CARSON CITY — The Nevada Arts Council celebrates the 25th anniversary of its Folklife Apprenticeship Program with the exhibit “One Is Silver, the Other Is Gold,” April 8-26 at the Legislative eXhibition Series (LXS) gallery in the Legislative Building, on the first floor across from the Caucus Deli, 401 S. Carson St. in Carson City.
The exhibit showcases 20th- and 21st-century folk artists trained in art-making practices. Represented are ethnic, tribal, cultural and occupational groups spread throughout Nevada’s communities.
The LXS gallery is designed to bring the work of artists to the Nevada Legislature. Since 1985, the gallery has provided a spotlight on the Silver State’s breadth of contemporary and folk artists during the biennial session. Managed by the Artist Services Program of the Arts Council, LXS is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“The LXS Gallery engages legislators and the public in discussions about art — a topic not often referenced during daily floor sessions and committee meetings,” Susan Boskoff, executive director of the Nevada Arts Council, said.
The artists showcased in “One Is Silver, the Other Is Gold” are masters or apprentices in the Folklife Apprenticeship Program, which supports the preservation and perpetuation of traditional culture within communities. Grants enable experts in specific folk traditions to work with dedicated apprentices so the art forms endure. A number of the artists demonstrate, perform and teach in classrooms, museums, libraries and other community venues through the Nevada Folk Arts Roster and Artist Residency Express Grant programs.
“In 2013, the Silver Anniversary of Nevada’s Apprenticeship Program, we salute the 160 master artists and 243 apprentices who have participated in the program and maintain the heritage of their communities,” said Pat Atkinson, who coordinates the program.
Included are Paiute Shoshone buckskin gloves by Edward McDade; Sterling silver, gold, precious stone Ghost Horse by Virginia McCuin; Hawaiian frond Basket of Monsteria, hala leaf, kukui nuts by Charles Herring; Leather Western Saddle Sample by Eddie Brooks; colored paper Polish wycinanki by Barbara Lierly and other traditional crafts. For more information, contact 775-687-6680.
The Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, is the agency charged with ensuring that state and national funds support cultural activity and encourage participation in the arts throughout Nevada. In addition to providing hundreds of grants to arts and community-based organizations, schools, artists and local municipalities throughout the state, the Nevada Arts Council coordinates a variety of statewide programs and activities such as the annual Poetry Out Loud recitation competition for high school-aged students, traveling exhibits, artist residencies, workshops and cultural assessments. For more information, please visit the department’s website at nac.nevadaculture.org/.
