Las Vegas Arts Commission Regular Meeting – October 15, 2026

The Las Vegas Arts Commission met on October 15, 2026, with Chair Carmen Beals presiding. A quorum was present; Second Vice Chair Galati and Commissioner Douglas were excused. Deputy City Clerk Jackie confirmed that the meeting was properly noticed and posted under Nevada Open Meeting Law. No written agenda or minutes were provided with the source materials; this summary is drawn from the raw transcript.

Roll Call and Call to Order

• Chair Beals called the meeting to order and roll call established a quorum.

Public Comments

• No members of the public offered comments during the agenda-item public comment period or during the later citizens' participation period.

Minutes Approval

• Commissioner Chi moved to approve the minutes by reference of the September 17, 2026 regular meeting; the motion passed unanimously.

Cultural Events and Commissioner Reports

• Chair Beals announced upcoming city arts events: a reception for Song of the Oasis on October 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Historic Fifth Street School; the Las Vegas Book Festival on October 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Crit Chat on October 20 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
• Commissioner Cherk invited artists statewide to apply for the Nevada Arts Council FY27 Professional Workforce Development Grant for Artists, open to individuals 21 and older who are not degree-seeking students, on a rolling basis.
• Commissioner Thompson promoted the Jazz Outreach Initiative's November 14 salute to veterans at Sun City Summerlin's Starbright Theater, noting proceeds benefit arts education reaching nearly 10,000 local children.
• Commissioner Clevin reminded the commission of the UNLV Art Walk on October 23 from 5 to 9 p.m., including openings at the Barrick Museum, and a free Nevada Entrepreneurial Artist Toolkit session with UNLV Law on November 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

State Agency Presentations: Nevada Arts Council and Travel Nevada

• Tony Manfredi, executive director of the Nevada Arts Council, described the council as Nevada's primary public funder for the arts and part of the Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs. He cited Americans for the Arts survey data: 86% of respondents believe arts and culture improve quality of life, 79% seek out arts experiences, 72% believe the arts build social cohesion, 70% believe they improve academic performance, 60% believe they help people cope with stress, and 56% sing in the shower.
• Manfredi reported 2023 Bureau of Economic Analysis data showing Nevada's arts sector is third in the state with more than $12.4 billion in economic activity, and Legislative Counsel Bureau data showing 22% of Nevadans work in arts, entertainment, and recreation, the highest of any sector.
• He cited the Arts and Economic Prosperity survey from 2022: approximately 8 million people participated in nonprofit arts activities, generating $662.5 million in economic impact, including $249 million in spending and $412.8 million in event-related spending, supporting 9,600 jobs and $436.5 million in personal income. Of out-of-town participants, 58.8% said they traveled specifically to attend the arts/cultural event, and 48.2% said they would have traveled to another community for a similar event.
• Manfredi highlighted the council's work in arts learning, health, community development, folk life, rural programming, and workforce development. From FY23 through FY25, the council awarded just over $5 million in grants, engaged 4.5 million adults, children, and artists, and generated an estimated $280 million in economic investment in Nevada. The National Endowment for the Arts provides about $1 million annually, matched dollar for dollar by state funds, and the council is Nevada's sole recipient of NEA funding.
• Rafael Villanueva, CEO of Travel Nevada, explained that his agency focuses on bringing visitors to rural Nevada, while the LVCVA and RSCVA cover Las Vegas and Washoe County; he described the budget difference as about $400 million. Travel Nevada's commission is chaired by Lieutenant Governor Stavros Anthony.
• Villanueva described Travel Nevada programs including destination development design grants of roughly $500,000 to $600,000 per community and $1 million to $1.5 million in annual community grants, plus about $1.5 million in rural marketing grants. He highlighted the newly opened Travel Nevada Adventure Center in Boulder City, a second center planned in Carson City in April 2027, and the Get A Little Out There series with Alex Honnold, which surpassed 50 million views in three months against a goal of 24 to 25 million.

Staff Report: Current Arts Initiatives

• Mary Sabo reported that the city received a new annual allocation of $150,000 for conservation and maintenance and had already requisitioned $81,923 in maintenance projects. Completed or ongoing work included graffiti abatement downtown, restoration of Harold Bradford's mural at Lou Bertha Johnson Park completed October 5, touch-ups to Nico Rusin's mural at Doc Romeo Skate Park, and cleaning/waxing of 18 bronze statues relocated to Nevada Veterans Memorial Park.
• Sabo said new public art projects include the ceramic tile mural by Miguel Rodriguez at Here's Park, expected to install in late 2027; Matthew Murphy's mural at Mirabelli Community Center; and the Studio Folia sculpture installed October 12 at the future Rancho Oakey Dog Park. Stupak Community Center mural semifinalists were due to submit design proposals the day after the meeting, with presentations scheduled October 21 at 2 p.m.
• Laura Machado congratulated Commissioner Joan DeSantis on her exhibition opening and noted the gallery is open Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. She also reported that Commissioner Craig Galati's Veterans Memorial Community Center exhibition space opened successfully with photography from Kent Lafreve.
• Parker Recky Johns reported that the AMP Ward 4 project is on track for completion by the end of the calendar year, and the Centennial Hills Park tile mural is being installed by artist Lee Lanier. A public outreach presentation is scheduled October 24 from 1 to 3 p.m., and a dedication is planned November 12 at 9 a.m.

Collection Action: Accession of Expired Loaned Artwork

• Staff recommended accessioning into the permanent collection numerous artworks that were on expired loans, unclaimed, left behind, or informally donated, including 23 photographs by Randah Bishop, works by Linda Basowitz, Janice Green, Pablo Ferreria, Jeffrey Raimi, Linda Alterwitz, Anita Young, Michael Dodson, and others.
• Commissioner Cherk asked what would happen if an artist's estate later claimed a work; Mary Sabo replied that any such case would be brought back to the commission and handled case by case. Commissioner Clevin expressed enthusiasm for works by Tom Holder.
• A motion to accession the presented artworks was made and passed unanimously.

Collection Action: Deaccession of Expired Loaned Artwork

• Staff recommended deaccessioning artwork left behind from exhibitions or with expired, unclaimed loans, including photographs by AJ Schreiner, paintings by Roy Thomas, and several untitled or unknown-origin pieces that had been in storage for years.
• Commissioner Thompson questioned whether the pieces had been reviewed for possible hidden value; staff credited John McVay's research and said a final review would occur before disposal. Commissioner Anderson suggested donating items to a school; staff said they would first coordinate with the city's surplus team and were open to donations.
• A motion to deaccession the presented artworks was made, seconded, and passed unanimously.

Collection Action: Deaccession of Damaged or Missing Artwork

• Staff recommended deaccessioning damaged works, including a missing ceramic by Jeffrey Ramey, a scratched work by Darius Kuzmikas, a water-damaged print, scratched dancer photographs, a painting with a quarter-sized hole, damaged ceramic pieces by Kat Tran, a sculpture with a broken base, and a flaking painting sample; plus items missing from inventory, including a Nevada Test Site photo, a Penny's department store image, a Sandra Hugh collage, and two prints with unknown locations since 2015.
• A motion to deaccession was made, seconded by Commissioner DeSantis, and passed unanimously.

Collection Action: Deaccession of Posters and Reproductions

• Staff explained that posters and reproductions are not considered fine art under the collection management policy. Recommended for removal from the fine-art collection were a Sierra Club poster, a Matisse reproduction, a country dog gentleman poster, and exhibition posters from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Staff said these would be digitized and retained as an archive even after deaccession.
• Commissioner Clevin moved to deaccession the listed items, Commissioner DeSantis seconded, and the motion passed unanimously.

Future Agenda Topics

• Chair Beals asked about canceling the December 17 meeting because it falls close to Christmas. Staff said an item would be placed on the next agenda to consider moving to bimonthly meetings, and the chair can also cancel or postpone a meeting. No action was taken on this topic.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the September 17, 2026 meeting minutes.
• Approved accession of presented artworks into the city's permanent art collection.
• Approved deaccession of expired-loan and left-behind artworks.
• Approved deaccession of damaged or missing artworks.
• Approved deaccession of posters and reproductions from the fine-art collection.
• Agreed to place a future agenda item on transitioning to bimonthly commission meetings; no substantive discussion or vote occurred on the substance of that proposal.

The meeting was adjourned after the citizens' participation period.