Nevada Touring Initiative Application

Nti New Exhibit Sponsor Guidelines

Welcome to the Nevada Touring Initiative. This project of the Nevada Arts Council (NAC) is made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and through the State of Nevada. The Nevada Touring Initiative (NTI) has been designed to provide affordable programming in the visual arts to communities throughout the state—in rural and urban settings. Serving the demographics and economy of Nevada, NTI is intended to both stimulate and complement local cultural activity.

Introduction to the Traveling Exhibition Program

The NTI Traveling Exhibition Program delivers high quality visual arts exhibits to communities throughout the state for an affordable fee. The cost includes rental of the artwork, installation and pick-up, insurance, and publicity and educational materials. NTI traveling exhibits feature an array of subjects and art forms, ranging from traditional landscape painting and contemporary sculpture. Featured exhibit artists have garnered national and international acclaim and include some of Nevada’s finest painters, sculptors, photographers, and contemporary artists. This program is designed to provide a meaningful and lasting visual arts experience for Nevada’s communities, large and small.

Exhibit Sponsors

An eligible sponsor can be any Nevada community-oriented, non-profit organization with 501(c)(3) status or currently registered as an agent of a governmental body (i.e., correctional institution, park district, college or public library), willing to undertake local responsibility for presenting NTI Traveling Exhibition events. Sponsors may include local arts agencies, arts organizations, community centers, museums, libraries, and colleges.

The Cost

The exhibition rental cost is $150 (non-refundable) per exhibition, which is due 45 days from the invoice date. Approval of the application is based on the availability of the exhibit requested and program funding, which is determined on a first-come, first-served basis.

Exhibition Installation

Fine art installation is a specialized area that is an art unto itself. It requires a foundation of technical skill in design, rigging, lighting, construction and preservation. An exhibit art installer must know the proper techniques for handling different types of materials—from three-dimensional sculpture to framed artwork. To ensure the safety and security of objects during handling, each exhibit is delivered and picked up by the NTI Installer who provides professional art installation to sponsoring organizations (with the exception of professional museums and galleries).

Exhibition Components

Each exhibition is available for eight (8) weeks and includes:

• Installation/Pick-up: Exhibits are delivered by the NTI Installer. Exhibition installation is provided, with the exception of sponsors that are professional museums and galleries.
• Insurance: Artwork is insured under the State of Nevada’s insurance policy.
• Publicity Materials: Packet includes press releases, media contacts, and three images with credit information.
• Gallery Notes: Each site receives 50 gallery notes of the exhibit. This publication includes interpretive and biographical information designed so the exhibit sponsors with no previous art training can effectively assist viewers to understand the intent of the exhibition.

Wall Space Requirements

To prevent any damage or loss of the artwork, it is necessary that exhibition areas be as secure as possible. Please check each exhibit for specific space and exhibition requirements, as they do vary.

• Most exhibitions require approximately 70–100 linear feet of wall space.
• All walls should be prepared for hanging (patched and painted) and be clear of previous displays prior to the installation.

Security Requirements

Although the State of Nevada insures the NTI–Traveling Exhibition artwork, the Exhibit Sponsor must give to objects borrowed the same care as it does comparable property of its own. Precautions must be taken to protect objects from fire, theft, mishandling, dirt, insects, and extremes of light, temperature and humidity while in the Exhibit Sponsor’s custody. Evidence of damage at the time of receipt or while in the Exhibit Sponsor’s custody will be reported immediately to NAC.

Care of Exhibit Artwork & Crate Storage

Under no circumstances may the Exhibit Sponsor remove any artwork included in an NTI space without prior written authorization from NAC. It is understood that all objects will remain in the condition received and will not be repaired, restored, cleaned or altered in any way without written permission from NAC. Exhibit Sponsors must store the exhibit crates in a safe place onsite during the entire exhibition.

Booking an Exhibition

Step 1: Planning for a Traveling Exhibit

One of the goals of the NTI–Traveling Exhibition Program is to increase audiences for visual arts events in communities throughout the state. During the planning stage, involve as many people as possible from your community. Rely on members from your group, committee, or organization to bring at least one friend, family member, or neighbor to view the exhibition. Locate potential exhibition sites in your community with spaces that are supervised when open to the public and locked during closed hours. Click on the NAC website at: Nevada Arts Council Along the top of the homepage, go to “Exhibitions,” then click “NTI Exhibits” to see what exhibits are available. Check the size for each exhibition as noted on the NTI Exhibits page on the website. Determine which exhibitions are appropriate for your community—consider your target audience and your organization’s mission. Select an Exhibit Sponsor who will be the local contact person responsible for facilitating the different components of the exhibition installation with the NTI Program Staff.

Step 2: Application Process

Check the Traveling Exhibition Schedule at nvartscouncil.org to see what exhibits are available. Applications for the NTI–Traveling Exhibition Program should be made at least three (3) months in advance of the planned exhibit. Exhibits must be booked for eight weeks and a sponsor may request up to three (3) exhibits per year. Approval of the application is based on the availability of the exhibit requested and funding, which is determined on a first-come, first-served basis. Once your organization selects your preferred exhibit, the Exhibit Sponsor will fill out an NTI–Traveling Exhibition Application listing the exhibit as well as indicating specific dates for an eight-week display period. New Exhibit Sponsors must also fill out a Facilities Report, which gives NAC an overview of the site’s security and size. Complete the Facilities Report and e-mail or fax it with the Traveling Exhibition application to NAC as soon as possible. When completed, fax the NTI–Traveling Exhibition Application to 775.687.6688 or e-mail to sreid@nevadaculture.org After NAC has approved the exhibit dates, NTI Staff will send the Traveling Exhibit Sponsor an NTI Sponsor packet that includes:

• Sponsor’s Final Report
• Rental Invoice Form

A $150 non-refundable payment for the exhibit is due forty-five (45) days from the invoice date. The Exhibit Sponsor should return the Rental Invoice Form with a payment made to the NAC Traveling Exhibition Program. NAC cannot install the exhibit until it receives the rental payment. Upon receipt of the Rental Payment, the Exhibit Sponsor will receive a Publicity and Education Packet, including hard copies and a CD of the publicity materials including:

• Three images of exhibit artwork
• A Press Release describing the exhibit
• Logos to be used on publicity materials
• Two Gallery Notes – the NTI Installer will bring each sponsor 50 copies on the exhibit installation

Step 3: Pre-installation Preparations

Before the exhibit installation date, the Exhibit Sponsor begins to work on the following:

• The Exhibit Sponsor must prepare all exhibit walls for installation; i.e., patched, painted, and remove all previously exhibited art work . The NTI Installer will not be responsible for removal of any artwork that does not belong to the NTI Program.
• Publicize the exhibition to the media, community members and local government officials. Acknowledge theappropriate agencies and organizations as outlined in the Traveling Exhibition application

Step 4: Outreach/education activities

Exhibit Sponsors are required to coordinate at least one community outreach and/or activities to bring in community members to view the exhibition. For example, you might invite a local senior group or members of the local Rotary Club or the Chamber of Commerce for a special tour of the exhibit. Use the Gallery Notes to help enhance the experience of community members including K-12 grade students while viewing the exhibitions. Teachers and/or volunteer tour guides are encouraged to adapt information in the gallery notes to the instructional skills of students viewing the exhibit. Hosting an opening for each exhibit is a great way to generate publicity and enthusiasm for the exhibit and your organization or facility. Invite legislators and community leaders to the exhibition opening so they can experience firsthand the results of public funding the arts. On the Final Report, please provide NAC with information about your outreach activities, including dates and times. Throughout the exhibit document the various activities by photographing different groups viewing artwork or participating in outreach programs.

Step 5: Installation & Exhibition

The NTI Installer will coordinate the installation/pick-up times and dates with each Exhibit Sponsor, Once t h e timeline is confirmed, the NTI Installer will work with the Exhibit Sponsor during the installation and pick-up. The Exhibit Sponsor must provide a staff person to help the NTI Installer load and unload the van and hang the artwork. This person must be available during the entire exhibit’s installation and de-installation process. During the installation and pick-up, the Exhibit Sponsor and the NTI Installer will review the artwork and approve the Condition Reports for each piece of artwork. The Exhibit Sponsor is responsible for storing the exhibit crates.

Step 6: Final Reporting

Forty-five (45) days after the exhibition closes, the Exhibit Sponsor must submit a Sponsor’s Final Report. NAC uses this information to evaluate the program, and it provides vital statistical information for our grant and legislative reports. Submit the following to the NAC Carson City office:

• Sponsor’s Final Report
• Exhibition Publicity Packet, including:
  • 2 copies of all exhibition press coverage. Please include the publication’s name and date.
  • Samples of your institution’s final printed materials such as announcements and invitations, programs, or publications. 2-3 copies of each would be appreciated, if possible.
  • Documentation ( photographs or digital images of the installation, events, programs, and visitors) of your exhibition. Please provide as many “action shots” as possible including images of school groups, etc.

Please make sure that the Nevada Arts Council has the right to reproduce the images you send us as we often use them in reports and publications. Any digital files may be emailed to sreid@nevadaculture.org.

Have Questions?

Staff can guide both new and experienced sponsors through the steps necessary to present rewarding community arts events by providing information and technical assistance in such areas as planning, publicity and audience development. Please call Stephen Reid, the NTI-Installer at 775-687-7108 or send an email to sreid@nevadaculture.org.

Traveling Exhibition Program Application

Please read the NTI–Traveling Exhibition Application Guidelines before filing out the application. Sponsors must apply at least three (3) months in advance and each exhibit must be booked for eight (8) week time period. Approval of the application is based on the availability of the exhibit requested and program funding which is determined on a first-come, first-served basis. New exhibit sponsors will also have to fill out the Facilities Report on pages 7-9. To reserve your desired exhibit, fill out the two page application—print and sign, then: a) Email to: sreid@nevadaculture.org. b) Fax to: 775.687.6688; or c) Mail to: Nevada Arts Council—NTI Application, 716 N. Carson St. Suite A, Carson City, NV.