Nevada Arts Council to hold town meeting March 20 at McKinley Arts Center

In Reno, the meeting is from 9 to 11 a.m. March 20 at the McKinley Arts and Cultural Center, 925 Riverside Drive. The meeting is co-sponsored by the Sierra Arts Foundation, the city of Reno Arts and Culture Commission and Renown Health Foundation. Details: Sierra Arts Foundation, 775-329-2787.

“Everyone — artists, educators, parents, elected officials, business people and concerned individuals — is invited to our arts town meetings,” said Susan Boskoff, Nevada Arts Council executive director. “We’ve designed them as an occasion to acknowledge community vitality, discuss local challenges and set cultural priorities, as well as to gather information to update the NAC’s strategic plan.”

Information gathered at those meetings and through an online survey will help shape the Arts Council’s strategic plan, Values & Vision, 2016-2019, Boskoff said.

The town meetings offer a chance to have a one-on-one dialogue with Arts Council representatives as they update the current plan, which then is submitted to the National Endowment for the Arts, the agency’s national funding source.

In addition to the local meetings, the public may contribute to the conversation through a survey that seeks comments on local arts activities. For those who cannot attend an arts town meeting, or want to comment on specific issues, the 2014 Values & Vision Survey is available online in English and Spanish on the Nevada Arts Council’s website at nac.nevadaculture.org. Print copies are available by calling 775-687-6680.

Arts Town Meetings are co-sponsored by a variety of local nonprofit organizations, businesses and government entities. Go to the Nevada Arts Council’s website for the current schedule. The meeting schedule is as follows:

Northern Nevada:

• Feb. 11, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the Silver City Community Center, 385 High St. in Silver City. Co -sponsors are the town of Silver City, Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey counties and Community Chest, Inc. Details: Quest Lakes, 775-287-7598.
• Feb. 26, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Fernley High School, 1300 US 95 A. Co-sponsored by Fernley High School and the Fernley Arts and Culture Commission. Details: Lisa Farmer, 775-233-5733.
• March 13, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the state of Nevada Stewart Facility, Building #1 (formerly the Stewart Indian School), 5500 Snyder Ave. Co-sponsored by Nevada Indian Commission, Capital City Arts Initiative, Carson City Library and Carson City Arts & Culture Coalition. Details: Chris Gibbons, 775- 687-8333.

Rural Nevada:

• Feb. 18, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Mineral County Public Library, 110 First St. in Hawthorne. Co-sponsors are the Mineral County Economic Development Authority and Mineral County Council on the Arts. Details: Shelley Hartmann, 775-945-5896.
• March 24, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Austin Town Hall, 135 Court St. in Austin. Sponsor is Lander County. Details: Joy Brandt, 775-964-2447.
• March 25, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Eureka Opera House, 31 Main St. in Eureka. Sponsor is Eureka County. Details: Andrea Rossman, 775-237-6006.
• March 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Art Bank, 399 Aultman St. in Ely. Co-sponsored by Bristlecone Arts Council and the Ely Renaissance Society. Details: Virginia Terry, 775-235-7417.
• April 7, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Winnemucca City Hall, 90 W. Fourth St. in Winnemucca. Co-sponsored by the city of Winnemucca and Northern Nevada Arts Council. Details: Jean Kinney, 775- 625-8356.
• April 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Western Folklife Center, 501 Railroad St. in Elko. Co-sponsored by Western Folklife Center and Northeastern Nevada Museum. Details: Charlie Seemann, 775-738-7508.

Southern Nevada:

• April 29, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 S. McLeod Drive. Co-sponsored by Metro Arts Council of Southern Nevada and Clark County Parks and Recreation Department. Details: 702-455-7340.

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 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 nac.nevadaculture.org.