SUBMITTED NEWS RELEASE
Lear Theater, Inc., the organization responsible for the management of the property, has gifted three parcels to Artown effective Dec. 30, 2011. The parcels include the First Church of Christ Scientist building at 501 Riverside Dr., the office building at 528 West First St. and the adjacent parking lot. The property title and rights were transferred to Artown by Lear Theater, Inc. to remove it from the organization’s books by the end of the calendar year.
According to Artown Chair Dave Aiazzi, “Acquiring the property is the first of several steps that need to take place over the next few months. Artown is excited with the possibilities presented by the property. It’s Artown’s mission to strengthen Reno’s arts industry and to create a climate for the cultural and economic rebirth of our region…these next steps will fulfill that mission. The theater board, by transitioning the ownership, has shown a true commitment in recognizing a new vision for a project that the community wants to see succeed. We will continue to provide updates as the project moves forward.”
For more information on Artown, visit www.RenoIsArtown.com or call the office at 775-322-1538.
Honored by the National Endowment for the Arts with the Access to Artistic Excellence grant for two consecutive years, Artown is one of the nation’s most comprehensive arts and culture festivals attracting more than 300,000 people in 2009 for a plethora of events with more than 60 percent offered free to the public. With more than 100 partners, the month-long festival takes place at venues citywide. Artown receives major funding from the City of Reno, is sponsored by U.S. Bank, Grand Sierra Resort, NV Energy, International Game Technology, Waste Management, Reno-Tahoe USA, JLH Inc., Basin Street Properties, Reno Gazette-Journal, KOLO 8 News Now, KTHX-FM and KNPB with additional support from the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. Artown is supported by Stimulus Funding through the Nevada Arts Council’s SNAP Grant Program.
