Mark Salinas has accepted the new position of Carson City Arts and Cultural coordinator. Salinas, from New York City,
Carson City has its first arts and culture coordinator.
Mark Salinas, a Queens, N.Y., artist and businessman, was chosen from among 48 applicants for the job.
“From the beginning of the process all the way through checking his references and talking to members of the New York Arts Council and members of the New York and Queens arts communities, Mark has stood out as someone who has the experience and expertise necessary for the job,” said Joel Dunn, executive director, Carson City Visitors Bureau. “His transition from being an artist to art administrator gives him a unique perspective.”
Salinas and two other candidates visited Carson City last week and were interviewed by a panel including City Manager Nick Marano, Supervisor Karen Abowd and Dunn.
Salinas and another finalist, Sue-Anne Chapman, also gave 20-minute presentations at a public event at the Brewery Arts Center’s Performance Hall.
During that presentation, Salinas described his work and some ideas he had for Carson City, including a passport program that would recognize high school kids for volunteering in the arts community and bringing the city’s art to senior citizens who might not normally have a chance to get out and enjoy it.
Salinas owns and operates Arrows Up, a concept and design company that specializes in exhibition displays and marketing strategies. Clients include Nike, Chanel and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
He has more than 10 years’ experience in the gallery and museum industry.
He talked about some of his work with galleries, including overseeing the transportation of a 10,000 pound sculpture from San Francisco to New York.
“That was my first month on the job,” said Salinas. “If you talk to me afterwards you’ll see the gray hair.”
Salinas also founded 7trainmurals, a nonprofit community group of volunteers who paints murals in blighted and vacant locations along the 7 commuter train in Queens and Manhattan.
In March, the Board of Supervisors approved the Carson City Arts and Culture Master Plan as an amendment to the city’s master plan.
The plan created a new position, the arts and culture coordinator, to coordinate programming, services, research and grants.
A 1 percent hike in the transient occupancy tax will cover the cost of implementing the plan, including hiring the coordinator.
Salinas and city officials will work during September to establish policies, procedures and best common practices for the position. He will start the job Oct. 1.
“We think Mark is going to do a fantastic job,” said Dunn. “He has a solid resume and really showed a lot of enthusiasm for the job during his interview last week. All of us on the hiring committee were impressed.”