Carson City puts emphasis on arts and culture in 2017

Carson City will see a new emphasis on arts and culture in 2017.

Last year, the Board of Supervisors passed an arts and culture master plan that established an agency to manage programming, services, research and grants.

The plan is getting into gear this year with the hiring in the fall last year of the city’s first arts and culture coordinator, Mark Salinas.

Also, Carson City landmark Brewery Arts Center has a full schedule, ranging from its first two concerts the weekend of Jan. 14, to its second TedX event in October.

And downtown Carson City and the Carson Mall both welcomed new arts shops last year, including the Carson City Art Gallery and Pottery in an historic building on Curry Street and the Ogres-Holm Pottery Studio in the mall.

This month, Artsy Fartsy art gallery on Curry Street is moving into new, bigger digs on Nevada Street.

The year will start with some events for the arts community itself.

A mixer for the many arts organizations is planned at the Arlington Ice Rink in January and in February a marketing class for artists will be held at the Adams Hub, said Salinas.

Also, in February, for the first time a reception for both the Assembly and Senate will be held to celebrate the art on display during the 2017 legislative session.

The Carson City Visitors Bureau, where the arts and culture office is located, will feature a year-long exhibit of work by contemporary native American artists from throughout the Great Basin.

The exhibit will rotate quarterly, featuring work from 15-16 different artists.

Salinas also is waiting to hear on several grant applications, one of which would fund a mural to be made for Hispanic Heritage month in September and another to host programs around Charles Portis’ “True Grit” as part of the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read program.

The BAC is awaiting this week to hear if it will again receive the Levitt AMP grant to fund another 10-week free outdoor summer concert series.

But it already has other concerts planned, starting with Scottish band The Fire at BAC’s Black Box Theater on Jan. 14 and Bostyx, a Boston and Styx tribute band featuring Boston’s David Victor, in the Performance Hall on Jan. 15.

Also in January, Hick’ry Switch kicks off a new series featuring local bands. The four-piece group performs Jan. 28 in the Blackbox Theater.

“We have five dates selected so far and it begins in January with Hickr’y Switch with a $5 cover that the band gets to keep,” said Gina Lopez Hill, executive director, BAC. “We want to really highlight local talent as well as bringing in artists.”

The BAC will also host its first real performance art, said Hill, when New York artist Heather Harper brings Burning to the Black Box Theater in February.

Also in February, the BAC will host its annual fundraiser, Winter Wine Spirits and All That Jazz. This year’s theme is Fire and Ice and will feature Controlled Burn performance group and Dysrhythmia dance company as well as food and wine and beer tasting.

The BAC is staging the play “Bus Stop” in March and the musical “The Producers” in the fall.

“The Eldorado donated their entire set for it,” said Hill, referring to the Reno casino where the Tony Award-winning musical recently played.

And in October, the BAC will once again host the popular ideas event called TedX.

For more information and tickets to the BAC events, go online to breweryarts.org.

For more information on planned city events, go to visitcarsoncity.com where there is an extensive calendar.