Walker Lake NV – August 19, 2026
by Roberta Bryant and Richard Massey
One of the great things about of living in rural Nevada is watching folks come together to share their experiences and hidden talent. Not a month goes by that we don’t hear about someone who brings exceptional talent and organizational skills to our little communities.
We recently had the pleasure of meeting one such person during the recent “Resilience in the Desert” Artist Exhibit at the Bighorn Crossing Restaurant at Walker Lake, Nevada.
Micky Kim is both an accomplished artist and co-owner of the Bighorn Crossing. As curator of the exhibit, he brought together the works of twenty artists. This amazing talent pool consisted of local artists, some from other Nevada towns, and several from other states.
Photo by Richard Massey.
The exhibit included sculptures, paintings, weaving, jewelry, stained glass, photography, installations, and carvings. This was the first such exhibit at the Bighorn and was held in conjunction with Jim Freeman of ART Town, Reno. For years, Art Town Reno has been a tremendous success and they wanted to expand their contribution to the arts into rural Nevada. Freeman has been a longtime customer at the Bighorn and thought it would an ideal location to include as one of the first in their rural Nevada exhibits program.
Click on an image to enlarge, then scroll through:
Micky explains, “Our goal is to make The Bighorn Crossing a cultural landmark for the Walker Lake, Hawthorn area by hosting exhibits, and music events. We recently expanded our semi-enclosed outdoor dining area (The Bighorns and Roses pavilion) with space for a large projector screen, this will be an ideal spot for guest speakers, movies and slide shows.”
Upcoming events will be posted at walkerlake.events (https://walkerlake.events). Readers are welcome to bookmark the website, subscribe to our event calendar, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/walkerlake.events/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/walkerlake.events
Ricardo Breceda Sculptures
Several large pieces by renowned metal sculptor, Ricardo Breceda are on display outside the Bighorn. In addition to larger than life-sized bighorn sheep, a thirty-foot-long serpent guards the entrance to the restaurant. This beautiful sculpture depicts the legendary giant snake-like serpent that, according to Paiute legend, inhabited the depths of the lake. The existence of this creature has been confirmed on numerous occasions by several semi-reliable and nearly sober locals.
Photo by Richard Massey.
To learn more about this famous artist, read Richard Massey’s story: https://pizenswitchtimes.com/2025/07/01/ricardo-breceda-master-sculptor/
The Breceda sculptures were installed in 2023 with the help of neighbors, Chris Johnson and John and Suzanne Crowne. Chris saw the bighorn sculptures at an art gallery and urged Micky and Tony to see them. While there, Tony discovered the serpent and immediately knew it was perfect for The Bighorn Crossing.
Getting to know the owners
As mentioned earlier, it is amazing the amount of talent you will find in rural Nevada. We asked Micky to tell us about his background…
“Art has always been part of my life, whether through fashion, design, or food. I studied graphic design, which trained me to look at things with both a creative and analytical eye. I have always been fascinated by how individual elements come together to create a particular atmosphere and feeling.”
When you first look at the Bighorn menu, you are in for a big surprise! Although it features outstanding examples of traditional Western grub, it also includes a surprising number of delicious Korean dishes. Korean dishes in rural Nevada! How did this happen? Micky explains…
“In terms of food, I loved traveling the world in search of pastries. That curiosity eventually led me to train at The Pastry Academy by Amaury Guichon in Las Vegas, where I gained experience in a professional kitchen and developed a deeper understanding of how flavors are designed, prepared, presented, and experienced.”
“My co-owner, Tony Ruse also brings an extensive background in food and hospitality. He studied hospitality in Lausanne, Switzerland, and owned several restaurants in Seoul, South Korea. In many ways, The Bighorn Crossing is where all of our different backgrounds come together.”
Bighorn Crossing Owner & Mineral County Commissioner Tony Ruse. Photo by Richard Massey.
“As we were building our kitchen, Tony and I found ourselves rethinking what we wanted to create and what this location could become. The Bighorn Crossing gave us an opportunity to bring our backgrounds together and build something that felt both rooted in this community and open to the wider world. Tony’s roots are in Mineral County, but he also lived in South Korea for twenty years. Korean flavors are part of my own background as well, so they entered the menu naturally rather than as a concept or theme.”
“I simply missed Korean food too much, so we had to put it on the menu. I had no choice. It was my attempt at survival in the middle of nowhere.”
Micky and Tony would like everyone to understand that The Bighorn Crossing is more than a stop along U.S. 95. Food gives people a reason to pause, but the lake, the art, and the surrounding community give the place its meaning and gives people a reason to stay.
They hope the attention generated by the exhibition and future programs will bring greater awareness to Walker Lake.
https://www.thebighorncrossing.com
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