Chances are that the last time you took in a cultural offering in Nevada — a dance performance, a local artist’s exhibit, a festival — it was supported by the Nevada Arts Council (NAC).
It’s not a nonprofit — but, as the biggest source of public arts and culture funding in the state, it has financially supported a lot of them (such as Nevada Public Radio). The agency is a part of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, and most of its funding comes from the state. It also gets federal money.
Nonprofits have had a tough time of it, going back to the beginning of last year, especially with getting grants. Specifically, there have been changes at the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which works with and gives money directly to Nevada Arts Council. And yet, for all that cultural nonprofits have endured — especially with grant terminations from the National Endowment For the Humanities, which once supplied Nevada Humanities with 75% of its funding — the NAC has fared pretty well.
"There were some funds and some grants that were pulled, direct grants from the NEA to the state that were pulled, and then some that were reinstated," said Tony Manfredi, the council’s executive director. "I will say, though, the NEA funding has been flat since 2022 at $207 million, and we actually had a couple increases these past couple years around America 250 and some arts and health initiatives. So we're not seeing the same challenges that the National Endowment for Humanities [is] seeing."
The NAC focused on three areas. Grant giving is where the organization devotes most of its energy; lately it's been distributing about $1.7 million annually in funds to artists, organizations, venues, and other cultural institutions. It also directs attention to arts education, which it treats not just as a directive for the young, but as a lifelong endeavor. Finally, it creates quality of life initiatives, as it sees the arts as essential to one's well-being. That can include therapy centered around visual art, music, and dance.
"The arts are around and in and through everything," Manfredi said. "They are a real driver of health as well. And so we're doing a lot of work in that area."
They're also an economic driver. Gaming, dining, retail, sports, and big-ticket entertainment are often cited as engines for the Nevada economy, yet frequently overlooked is the arts/culture sector. In a study that looked at the year-long period between summer 2022 and May 2023, Nevada's arts and culture nonprofits generated $662 million and supported nearly 10,000 jobs. Some of that was possible, in part, from grants awarded by NAC.
"Sometimes it's a surprise for folks that there's a state agency that does this," Manfredi said. "But the arts are such a driver of so many significant contributions to the state: economic, cultural, civic, educational, health benefits — all of that really makes Nevada what it is."
Guest: Tony Manfredi executive director, Nevada Arts Council
