Nevada Hill

Sad news today that Nevada Hill, musician, printmaker and illustrator, died Thursday in Houston. Hill, who was from Fort Worth, posted on his Facebook page that he had been undergoing treatment at MD Anderson Cancer Center. He died early Thursday morning.

“Nevada fought tirelessly with his cancer with such will and determination to try any and every treatment there was, and to never give up,” notes EMott, Hill’s close friend, ex, and mother of their 9-year-old daughter, Gillian.

“Art and music were [Nevada’s] passion and his legacy, but Gillian (his daughter) was the light of his life and his soulmate. She’s really the greater legacy.”

Hill turned 34 last month.  In addition to his daughter, Gillian, he is survived by his parents, Sheila and Houston Hill, and siblings, Chad Hill, Lucia Hill, and Holly Cox. Nevada is loved and remembered by innumerable friends and acquaintances who continue to celebrate both his life and his art.

Memorial service details are pending.
Hill invited Art&Seek into his studio for a tour in 2011.

And in fall 2012, he contributed the design for KXT 91.7’s fall membership campaign.  Here’s the bio that appeared on kxt.org at that time:

“Nevada Hill is a internationally known artist/illustrator/screen printer who lives and works in Denton, TX. Upon observing the punk rock scene in Fort Worth (his home town) at a young age, he decided that his distaste for everything mainstream was grounded on the firm belief that EVERYTHING CAN LOOK BETTER. Hill uses art and music interchangeably and takes advantage of mainstream media vehicles to distribute his work (instead of galleries).

Nevada made the trek to UNT in Denton in 2002 where he signed up for the fine art major he knew the least about (printmaking). He fell in love with the medium of printmaking because of its capacity to create multiples and for its ability to produce texture. Hill went on to work with Art Prostitute in 2004. Climbing up the hierarchy there, he eventually became resident artist. The Art Prostitute experience opened his eyes to alternative art spaces and the possibility of surviving on his creativity. Later, Hill was influenced by the birth of his now 6-year-old daughter. Her drawings made him remember the sensation of creating without reference.

Nevada has worked an overwhelming amount of small jobs as well as participated in an excessive amount of bands, including being co-leader of the avant garde noise free-for-all, Zanzibar Snails. Now he is moving on to more recognizable–but just as intense–musical skree in the bands Bludded Head, Mortville, and Drug Moiuntain. Most of Hill’s story takes place in his secret Denton studio where he screen prints, paints, and thinks about philosophy. Also, he gets to hang out with his daughter and tries to skateboard everyday.”