Federal officials tour Copeland Building

On Thursday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Acting Deputy Under Secretary Lillian Salerno and USDA Rural Development Nevada State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad visited the Copeland Lumber Building in Minden.

A plan to convert the building into a 300-seat performance venue called Copeland Community Arts Center has been in the works since at least 2006.

Constructed in 1968, the building was home to Copeland Lumber and was placed on the Nevada State Register of Historic Places in 2022.

Rural Development and the Department of Agriculture awarded the Carson Valley Arts Council a $15,000 grant via the Rural Business Development Grant program to support this conversion process. This project is expected to benefit over 2,000 people.

“We’re proud to invest in the vibrant culture of rural Nevada,” said State Director Lucas Ingvoldstad. “This Arts Center will provide benefit for local residents as well as serving as a shining beacon of the creativity, ingenuity, and skill of folks in the Silver State.”

This Rural Development investment will be used to provide technical assistance for architectural design services for the conversion of the former Copeland Lumber Building into the Copeland Community Cultural Arts Center.

The building will also house an artisan store, an art gallery, classroom and meeting spaces, and a performance venue.