as Kenny’s Big Adventure: http://www.youtube.com/