Black Rock Institute | A Nevada Non-Profit Organization Black Rock Institute Black Rock Institute Press About The Black Rock Institute based in Reno Nevada is a nonprofit taxexempt 501c3 organization founded in 2009 that fosters public interest and understanding of landscapes throughout the American West. Projects and research supported by the Black Rock Institute focus on the diverse and complex reality of western landscapes which may include sense of place lyrical interpretation of the nature of mountains and aridity inquiry into demographic and historical change in the West or examination of the material reality of physical landscapes. The Black Rock Institute Press publishes a select list of titles with themes that relate to the American West Nevada and California and the bordersharing Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range. With books in development on atomic landscapes rock art variously petroglyphs and pictographs regions and sense of place and notable studies of landscapes the Black Rock Institute Press remains selective in topics published but balances that with highquality productions and memorable designs.