Second Saturday art event a goal for North Las Vegas
The North Las Vegas City Council in August unanimously approved a three-year strategic plan to bring more arts-and-culture initiatives to the city, said director of neighborhood and leisure services Cass Palmer.
The plan was developed by the city’s Arts and Culture Advisory Board, made up of about seven residents selected by council members and the mayor. After coming up with ideas for art-based events in the city, the board received a $4,000 grant from the Nevada Arts Council to hire a consultant to help develop the plan, Palmer said.
During the first year of the plan, the board plans to implement more events at the Stone Soup Gallery at City Hall, and to feature work by local artists on digital billboards at parks. The board plans to have ideas by the second and third years to establish a summer camp art experience for kids, a concert series at Craig Ranch Regional Park, an artist residency community project and a Second Saturday event similar to First Friday in downtown Las Vegas. It also plans bus tours of cultural sites in North Las Vegas.
“We’ll start slow but grow quickly,” Palmer said. “We want to get the projects out there in the public’s face.”
Now that the board has developed the plan, he said, it’s up to the city to implement it.
Barron, who was involved in the planning process and is responsible for the development of the Stone Soup Gallery, said he hopes these initiatives can help the city revamp its identity the way Las Vegas did with its Downtown Project.
“It dawned on me that we could learn from our neighbors of the south to revitalize the area,” he said. “If you were to say that downtown Las Vegas would be a vibrant place with a First Friday, people might have looked at you (crazy) because it wasn’t a nice place. What changed it was the artistic community.”
The board also has talked about a foodie tour to bring restaurants exposure, Barron said.
Kasina Douglass-Boone, who does community volunteer work with children, said Councilwoman Pamela Goynes Brown recommended her for the board about six months ago.
“We might have some young Picassos that might not be able to travel to First Friday,” she said. “If we have something in our community, they may be able to partake in that.”
Contact Kailyn Brown at kbrown@viewnews.com or 702-387-5233. Follow @kailynhype on Twitter.
Qualifications
There are two vacancies on the North Las Vegas Arts and Culture Advisory Board, said city spokeswoman Delen Goldberg. Those interested in serving can submit their name to the City Clerk’s Office for presentation to the City Council. Participants:
- Do not have to be a North Las Vegas resident
- Must be available to attend quarterly meetings
- Must be willing to serve a four-year term
- Should be knowledgeable about arts and culture, and be able to provide advice and suggestions to the mayor and City Council on such topics
