Commission provides funds for cultural events in Carson City

The Arts and Culture Special Event funding was divvied up among four groups by the Carson City Cultural Commission Tuesday.

The commission approved a total of $24,000 split between the Brewery Arts Center, Capital City Arts Initiative, the Mile High Jazz Band and the La Ke Lel Be Pow Wow Committee.

Gina Hill, the BAC executive director, said the requested $5,500 would be used to cover 8.6 percent of the cost of its upcoming summer music concert series, which this year is being funded in part by a grant from the Levitt Foundation.

The CCAI provides free art exhibitions throughout the city.

In its 16 years the group has hosted 45 exhibits, said Sharon Ross, CCAI executive director.

The exhibit space is an in-kind donation, but the group, which applied for $6,000, pays its artists an honorarium.

David Bugli, president, Mile High Jazz Band, applied for $8,000 to help cover the costs of its annual Jazz & Beyond music festival, now in its 13th year.

The festival will run Aug. 5-21 and will feature 60 performances, including for the first time a Sunday event at the Silver Saddle Ranch and events at the Nevada State Railroad Museum.

“The festival shows off the city as a whole as being a vibrant place,” Bugli said during his presentation.

He said the money would be used to pay the musicians, who receive an average $85 for a two-hour performance, and for some incidental costs like tent rentals.

The La Ke Lel Be Pow Wow application was first heard Monday by the Redevelopment Authority Citizens Committee, which referred it to the Cultural Commission.

Martin Montgomery, president of the La Ke Lel Be Pow Wow Committee, said the Nevada Day event hosted by the Carson Colony, Washoe Tribe and Committee features songs, dances, traditional and modern dress and food.

He said it’s a drug and alcohol free, family event that attracts attendees from all over the world.

Montgomery said the pow wow’s total cost was $21,300, but its request was for whatever amount the commission would allocate.

After hearing all the presentations, Commissioner Karen Abowd made a motion to award $5,500 to both the BAC and CCAI, $7,000 to the Jazz & Beyond festival and $6,000 to the La Ke Lel Be Pow Wow, which the commission passed unanimously.

The commission also discussed the best practices, policies and procedures for implementing the public art initiative in the Arts and Culture Plan presented by Kendall Hardin, Idea Factory, the consultant who helped the city develop the master plan and policies.

The policies and procedures outline, among other things, committees for selecting public art and other tasks.

During public comment, Maurice White brought up concerns about adherence to the open meeting law and other issues.

Iris Yowell, deputy district attorney, said she had a couple problems with the polices as written and suggested if the commission decided to pass them, it should do so with the stipulation the district attorney’s office could make some necessary changes.

After some discussion, the commission decided to table the item, give Lowell time to work on the documents and bring the item back in June, if ready, for the commission to recommend to the Board of Supervisors for approval.

The commission also heard a brief update on a downtown mural project.

Kyle Horvath, social media manager for the Carson City Visitors Bureau, said five proposals were received and local artist Eric Burke was chosen.

He will receive a $2,000 stipend to paint a mural on a 30-foot wall on Curry Street, across from the Purple Avocado.