Southern Nevada’s oldest arts organization folds

After 25 years, Southern Nevada’s longest-running arts organization is folding.

The Contemporary Arts Center’s board of directors has voted to dissolve the organization, effective April 5, citing finances, lack of long-term exhibition space and community needs.

“This was a very hard decision that was not taken lightly,” CAC Co-President Michele Quinn said in a news release. “Over the past 12 months especially, we have ramped up our fund raising efforts while still maintaining quality programming for the arts community and beyond. However, the funding needed to continue to run this organization just isn’t there.”

In late 2013, the organization moved from downtown’s Arts Factory to a temporary rent-free space at Alios on Main Street. The group also kicked off a $25 for 25” campaign last year to raise funds and public awareness. CAC’s 25th-anniversary schedule ranged from its Exquisite Corpse exhibition to its “Conversations @ CAC” public discussion series.

“We have given this everything we have, but there’s a time when you have to step back and examine when the support isn’t there,” said CAC Co-President Aurore Giguet.

“Despite the valiant fund-raising efforts of our team we’ve come to the conclusion that the funding is no longer there to support this organization. Without funding we aren’t able to hire staff, and without staff the organization depends on board members and volunteers with full-time jobs, which makes it difficult to operate at the capacity we would like,” Giguet commented in the news release. “Also, the generous gift of rent-free space at Alios is about to expire and we don’t have enough in the bank to maintain a new space.”

The CAC’s final exhibition, its 25th Annual Juried Show, will take place as scheduled from April 3-25 at Alios,, 1217 S. Main Street. The show will launch with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. next Thursday, April 3. For more information, visit www.lasvegascac.org.