Let’s play a game of art hide & seek around Lake Tahoe. Everyone is welcome to play – whether you’re an artist (a hider) or a seeker. Or both.

Are you an artist or maker? Sign-up to hide your own artistic treasure somewhere around Lake Tahoe to be found by a lucky treasure seeker. Artists will leave photo clues and hints on their social media pages for treasure hunters to seek out their prize, or seekers can view the Treasure Hunt map to find pinned locations in their neighborhood. All ages are welcome to participate.

Why

Hide & seek is fun. That’s why.

Lake Tahoe is surrounded by beautiful scenery, and incredibly talented and creative makers who are inspired by the environment daily. As an artist it is thrilling to create something (and make something with love), and then strategically hide it in a public place so that can be picked up and taken home by anyone – a stranger, or a follower of your art. You may never know where it ends up. Change someone’s entire day, week or even year with a blessing of free art. As a seeker – who doesn’t love free amazing art? Wouldn’t you love to stumble upon a cool new piece of amazing art?

Life is full of ordinary choices and mundane adulting. Choose to spice it up with kindness, creativity, and the thrill of a public game of hide & seek in one of the most beautiful places in the world, Lake Tahoe.

Where

Any public space in any zip code around Lake Tahoe EXCEPT for private property, restricted areas, native growth rehabilitation areas, or sensitive floral & fauna zones. Leave no trace. And don’t go so deep into the woods that nobody can get to it. Think hidden well, but in a commonly used, or public space. It could even be inside of a business that you’ve worked out your ‘hide’ with.

Truckee isn’t in Tahoe. Neither is Reno. If you are a Truckee or Reno resident we welcome you to participate, but your art must be hidden in the Lake Tahoe basin. If you’re a seeker – you’re welcome to come up for a day of treasure hunting at the lake!

We welcome participants from any area, and of any age, but all art must be hidden in the Lake Tahoe basin in order to participate in the Treasure Hunt.

Who

The Tahoe Treasure hunt is an art hide & seek event that was imagined by Nicole Stirling of Stirling Studios & Chickadee Art Collective (Kings Beach). An avid art hider herself, Nicole has hidden art in public places, festivals, and community areas around California and Nevada since 2019. Everyone is invited to participate as an artist (a hider), as a seeker, or both.

*The Tahoe Treasure hunt is inspired by Game of Shrooms, an annual day of hiding mushroom themed art that is played worldwide in June each year, and is created by Attaboy*artist*.

How to Play

If you are an artist you need to register your hide by clicking on the “register here” button. After you’ve submitted your zip code your pin will be added to a map for seekers to use. Share your participation in Tahoe Treasure Hunt with your followers online. Make sure you post photo clues and hints on the day of the hide – September 28th.
If you are a seeker – simply keep up with your favorite Tahoe artists and follow their social media pages for photo clues on the hide day. You can also view the comprehensive map to see pins where artists will be hiding art in your neighborhood.

Artists & Makers Register Here

What

As an artist, creator, maker, or creative adventurer you are welcome to make whatever your heart desires to hide in the game.

Some ideas include: Make something Tahoe themed (or not). Make something Tahoe shaped (or not). Create a tiny version of your signature work. Make something out of clay, paint, wood, yarn, paper, pencil, wire, wood or glass (these are just a few ideas, but the list is endless). Let your imagination and your heart be your guide. Your artistic endeavors and the process of giving this piece away should feel good from start to finish.

Map of Artist Hiding Locations

Click on a pin to see the name of the artist hiding there, and their social media tag. Follow the artists on their social media for photo clues and hints on the day of the Treasure Hunt.

Click Here to View the Artist Map

Tahoe Treasure Hunt is a zero-impact, leave-no-trace event.

Art must not be hidden in a place that compromises wildlife, forest or lake health, or damages any property in any way.

Your art hiding should be 100% leave-no-trace, and all art must be retrieved by the artist within 48 hours of hiding if it has not been found.

Art is for everyone.

Art can and should be made accessible to all humans of all walks of life, no matter abilities or languages. In the spirit of celebrating locals’ season we invite you to play a community wide game of art hide & seek with us.