DCA

Spring, 2010

Michael E. Fischer
Director, Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs

With a new year have come new challenges and 2010 has given the Department of Cultural Affairs the opportunity to meet those challenges while forging ahead to fulfill our missions of education, preservation and cultural leadership. The Special Legislative session brought some administrative challenges but that hasn’t stopped the hard working staff of the agency from bringing our constituents the outstanding services they’ve come to expect.

In many ways 2010 seems to be shaping up to be a banner year. Two, one-hundred year anniversaries will be marked in 2010. First, the fully-restored McKeen Motor Car will make its first post-restoration passenger excursion on May 9, 2010, exactly 100 years to the day it first arrived in Carson City. The restoration team at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City has put countless hours into the effort to restore the car to its original glory.

Another 100-year celebration will be marked by the Nevada Historical Society with their exhibit “Johnson-Jeffries Fight: A Centennial Exhibition” with celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Fight of the Century which took place between Jack Johnson and James J. Jeffries in Reno, Nevada on July 4, 1910. The exhibit will run through July 30 so please make some time to stop by the Historical Society to catch a glimpse.

I want to take a moment to recognize the Nevada Arts Council for hosting the OASIS cultural convening again this spring. The event, which took place in Las Vegas, brought together individuals from every corner of the cultural spectrum. The conference addressed public art, marketing and social networks, accessibility, arts & learning, artists as civic animators and much more. Workshops and sessions on these topics were filled to capacity at the OASIS 2010 Conference.

In addition the Arts Council put on the spectacular 30th Annual Governor’s Arts Awards. Special thanks goes to the Arts Council board without which the event would not have been possible. They secured funding and donations to support this year’s Governor’s Arts Awards. We extend our profound appreciation to our generous donors —The International Culinary Institute of The Arts Institute of Las Vegas, NV Energy, The Charles N. Mathewson Foundation, Las Vegas Design Center/World Market Center, Barrick Gold Corporation, The Smith Center, Cirque du Soleil, Southwest Gas Corporation, CarWil Engineered Wear Solutions, Kunder Design Studio, Arger-Martucci Vineyards, Little Church of the West, and dozens of individuals.

While you’re here at the Department of Cultural Affairs website, I encourage you to take a look around. The department has spent a great deal of energy updating and upgrading the website to enhance its functionality for. Many thanks to the State Historic Preservation Office who helped fund this needed upgrade. Join our mailing list to get updated information about the department’s activities. A link is available on the homepage.

I look forward to all that 2010 has to offer. I hope you continue to join me in supporting all the fantastic efforts of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs.