Nevada Humanities announced today that it has granted funds totaling $248,089 to 47 organizations for projects slated to take place in 2021. Several visual arts programs will be funded, including:
- Capital City Arts Initiative’s ongoing “Nevada Neighbors” lecture series in Carson City
- An immersive video installation in Elko to correspond with “Shattering The Pictures from Our Heads,” a series of films by students from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation
- The Art of Jean LaMarr, a retrospective that opens at the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno in February
- Speak Your Truth, an art-education-integration project by artist David “Olmeca” Barragan at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas
Additional grant funding for cultural organizations is available in the form of Nevada Humanities Mini-Grants (up to $2,000) and Planning Grants (up to $1,000). Applications for these are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Here are all of the grantees announced today:
2021 Nevada Humanities Major Project Grant Awardees
300 Stewart Avenue Corporation dba The Mob Museum – Las Vegas ($3,750)
Illustrating a Changing Landscape: A Pictorial History of Las Vegas
The Mob Museum will develop an artistically engaging outdoor area with a theme rich with historical importance and intrigue—Las Vegas through the 20th Century. The outdoor area will feature an original 80-foot-long mural painted by a local artist.
Boulder City Chautauqua – Boulder City ($3,750)
2021 Boulder City Chautauqua
Great American Humorists Julia Child, Will Rogers, Erma Bombeck, and Mark Twain is the theme of the 2021 Boulder City Chautauqua. This performing arts event uses entertainment to bring history alive and features four history scholars who perform historical portrayals of famous characters.
Capital City Arts Initiative – Carson City ($2,076)
Nevada Neighbors #71 – 76
A signature lecture series, Nevada Neighbors, presents talks by regional and local scholars, curators, and artists on contemporary visual art practice.
City of Henderson – Henderson ($4,900)
A Celebration of Nevada’s Past, Present, and Future Through Cowboy Poetry
As a part of Henderson’s Industrial Days, a community performance and educational workshops will be presented by world-renowned cowboy poet Waddie Mitchell. A native Nevadan, Mitchell is notorious for provoking new thoughts and viewpoints in a way that creates laughter, conversations, and change.
City of Las Vegas Office of Cultural Affairs – Las Vegas ($6,000)
A New Model for Literacy Programs: Interactive Virtual Creative Learning Experiences
StorySLAM and Poet’s Corner creative writing programs will pivot to a virtual model. This program ensures that learners and participants have equitable, quality access to creative writing and interactive storytelling programs through online workshops for all ages and experiences.
Cockroach, Inc. dba Vegas Theatre Company – Las Vegas ($4,125)
Womxn of Color Arts Festival
This festival celebrates Las Vegas’ womxn artists of color, providing a stage for their stories, vision, and talent as a means to address the relatively limited representation of their works by our arts institutions.
Dam Short Film Society – Boulder City ($4,125)
Dam Short Film Festival
The Dam Short Film Festival is an annual event in Boulder City that celebrates filmmakers and artists from around the world. Selected films showcase the perspectives of filmmakers coming from a variety of cultural and sociological backgrounds.
DISCOVERY Children’s Museum – Las Vegas ($6,000)
DISCOVERY Cultural Programs
Year-round programming at the DISCOVERY Children’s Museum will focus on cultural themes including, Dia de los Muertos, Native American heritage, Hispanic heritage, Black history, and the Nutcracker. Cultural themes are woven throughout the Museum’s programs and activities.
Great Basin National Park Foundation – Baker ($6,000)
Nevada’s Dark Sky Heritage- Great Basin dark sky research, education, outreach, and preservation
The remote Great Basin has some of the most pristine, dark skies in the contiguous United States. This project will utilize multiple approaches to encourage Nevadans to celebrate and preserve their dark sky heritage.
Henderson Writers Group – Henderson ($4,125)
Las Vegas Writers Conference
The Henderson Writers Group will support the Las Vegas Writers Conference, which provides diverse activities and a curriculum for writers of all levels, regardless of their publication history. This support will keep the conference affordable for struggling local authors to help them share their stories.
Jazz Outreach Initiative – Las Vegas ($6,000)
Jazz for Young People and E-Interviews with Historic Jazz Artists & Composers
Jazz Outreach Initiative will increase exposure to jazz studies among Nevada’s young adults. Their on-line learning opportunities include round table discussions with world-renowned jazz luminaries; conversations around the history of jazz; the effect of jazz on our culture and history; and how jazz influences affect the history and culture, writings, and music of Nevada and Clark County.
Lincoln County – Pioche ($4,144)
Preserving and Promoting Pioche
The town of Pioche will hold a full-day, historic preservation and economic development workshop. Preserving and Promoting Pioche is the first step for a community-based vision and plan that unites the county, state agencies, and local organizations and businesses.
National Historic California Trail Interpretive Center Foundation – Elko ($3,500)
38th Annual Oregon-California Trails Association Convention Elko, Nevada
This project hosts the 2021 Oregon-California Trails Association Convention in Elko. The convention will include tours that showcase Native American and emigrant history throughout Elko County, speakers who will discuss emigrant, Chinese, and Native American history from the mid-19th century, and opportunities to learn about life on the trail.
National Juneteenth Observance Foundation Nevada – Las Vegas ($6,750)
All Things Juneteenth
This project shares cultural and historical aspects of Juneteenth, as well as highlighting residents and properties associated with the historic Westside Las Vegas community. Special events and celebratory activities throughout June include a public display of the Juneteenth flag, a video presentation about the significance of Juneteenth, African dance, and more.
Neon Museum – Las Vegas ($5,250)
Neon Museum Oral History Project and Online Exhibition
The Neon Museum will continue its effort to record oral histories from notable neon sign professionals and from community members. These oral histories will be used to develop future exhibitions and be included in the Neon Museum’s education resources.
Nevada Center for Civic Engagement, National History Day – Sparks ($6,000)
History Day in Nevada
National History Day in Nevada aims to bring access to Nevada’s museums and experts to students in grades 5-12. This project will provide teachers with blended and online learning options while introducing students to highly engaging and thought-provoking information about Nevada’s history.
Nevada Center for Civic Engagement, We The People – Sparks ($6,000)
2020-2021 We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution Professional Development Training
All interested Nevada teachers will receive virtual training during the 2020-2021 school year in the We The People and The Citizen & the Constitution curriculum for use in their classrooms across Nevada.
Nevada Museum of Art – Reno ($6,750)
The Art of Jean LaMarr
This exhibition, which features more than 100 artworks by Jean LaMarr from the 1970s to present, will be on view at the Nevada Museum of Art from February 6 – August 8, 2021. Jean LaMarr is an internationally recognized artist, educator, and Native American advocate who sparks powerful conversations about cultural stereotypes, representations of Native women, and environmental justice.
Nevada Preservation Foundation – Las Vegas ($3,973.75)
Board + Batten: The Architecture of Nevada
Board + Batten, a monthly talk on specific historic preservation projects and architectural resources across Nevada, will be held in a Lunch and Learn format via Zoom.
Nevada Women’s Film Collective – Las Vegas ($5,250)
Nevada Women’s Film Festival
The 7th annual Nevada Women’s Film Festival, which supports the fair representation of women in film while highlighting Nevada talent, will feature a hybrid model of (hopefully) in-person and online experiences. The festival includes film screenings, featured guests, a panel, and networking opportunities—all with an emphasis on equality and diversity.
North Central Nevada Historical Society – Winnemucca ($3,331.90)
Humboldt Museum Digital Exhibits
This project will bring a digital element to the Humboldt Museum’s exhibits with customized software and interactive kiosks.
Northeastern Nevada Historical Society – Elko ($5,000)
Continuing The Conversation: “Shattering The Pictures from Our Heads”
Shattering The Pictures From Our Heads, an immersive video installation, deconstructs the “mythic Indian” stereotypes of mainstream media from the perspective of members of the Sho-Pai Tribes. This project is part of Edge of Discovery’s film mentorship program that started in 2014 with students from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.
Northern Nevada Literacy Council – Reno ($7,500)
Family Reading Program Learning Materials
Northern Nevada Literacy Council’s Family Reading Program is an intergenerational literacy project that teaches and explains the developmental importance of read-aloud and other techniques to adults. This project builds children’s early-literacy and school-readiness skills.
Note-Able Music Therapy Services – Reno ($6,000)
Bluebird Radio Hour: Reaching Isolated Seniors Through Music and Stories
The Bluebird Radio Hour will be a weekly, hour-long radio program designed to reach socially isolated seniors that supports seniors’ physical, social, cognitive, and mental health by encouraging community engagement through the free, accessible format of radio.
Our Story, Inc, – Reno ($6,000)
The Longest Fight, The Story of Joe Gans
Documentary filmmaker Ted Faye will produce a short documentary for distribution, as well as a full length outline/script for a documentary film on the life of Joe Gans, the first African American boxing champion.
Poetry Promise, Inc. – Las Vegas ($6,525)
Poetry Promise Provides
Poetry Promise Provides is community-based support for writers of all levels. Working poets help students in Clark County find personal creative writing experiences through free, supportive workshops and readings. This project brings in key poets from the national scene, so local artists can connect to the American experience and develop their writing techniques.
Robert Rock Belliveau and Rita Deannin Abbey Foundation dba Desert Space Foundation – Henderson ($7,500)
20th Annual Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival
The 20th Annual Las Vegas Jewish Film Festival will present a free, monthly, online film series (supplemented by Zoom webinars). Films will be moderated by filmmakers and scholars related to the subject matter of each film.
Sierra Arts Foundation – Reno ($5,250)
WestStops II: Cultural Legacies
Available and accessible to all, this outdoor art gallery installation in Elko includes larger-than-life, black-and-white, wheat paste style photographic murals on the Western Folklife Center’s alleyway wall. The images will center on historic, regional images of traditional Western lifestyles and cultural practices.
Sierra Nevada Ballet – Reno ($5,250)
The Rainbow People
The Rainbow People is a virtual ballet and musical performance for young people that promotes social equality and features an original story by Rosine Bena, which is told in poetic verse written by Ananda Bena-Weber. It will be performed by the Sierra Nevada Ballet and includes an original, musical score by Eric Andersen that will be performed by the Reno Philharmonic Orchestra. Funding will support educational components of this project.
Sin City Opera dba Vegas City Opera – Henderson ($4,125)
2020: Song Cycle
The Vegas City Opera will create a platform for local poets, storytellers, musicians, and artists to create works expressing the difficulties experienced by Nevada residents during 2020. The presentation will culminate in a May 2021 body of work titled 2020: Song Cycle.
Springs Preserve Foundation – Las Vegas ($3,519,99)
Bringing the Springs Preserve to Your Home: Increasing Virtual and Remote Public Programming
This project will develop virtual and online experiences through video production of site tours, toddler time, and archaeological research with five professionally produced videos and numerous GoPro content. Guests will be able to bring the Springs Preserve into their homes.
Sylvia Rivera Center for Social Justice – Reno ($3,500)
Honoring Intersections: Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Latinx Ancestors & Legacies
This project will consist of multiple cultural events that highlight and center LGBTQIA+ communities of color.
Texas After Violence Project Forced Trajectory Project – Las Vegas ($4,125)
Forced Trajectory Project
Forced Trajectory Project is a media, public relations, and advocacy agency dedicated to investigating police misconduct through primary sources such as witnesses, survivors, and families of police homicide victims. This project serves as a unique portal to these often unheard stories.
The Holland Project – Reno ($6,000)
20-21 Holland Project Curator Series
The Curator Series includes gallery exhibitions organized by the resident Holland Project curators that serve as the jumping-off point for a variety of events and avenues for exploration and pulls together the worlds of art, music, and humanities.
The Holland Project IGNITE – Reno ($6,000)
Igniting Visionary Minds
IGNITE seeks to meet the need for accessible programs for Reno’s low-income communities by providing opportunities for BlPOC families to participate in culturally relevant workshops and engage with humanities and the arts.
The National Judicial College – Reno ($5,249.48)
Reading & Robes in Humboldt County
Reading & Robes is a unique outreach program that will engage judges with diverse groups of Nevada’s children to help them acquire the “building blocks” of civics values. Judges volunteer their time, wear their robes, and read culturally diverse books to children on themes of justice, fairness, and the law.
The Public Education Foundation – Las Vegas ($4,125)
The Public Education Foundation Virtual Community Art Gallery
A team of student interns, under the direction of The Public Education Foundation’s Humanities Scholar, will curate four art virtual exhibitions. The students will be responsible for determining the theme of each exhibit, gathering the pieces, collecting artist statements, and creating a virtual exhibit.
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts – Las Vegas ($5,000)
Speak Your Truth
This project by artist David “Olmeca” Barragan will provide instruction and workshops for students, educators, and community members to engage in art-integrated learning experiences through culturally relevant teaching. This project encourages participants to relate course content to their cultural context.
University Nevada Las Vegas, Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute – Las Vegas ($6,750)
Black Mountain Radio
Black Mountain Radio is an artist-driven and community-focused audio project, which is broadcast from Las Vegas and Reno, drawing attention to untold narratives. The program will showcase intimate conversations, original performances, and oral histories from Vegas Valley artists and writers.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Department of Art – Las Vegas ($6,000)
24 Views
24 Views is a long-term art project that investigates the United States Census and its impact on our collective understanding of ourselves. Through drawings, workshops, and the publication of an exhibition catalog, this project will engage students and the public in dialogue about the Census’ applications and historical legacy.
University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art – Las Vegas ($7,500)
BIPOC, LGBTQIA+ Humanities Projects from November 2020 – September 2021
This year-long series of scholarship, exhibitions, and performances will be produced in collaboration with the Womxn of Color Arts Festival, the GULCH arts collective, and students from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The program will take place at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art.
University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Gender, Race, & Identity – Reno ($7,500)
Resistance and Resurgence: A Celebration of Indigenous People’s Day
Resistance and Resurgence will feature Indigenous scholars Leanne Betasamosake Simpson (Michi Saagiig Nishnaabeg) and Dr. Robin Wall Kimmerer (Citizen Potawatomi Nation), writers, and activists in conversation with the northern Nevada Indigenous community.
University of Nevada, Reno, John and Geraldine Lilley Museum of Art – Reno ($7,500)
En Medio: Senses of Migration
An exhibition and public lecture series will focus on the diaspora of the US-Mexico border that will be expressed through visual art, performance art, music, and humanities scholarship. The exhibition and lectures will be held at the Lilley Museum, University of Nevada, Reno, and provides the basis for an exploration of cultural representations of the immigrant experience.
University of Nevada, Reno, School of the Arts – Reno ($7,500)
Sweet Honey in the Rock Residency
Sweet Honey in the Rock, a renowned a cappella ensemble, will participate in a 3-day residency as part of the 60th Performing Arts Series season. Through this residency the community will experience programs related to social justice through music, African American history, contemporary Black American experiences, and American Sign Language.
University of Nevada, Reno, University of Nevada Press – Reno ($3,500)
Latinos in Nevada
Latinos in Nevada by Tuman, Damore, Howard, and Kopalyan is a data-driven analysis of the Latino population in Nevada from the earliest European settlement through today. This project describes Latinos diverse ethnic and national origins, cultural differences, class tensions, and more.
Virgin Valley Artists Association – Mesquite ($1,869.28)
Get Smart With Art Youth Classes
Get Smart With Art offers free youth classes for children ages 8-14. This project provides students with an opportunity to create visual, artistic records of their impressions while they learn about the history of Nevada’s people, the diverse experiences of its residents, and the physical challenges some famous artists have faced.
Western Folklife Center – Elko ($7,500)
National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Rodear Year Humanities Programming
The Western Folklife Center, in partnership with the Humanities Center at Great Basin College, will present a talk, virtual panel discussion, and highlights from previous humanities talks as part of the National Cowboy Poetry Gathering’s Rodear Year event in late January and early February, 2021.
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