Public given opportunity to provide input on Nevada's state of the arts

The Nevada Arts Council is asking Nevada residents to share their thoughts about the state of the arts in Nevada. Residents can respond by attending one of 13 meetings throughout the state or by filling out an online survey at: www.artsmarket.com/nevada.html.

The Arts Council's Community Arts Development Program Coordinator Robin A. Hodgkin said comments from the public are the most critical component to updating the blueprint and setting the council's priorities for funding.

Public comment gathered through these components will assist the Nevada Arts Council in developing its presentation for the upcoming Legislative Session, creating a Nevada Cultural Inventory and guiding the Arts Council's activities for the next three years, she said.

The Nevada Arts Council established the Nevada Cultural Blueprint in 1996 as a strategic plan to help guide its efforts. The Blueprint is used to investigate the cultural needs of Nevada's communities and constituents, evaluate the council's role as a state agency, and address the future of arts in Nevada.

"Public participation is essential," Hodgkin said. "Residents provide us with information we need to help meet their needs. A community may need more support for arts in education, or it may be more important to encourage and sustain area artists. This is the kind of information only the people who live in these communities can provide."

The survey is available online at NevadaCulture.org, or by contacting the Nevada Arts Council at (775) 687-6680. Surveys should be completed and mailed to the Nevada Arts Council by Nov. 1.

IF YOU GO

Arts Town Meetings allow the public to speak directly to the Nevada Arts Council members about the importance of arts and cultural issues. Northern Nevada meetings will be held at the following locations:

Sept. 19 -- Reno

Sept. 30 -- Carson City

Oct. 2 -- Winnemucca

Oct. 3 -- Elko

Oct. 8 -- Yerington

Oct. 10 -- Fallon

Oct. 16 -- South Lake Tahoe

Oct. 29 -- Hawthorne