The Nevada Sagebrush’s Monthly Staff Pick highlights artwork on display at The University of Nevada, Reno. This feature, originally started by former Design Editor Brooke Germain, is now led by Olivia Spargur.
This month’s pick is Coffee Drinker by Frank Stack, an etching on paper created in 1975. The work portrays an interior scene: a woman with her shirt unbuttoned, chest bare, clutching a coffee mug in a quiet moment of solitude. Behind her, a window opens to the outside world, flanked by overgrown plants.
On its surface, the piece feels relatable during finals season—a quiet morning coffee before the chaos. But beneath that, it evokes a deeper sense of reflection, isolation, and perhaps even disillusionment.
Frank Stack, who also published politically subversive comics under the pseudonym Foolbert Sturgeon, is known for satirizing religion and culture—especially through his work in the Bible Belt. This duality between humor and critique carries into Coffee Drinker, encouraging viewers to sit with discomfort and quiet moments alike.
Coffee Drinker is currently on view at The Lilley Museum of Art.
