Nevada Arts Council takes the pulse of Southern Nevada communities
The state of the arts in the state of Nevada: what’s good, what’s not so good and how to close the gap between the two.
That topic may be on everyone’s radar — everyone who cares about the arts, that is — all the time.
But it became a particular focus as local artists, cultural representatives and arts supporters gathered last week at three town meetings sponsored by the Nevada Arts Council.
Sessions in Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas offered attendees the chance to weigh in, and sound off, on local arts — and how to increase awareness of and participation in them.
Wednesday’s town meeting at the Winchester Cultural Center drew dozens of art enthusiasts — including Sen. Mark Manendo (D-Las Vegas), who remarked on the size of the crowd and welcomed attendees.
“I cannot sing or dance or draw, so what I do is advocate,” said Manendo, who’ll chair the arts caucus during the 2017 Legislature — and promised “you will have support” from state lawmakers. “It’s important to our community, it’s important to our quality of life.”
Those at Wednesday’s meeting didn’t need to be convinced of that.
Julia Arger, who chairs the NAC board, explained that town meeting comments would help the arts council update its strategic plan, “Values and Vision.”
NAC Executive Director Susan Boskoff — who’s retiring March 31 after 24½ years at the state agency — saluted the state’s creative community, saying that “without our artists, we would not have arts organizations. It’s because of the artists that we all are here today.”
Boskoff also noted that NAC will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2017, recalling how then-Gov. Paul Laxalt and the Legislature created the council, commenting “how lucky we are to have bipartisan support” for the arts. “Nevada is a remarkable state because of that.”
A brief video presentation outlined NAC programs and asked audience members to ponder “what does it mean … to be rich in art?”
And then it was time to discuss that very topic.
Participants gathered at tables and chose names for their groups, along with spokespersons who introduced each group — and its members — to the entire gathering.
Group names ranged from the straightforward (“Arts in Action”) to the descriptive (“Poets and Friends”) to the humorous (“The Warm Seats,” “Show Us the Money”).
Arts organizations represented included music (the Las Vegas Philharmonic to the Las Vegas Jazz Society and barbershop quartets), dance (Nevada Ballet Theatre), museums (Springs Preserve, Nevada State Museum), theater (Nevada Conservatory Theatre, Rainbow Company, A Public Fit), individual artists, gallery owners, writers, bloggers and more.
“Such a rich representation of different types of artists, patrons and supporters,” Boskoff noted after the introductions.
The evening’s idea exchange began on a positive note, as participants listed the Las Vegas art scene’s advantages, among them “a unique brand and history,” “a multigenerational community of artists of all kinds” and “a relatively low cost of living that doesn’t price out artists.”
One participant cited groups and individuals that “have started and failed so many times in the last few years,” demonstrating “failure is the best way to improve” and showing the local arts community learns from its mistakes.
Next, attendees focused on areas needing improvement, including expanding public arts funding to cover performing as well as visual arts, developing better business/arts alliances and finding rehearsal and performances venues.
“My living room is too small,” one participant lamented. “Millionaires and billionaires who need to give more,” another commented. And, inevitably, “getting above the noise levels” of Strip entertainment to highlight local arts attractions and activities.
To cap the town meeting, group members brainstormed ideas to address the challenges of advancing the arts.
Members of the Rude Mechanicals (who share their name with the amateur thespian artisans of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”) focused on “the cross-pollination of different genres,” as Christopher Edwards, artistic director of UNLV-based Nevada Conservatory Theatre, put it.
Having artists, actors, dancers and other artists all address a topic that’s vital to Las Vegas — water, perhaps — would “teach the community here that we are all connected,” added Dawn Barraclough, public relations representative at the Springs Preserve.
After more than two hours analyzing Las Vegas’ arts scene, town meeting participants could cheer the words of writer Paul Atreides, who said that “the biggest asset we have is that we have finally outgrown the moniker ‘cultural wasteland.’ ”
Read more from Carol Cling at reviewjournalcom. Contact her at ccling@reviewjournal.com and follow @CarolSCling on Twitter.
