The Nevada Arts Council announced Friday the awarding of more than $1million in statewide grants to 172 recipients ranging from individual artists to nonprofit organizations and public institutions for the 2020 fiscal year.
Grants were awarded in the following competitive categories: Operating Support; Community Impact; Project for Organizations; Arts Learning Project; Artist Fellowship (Contemporary Arts and Folk and Traditional Arts); Fellowship Project Grant and FY20 Project Grant for Artists – Cycle A. Grant panelists reviewed, deliberated and scored applications in public hearings and final recommendations were approved by the Nevada Arts Council Board at its June 27 meeting.
Following are each of the grant categories and grant recipients:
Operating Support Grant ($543,868.07)
Operating Support Grants strengthen Nevada’s arts infrastructure by supporting the general operations of non-profit arts organizations throughout the state. The most competitive applicants offer ongoing, sustained, high-quality outreach programs and arts services or artistic programming in their communities. This two-year grant supports funding for general operating expenses including administrative salaries and benefits, payroll expenses, insurance, facility space rental, utilities and contracted and professional services.
Grants panelists were: Kellen Braddock, Managing Director, Black Mountain Institute – Las Vegas; Ray Gargano, Grants & Cultural Programs Coordinator, Sacramento Metropolis Arts Commission – Sacramento, California; Alexis Hill, Arts, Culture, & Special Events Manager, City of Reno; Melvin Henley, Organizational Development Consultant, Nonprofit Enterprise at Work – Detroit, Michigan and Candace Kita, Cultural Work Manager, Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon, Portland, Ore.
| Recipient | Location | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A Public Fit Corporation | Las Vegas | $3,500.00 |
| A.V.A. Ballet Theatre | Reno | $16,000.00 |
| Artown | Reno | $23,500.00 |
| Arts for All Nevada | Reno | $13,350.00 |
| Brewery Arts Center | Carson City | $18,600.00 |
| Brüka Theatre of the Sierra | Reno | $6,000.00 |
| Burlesque Hall of Fame, Inc. | Las Vegas | $10,500.00 |
| Capital City Arts Initiative | Carson City | $4,000.00 |
| Carson City Symphony Association, Inc. | Carson City | $3,500.00 |
| Carson Valley Arts Council | Minden | $8,000.00 |
| Churchill Arts Council | Fallon | $13,650.00 |
| Classical Tahoe | Incline Village | $18,000.00 |
| Foundation to Assist Young Musicians | Las Vegas | $4,500.00 |
| Friends of the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras | Las Vegas | $8,000.00 |
| Get in the Act! Arts in Action | Dayton | $3,500.00 |
| Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company | Reno | $3,500.00 |
| Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival | Incline Village | $22,750.00 |
| Las Vegas Philharmonic | Las Vegas | $22,500.00 |
| Left of Center Art Gallery | North Las Vegas | $3,500.00 |
| Mile High Jazz Band Association | Carson City | $3,500.00 |
| Nevada Ballet Theatre | Las Vegas | $22,250.00 |
| Nevada Museum of Art | Reno | $20,000.00 |
| Nevada School of the Arts | Las Vegas | $12,000.00 |
| Noteable Music Therapy Services | Reno | $15,000.00 |
| NV Woodchucks, Inc. | Reno | $3,500.00 |
| Opera Las Vegas | Las Vegas | $7,000.00 |
| Orgonym DBA Artech | Reno | $3,000.00 |
| Reno Chamber Orchestra | Reno | $12,000.00 |
| Reno Jazz Orchestra | Reno | $8,900.00 |
| Reno Little Theater | Reno | $13,950.00 |
| Reno Philharmonic Association | Reno | $22,500.00 |
| Reno Pops Orchestra | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| Sierra Arts Foundation | Reno | $16,568.07 |
| Sierra Nevada Ballet | Reno | $8,700.00 |
| Sierra School of Performing Arts | Reno | $7,000.00 |
| Signature Productions | Las Vegas | $10,500.00 |
| Sin City Opera DBA Vegas City Opera | Henderson | $4,600.00 |
| Southern Nevada Musical Arts Society | Las Vegas | $3,500.00 |
| St. Mary’s Art Center | Virginia City | $7,000.00 |
| The Desert Chorale | Las Vegas | $3,500.00 |
| The Dr. Shirley Linzy Young Artists Orchestra | Henderson | $8,800.00 |
| The Generator | Sparks | $9,000.00 |
| The Holland Project | Reno | $12,000.00 |
| The Neon Museum | Las Vegas | $22,250.00 |
| The Orchestra and Community Choral Artists of the Tahoe Area (Toccata) | Incline Village | $6,000.00 |
| The Reno Dance Company | Sparks | $9,000.00 |
| The Smith Center for the Performing Arts | Las Vegas | $23,000.00 |
| Virgin Valley Artists Association | Mesquite | $3,500.00 |
| Western Folklife Center | Elko | $22,500.00 |
| Wild Horse Productions | Carson City | $4,000.00 |
| Yerington Theatre for the Arts | Yerington | $8,000.00 |
FY20 Project Grant for Organizations ($203,629.93)
The Project Grant for Organizations (PGO) supports the arts and cultural activities of organizations and public institutions. Funds may be used to support the execution of one activity/project or a suite of related activities. Examples of eligible projects include art exhibitions, performances, reading, concerts, festivals, and lifelong learning activities.
Grant panelists were: Andrew Akufo, Executive Director, Healdsburg Center for the Arts – Healdsburg, California; Kayla Boettcher, Executive Director, Sitka Summer Music Festival – Sitka, Alaska; Thomas Michel, Director of Development, Nevada Ballet Theatre – Las Vegas; Lindsay Wilson, Professor, Truckee Meadows Community College – Reno.
| Recipient | Location | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Build Our Center, Inc. | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| Carson Valley Community Theatre | Minden | $4,500.00 |
| Channel 5 Public Broadcasting, Inc. | Reno | $4,500.00 |
| City of Reno Arts & Culture Commission | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| CNY in the Desert | Henderson | $4,000.00 |
| Cockroach Theatre Company | Las Vegas | $3,500.00 |
| Controlled Burn | Reno | $3,500.00 |
| Creative Writing Department (Sierra Nevada College) | Incline Village | $4,500.00 |
| Da African Village | Las Vegas | $4,500.00 |
| David J. Drakulich Foundation for Freedom of Expression | Reno | $4,500.00 |
| Department of Local Arts (City of Las Vegas) | Las Vegas | $1,648.50 |
| Department of Music (University of Nevada, Reno) | Reno | $5,000.00 |
| Department of Visual and Public Art (City of Las Vegas) | Las Vegas | $2,250.00 |
| Department of National Performing Arts Touring (City of Las Vegas Office of Cultural Affairs) | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Eureka Restoration Enterprise | Eureka | $3,500.00 |
| Fine Arts Department (Sierra Nevada College) | Incline Village | $4,500.00 |
| Friends of India Las Vegas | Las Vegas | $3,000.00 |
| Friends of Nevada Wilderness | Sparks | $1,664.04 |
| Goldwell Open Air Museum | Rhyolite | $4,500.00 |
| Henderson Symphony Orchestra | Henderson | $3,000.00 |
| Henderson Writers Group | Henderson | $4,500.00 |
| Historic Reno Preservation Society | Reno | $3,600.00 |
| Kizuna Japanese Society | Henderson | $4,500.00 |
| Laika Press | Reno | $1,580.09 |
| Lake Tahoe Classic Guitar Society | Incline Village | $2,700.00 |
| Las Vegas Book Festival Department (City of Las Vegas Office of Cultural Affairs) | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Las Vegas Men’s Chorus | Las Vegas | $3,000.00 |
| Las Vegas Pipe Band | North Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Las Vegas Tap Fest DBA SoundSteps | Las Vegas | $2,000.00 |
| Latino ARTE | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| Making Music Matter Foundation | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art (UNLV) | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Nevada Gay Men’s Chorus | Reno | $3,430.00 |
| Nevada Humanities | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| Nevada Indian Commission | Carson City | $4,500.00 |
| Nevada Public Radio | Las Vegas | $4,500.00 |
| Nevada Women’s Film Collective | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| New Dance Foundation for the Arts, Inc. | Las Vegas | $2,013.00 |
| Northern Nevada Bluegrass Association | Reno | $4,500.00 |
| Opportunity Village | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Proscenium Players Inc. | Carson City | $3,500.00 |
| Red Mountain Music Company | Boulder City | $4,000.00 |
| Robert Belliveau, Rita Abbey Foundation DBA Desert Space Foundation / Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival | Henderson | $4,500.00 |
| Sassabration Inc. | Carson City | $3,500.00 |
| School of the Arts (University of Nevada, Reno) | Reno | $4,500.00 |
| Shooting the West | Winnemucca | $3,500.00 |
| Sierra Women’s Ensemble DBA Bella Voce | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| Southern Nevada Chapter of the American Guild of Organists | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Tahoe Chamber Music Society | Incline Village | $4,000.00 |
| The Comstock Foundation for History and Culture | Virginia City | $2,700.00 |
| The Lab LV | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| The Las Vegas Master Singers Ltd. | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| The Speeding Theatre-Over 55 | Henderson | $2,544.30 |
| TheatreWorks of Northern Nevada | Sparks | $3,500.00 |
| UNLV Chamber Music Society | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
FY20 Arts Learning Project Grant ($149,517)
The Arts Learning Project Grant (ALP) Grant is an annual project grant designed to support arts learning activities, teaching artist residencies, and teacher training for Pre-K through 12th grade. These arts learning activities provide a unique opportunity for students to work with practicing artists through workshops, classes, lectures, discussions, performances and community events.
Grant panelists were: Wayne Cook, Program Specialist-Retired, California Arts Council – Sacramento; Kevin Eberle-Noel, Director of Orchestra Operations and Education, Las Vegas Philharmonic – Las Vegas; Carol Quinn, Professor, University of Nevada, Reno – Reno; Stacey Spain, Professor, Truckee Meadows Community College.
| Recipient | Location | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| A Public Fit Theatre Company | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Artown | Reno | $3,500.00 |
| Arts for the Schools | Truckee | $4,000.00 |
| Brewery Arts Center | Carson City | $3,000.00 |
| Bruka Theatre of the Sierra, Inc | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| Carson City Symphony Association, Inc. | Carson City | $4,500.00 |
| Carson Valley Arts Council | Minden | $2,345.00 |
| Clark County Children’s Choir | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Clark County Public Education Foundation, Inc. | Las Vegas | $4,000.00 |
| Department Arts Camps (City of Las Vegas) | Las Vegas | $3,500.00 |
| DISCOVERY Children’s Museum | Las Vegas | $2,672.00 |
| Get in the Act! Arts in Action | Dayton | $3,500.00 |
| Good Luck Macbeth Theatre Company | Reno | $4,500.00 |
| House of Blues Music Forward Foundation | Las Vegas | $4,500.00 |
| Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival | Incline Village | $4,500.00 |
| Nevada Museum of Art | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| Northern Nevada Arts Council | Winnemucca | $4,000.00 |
| Notes with a Purpose | Henderson | $4,000.00 |
| Opera Las Vegas | Las Vegas | $4,500.00 |
| Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts | Reno | $4,500.00 |
| Rainbow Company Youth Theatre (City of Las Vegas) | Las Vegas | $4,500.00 |
| Reno Jazz Orchestra | Reno | $4,500.00 |
| Reno Little Theater | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| Reno Philharmonic Association | Reno | $5,000.00 |
| Reno Pops Orchestra | Reno | $3,000.00 |
| Sierra Arts Foundation | Reno | $4,000.00 |
| Sierra Nevada Ballet | Reno | $4,500.00 |
| Sierra Nevada Chapter of the American Orff Shulwerk Association | Sparks | $4,000.00 |
| Sierra School of Performing Arts | Reno | $3,500.00 |
| Sierra Watercolor Society | Reno | $3,000.00 |
| Sin City Opera DBA Vegas City Opera | Henderson | $5,000.00 |
| Tahoe Arts Project | S. Lake Tahoe | $3,500.00 |
| The Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada | Carson City | $3,500.00 |
| The Reno Dance Company | Sparks | $4,000.00 |
| The Smith Center for the Performing Arts | Las Vegas | $4,500.00 |
| Western Folklife Center | Elko | $4,500.00 |
| Wild Horse Productions | Carson City | $4,000.00 |
| Yerington Theater for the Arts | Yerington | $3,000.00 |
FY20-21 Community Impact Grant ($7,500 per year; $15,000 total)
The Community Impact Grant (CIG) is a two-year grant that supports structural change in communities across Nevada through strategic planning, community engagement, and arts participation.
Grants panelists were: Kellen Braddock, Managing Director, Black Mountain Institute – Las Vegas; Melvin Henley, Organizational Development Consultant, Nonprofit Enterprise at Work – Detroit, Michigan; Candace Kita, Cultural Work Manager, Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon – Portland, Oregon.
| Recipient | Location | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| City of Sparks | Sparks | $15,000 |
FY20 Artist Fellowship Grant, Contemporary Arts ($25,000)
The Artist Fellowship Grant (AFG) celebrates the vitality of Nevada’s contemporary arts. It recognizes outstanding individual artists living in Nevada who demonstrate excellence in their work. By acknowledging outstanding artistic accomplishment, the program promotes public awareness and appreciation of the role of the artist in our society.
Grant panelists were: Ivan Lozano, an artist residing in Chicago; Sheila Miles, an artist residing in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Irene Tsatsos, an artist, writer, and Director of Exhibition Programs/Chief Curator at the Armory Center for the Arts, residing in Pasadena, California.
| Recipient | Location | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Matthew Couper (PAINTING/PRINTMAKING) | Las Vegas | $5,000 |
| Jen Graham (DRAWING/MIXED MEDIA) | Reno | $5,000 |
| Sarah Lillegard (CERAMICS/SCULPTURE) | Reno | $5,000 |
| Marshall Scheuttle (PHOTOGRAPHY) | Las Vegas | $5,000 |
| Austin Pratt (PAINTING/PRINTMAKING) | Reno | $5,000 |
FY20 Artist Fellowship Grant, Folk and Traditional Artists ($5,000)
The Artist Fellowship Grant (AFG) celebrates the vitality of Nevada’s Folk and Traditional Arts. It recognizes outstanding individual artists living in Nevada who demonstrate excellence in their work. By acknowledging outstanding artistic accomplishment, the program promotes public awareness and appreciation of the role of the artist in our society.
Grant panelists were: Adrienne Decker, Folk Arts Specialist, Utah Division of Arts & Museums – Salt Lake City, Utah; Brad McMullen, Programs and Gathering Manager, Western Folklife Center – Elko; Langston Collin Wilkins, Director, Center for Washington Cultural Traditions – Seattle
| Recipient | Location | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Doug Groves (RAWHIDE BRAIDING) | Carlin | $5,000 |
FY20/21 FELLOWSHIP PROJECT GRANT ($6,500 FY20, $500 FY21 – total $7,000)
The Fellowship Project Grant (FPG) is designed to support artists working in all disciplines who have received two or more NAC Artist Fellowship Grants. These artists are recognized for continuing artistic accomplishment and are actively participating in their art form as practitioners, teachers, or both. This two-year grant recognized the commitment of NAC Fellows and supports projects that encourage the development of new work to share with the public. The Grant Review Panel charged with reviewing the FY20/21 Fellowship Project Grant convened in a public meeting June 13, 2019 to discuss and score 4 applications.
Grant panelists were: Joe Atack, Director of Education, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival – Reno; Sarah Lillegard, Interdisciplinary Artist – Reno; Eric Neuenfeldt, Writer – Philo, California.
| Recipient | Location | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Ann Keniston | Reno | $7,000 |
FY20 PROJECT GRANT FOR ARTISTS – CYCLE A ($20,860.40)
The Project Grant for Artists (PGA) supports individual artists in the production and presentation of artistic projects. The PGA is awarded twice a year for projects that take place during a specified six-month period. Examples of eligible projects include art exhibitions, performances, reading, concerts, the creation of art, portfolio creation, and marketing/promotional activities related to an arts project.
Grant panelists were: Joe Atack, Director of Education, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival – Reno; Sarah Lillegard, Interdisciplinary Artist – Reno; Eric Neuenfeldt, Writer – Philo, California; Shakeh Ghoukasian, Executive and Artistic Director, Nevada School of the Arts – Henderson.
| Recipient | Location | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Adriana Chavez | Las Vegas | $1,200.00 |
| Chase McKenna | Reno | $900.00 |
| Cindy Gray | Reno | $900.00 |
| Deborah A. Lambin | Carson City | $1,050.00 |
| Erik Beehn | Las Vegas | $1,200.00 |
| Ginger Land-van Buuren | Henderson | $900.00 |
| Heather Klein | Las Vegas | $1,050.00 |
| Heather Lang-Cassera | Las Vegas | $370.85 |
| Joseph Tatum | Reno | $900.00 |
| Keely Cobb | Reno | $1,050.00 |
| Lisa Wright | North Las Vegas | $539.55 |
| Michael Spicer | Henderson | $1,350.00 |
| Napoleon Buenrostro | Las Vegas | $1,050.00 |
| Paul Fleming | Reno | $1,200.00 |
| Pierce Kagari Emata | Las Vegas | $1,200.00 |
| Ray Li | Henderson | $1,500.00 |
| Tom Drakulich | Reno | $1,050.00 |
| Valentin Yordanov | Las Vegas | $900.00 |
| Yasmina Chavez | Las Vegas | $1,200.00 |
| Zoe Bray | Reno | $1,350.00 |
The Nevada Arts Council, a division of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, was founded in 1967 as the state agency charged with ensuring that state and national funds support cultural activity and encourage participation in the arts throughout Nevada. The agency’s programs and services are designed to support creative expression, animate communities, diversify local economies and provide lifelong learning in the arts for all Nevadans. The Nevada Arts Council is funded by the State of Nevada, the National Endowment for the Arts, and other public and private sources.