Okay.

Hello, everyone.

I would like to call this meeting to order.

I now call the February 19th, 2026 meeting for the City of Las Vegas Art Commission to order.

Would the Deputy City Clerk call the roll, please?

Certainly.

Chair Beals?

Here.

Vice Chair Benarchik.

Here.

Second Vice Chair Roberts.

Is excused Commissioner Clevin?

Here.

Commissioner Douglas.

Is excused.

Commissioner DeSantis.

Here.

Commissioner Chirk.

Present.

Commissioner Chi.

Commissioner Portnoy.

Present.

Commissioner Commissioner Von Bastians.

Present.

Commissioner Galotti.

Present.

Thank you, Chair.

You have a quorum.

Thank you so much.

We're moving on to item number two.

Has the meeting been properly noticed and posted in compliance with the Nevada Open Meeting Law?

Yes, it has, Chair.

Thank you so much, Brian.

And now we're going to move to item number three, public comment.

Comment during this portion of the agenda must be limited to matters on the agenda for action.

If you wish to be heard, come forward and give your name for the record.

The amount of discussion as well as the amount of time any single speaker is allowed may be limited.

I see no one at this time, so we're going to move to action item number four for possible action to approve the final minutes by reference of the regular meeting of January 15th, 2026.

Would anyone like to make a motion?

Commissioner Clevan, I move to approve the minutes.

Okay, thank you.

And so now I would like to call for the vote.

All in favor.

Okay.

Any opposed?

Great.

The motion passes.

Now I would like to move on to item number five, report by Carmen Beals, Arts Commission Chair, regarding a monthly summary of current initiatives, curl cultural events, and opportunities awards.

Celebrate with us at the opening reception of the annual Lunar New Year Exhibition, Year of the Horse Today.

Thursday, February 19th from 5 to 7 p.m.

at the Mayor's Gallery at the Historic Fifth Street School.

Light bites and refreshments will be available, and our very own commissioner, Craig Galati will be uh in the show.

Please join us on Feb Friday, February 20th at 10 a.m.

for the unveiling of Jean Jeannie by Wayne Little John.

The event will take place at the Shadow Lane entrance of the UNLV Dental School where guests can view the artwork up close and hear directly from the artist.

Please join us on March 4th from 6 to 8 p.m.

at the Charleston Heights Art Center Gallery at 800 South Brush Street for the closing reception of a visual mixtape by Don Michael Jr.

Please join us for the opening reception of Rhythm and Resilience, Black Vegas on Thursday, March 12th from 6 to 8 p.m.

at the Civic Center Gallery on 525 South Main Street, which is right across the sidewalk.

This exhibition explores African American life in Vegas from its first black resident through the 1980s, celebrating creativity, resilience, and achievements that shape the city's character.

Curated by Carmen Beals and narrated by Clayton T.

White, the exhibition will be on view from March 12th through August 20th.

And for more information about these events, please visit www.artslasvegas.org or call 70229 Arts.

Do any commissioners have additional events or happenings they would like to mention?

This is Commissioner Cloven.

There is an opening exhibition at the Barrack Museum tomorrow, February 20th from 7 to 8 p.m.

They are opening a new exhibition, El Camino Cetraza Alandar.

The path is traced by walking.

This is part of their new exhibition series for the spring.

Okay, is there anyone else?

Okay.

Well, seeing none, I hope that uh we can at we can go to the uh first exhibition with the lunar new year exhibition, which is right after our meeting today.

And I'm going to move forward on item number seven discussing regarding discussion regarding oh sorry, six reports by cultural affairs staff regarding a monthly summary of current initiatives awards.

Thank you, Brian.

Hi, Commissioners.

Um, you should have received your staff report this morning um on updates from our percent for the arts projects, and we've also put together a presentation to show you the activities and initiatives happening now.

This is Mary Sabo for the record.

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce you all to Ashley Alberto.

She is interning with us this semester.

She's an art history major at UNLV.

So we'll have her uh working with us uh through May.

Yeah, and we're very happy to have her.

This is Parker Recky Johns.

Um you could see our upcoming meeting schedule.

Um March 13, excuse me, March 19th, April 16th, and May 21st.

Laura Machado for the record.

Uh thank you all uh arts commissioners who had an opportunity to visit for the unveiling of David Ryan's sculpture project.

It was a resounding success.

So waiting on a light on the corner by sound exchange was uh successfully passed all inspections, and the unveiling took place on Monday, February 2nd.

This project is complete, and if you haven't had a chance to see the sculpture, I encourage you to drive by.

It is on the corner of Third and Ogden.

Um, yes, it was an exciting new addition to the public art collection, and we're really thrilled to have this project complete on time and on budget.

Parker Recy.

Our AMP Gateway and Arts District Public Art Project is moving along well.

We are currently in the contracting phase, um, and we are hoping to soon set our painting schedule.

Our Ward 4 AMP project is moving along.

We're currently working with the selected artists on redesigns for the project.

Our Centennial Hills Park Environmental Tile Mural Project is also on schedule.

Um, we are currently uh working with our evaluation panel and our artists to uh contract through the next phase.

This is Laura Machado again for the record.

As you can see here, Cliff Garden Studio has reached the fourth project milestone.

You can see the fabricator is currently installing the steel rods on the exterior of the sculpture.

The sculpture will be 30 feet tall.

There's a lot of work to be done.

Uh, we're looking at the sculpture to be completely fabricated by the beginning of April.

And the installation of this piece in the center of Civic Plaza will be installed on April 26th.

And then we're going to have the dedication, if all moves smoothly, knock on wood, uh, on May 7th.

So you're all encouraged to join us.

It'll be an evening uh illumination event, and we'll have the mayor, council people, all of our arts commissioners, hopefully, music, entertainment, refreshments.

It'll be a great way to celebrate the completion of the plaza.

So we encourage you all to attend, and we're really looking forward to installing this piece.

This is Mary Sabo for the record.

Um, as always, we conduct routine condition assessments and inventory reports for items in the public art collection.

And we've been working with a conservation and maintenance vendor for collection maintenance and graffiti abatement.

So he's been taking care of a lot of our AMP utility cabinets, especially in the arts district.

So there's always always plenty to do.

A request for proposals was issued to a directly selected artist for this project.

Project stakeholders approved the design, and we are currently working on contracting.

This is Parker Recke.

The Wallapai Canyon Trailhead Environmental Public Art Project is moving along nicely.

This is Mary Sabo.

We are working with artist Justin Favela to bring a permanent sculpture to East Las Vegas.

And we're currently finalizing the second part of Justin's contract.

Also, uh the medical district public art projects for Rancho Gateway.

The artist for the healer is collecting three beds from contractors to then be able to finalize the contract.

Jean Jeannie on Shadow Lane, as mentioned earlier, has been installed, and the dedication uh ceremony will take place tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

So please please come.

That should be a fun, a fun event.

This concludes our presentation.

Um do any commissioners have any questions for us.

With no questions, I would like to thank the department for continuing to do such a wonderful job.

And now I'll move to item number seven discussion regarding topics for future agenda items.

Comments made during this portion of the agenda by individual members shall refer solely to proposals for future agenda items and discussion.

Any discussion shall be limited to whether or not such proposed items are within the purview of the commission, and or whether such proposed items shall be placed on a future agenda.

No discussion regarding the substance of any such proposed topic shall occur, and no action shall be taken.

This is Commissioner Douglas.

I'd like to propose speaking about the possibility of parking grants for artists in the arts district.

If we could get some conversation going about that, maybe there's something through the arts commission that we can assist with.

I know that the parking situation in the Las Vegas Arts District has been a piece of uh contemplation.

And I think that if we have some kind of granting program for those who are artists, uh musicians, those who are working in the galleries or the spaces there, if maybe we can provide some kind of annual pass, you know, for individuals.

Um I'd like to have that conversation.

And for the record, before I forget, I want to make sure that we know that uh let the record show member Vaughn Douglas and second vice chair Eric Roberts has arrived.

Uh, does anyone have anything else that they would like to add?

This is Commissioner Cleven.

I think this is a good opportunity if any of the commissioners are thinking about things that they want presentations or maybe reports.

Um, I know we're 13 minutes into our meeting and we do this monthly, and so if we want to make this more meaningful, this is a good opportunity for us to um discuss an item that we'd like to see on the agenda, not uh not that item in particular, but something we'd like to see.

So I think this just a good chance to really toss an idea out there.

This is Safira.

Um, I am curious.

I understand that this commission um is only here to administer and oversee funding for public art, and I want to get a better sense of what that definition is as public art.

What are events included?

If it's poetry, if it's literary, it's performance.

Like what is that definition of public art and how can we actually maximize the use of this funding?

This is Laura.

Just uh Machado for the record, uh, for clarification for the next agenda item that addresses that.

So what I'm hearing you say is you would like a report to discuss uh the funding source in our municipal code about what the percent for the arts funds.

Is that right?

Yes, and what is a specific definition that surrounds public art?

Because that could be really broad and that's up for interpretation.

So I just want to find out what that is and what could we do under that definition?

Okay, perfect.

Thank you.

And this is Chair Carmen, and I would like to add identifying our festivals to speak to with our festivals team and ask if they could share upcoming programming and how they work with artists.

So if there's no other questions or comments, I'll move to item number eight, citizens' participation.

Public comment during this portion of the agenda must be limited to matters within the jurisdiction of the commission.

No subject may be acted upon by the commission unless that subject is on the agenda and is scheduled for action.

If you wish to be heard, come forward and give your name for the record.

The amount of discussion on any single subject as well as the amount of time any single speaker is allowed, may be limited.

Seeing no one, I will move.

Does anyone have anything before I move to the next item?

Okay.

Uh we will move to item number nine, which is adjournment.

Okay.

Well do we just yep, it's adjourned.

It's a done deal.

All right.

Well, thank you, and I'll see.

I'm going to uh the lunar yes, I'm going to the lunar.