Carson City and Silver City Become 'Arts and Culture Sister Cities'

SILVER CITY, Nev. — Carson City’s recognition of the importance of arts and culture to a thriving community is very much in line with that of nearby Silver City. The Comstock town is known as an "Arts and Cultural Resources Production Center" due to the work residents have contributed in the fields of arts and cultural resources.

With a similar focus on supporting arts and culture, Carson City's detailed Arts and Culture Master Plan defines culture “as everything from language, oral traditions, history, ethnic heritage, music, visual arts, folk arts, media arts, film, dance, theatre arts, design, fashion, architecture, foodways, social customs, and community rituals and celebrations.”

Over the years, Carson City has both built and expanded its arts and culture events, programs, and initiatives. However, in the past two years, Carson City has shown an increased dedication to the arts with the hire of Mark Salinas, the city’s first Arts and Culture Coordinator, a cabinet position under City Hall.

Working closely with its Cultural Commission, Carson City has supported some of its most widely known cultural events including annual powwows, a month-long jazz festival, dynamic art exhibitions and lectures in public spaces, and numerous theatrical performances.

It seems a new public revival of the arts is now in session with a new community radio station (KNVC 95.1FM), a popular museum fashion film series, Levitt Amp grants providing free summer concerts, and a National Endowment of the Arts Big Read grant.

Newly acquired public art in the form of wheat pastes and sculptures by such artists as Deon and Trish Reynolds and Mischell Riley join new pop-up installations by local artists in City Hall and the Senior Center. The Carson City Cultural Commission, established in 2008, has even updated its own community profile with the addition of its first Latina, first Native American, and the youngest municipal Cultural Commissioner in the state of Nevada, Mylo McCormick. Collaboration and communication among disciplines and across borders have become the benchmark of success in Carson City.

Historic Silver City, located about 12 miles from Carson within a National Historic Landmark, has a concentration of residents working in the arts and/or career fields related to cultural resources. Over the last 50 years the community of less than 200 people has been responsible for a body of work that has had a demonstrably positive impact on the town, the state and beyond.

Accordingly, in 2014 the Silver City Advisory Board recognized the existing character of Silver City as an "Arts and Cultural Resources Production Center", and formally proclaimed the considerable work residents have contributed and continue to contribute to the production of important work in the areas of arts and cultural resources. The Board also formally recognized the extraordinary support the community has given to give to local arts and cultural resources production, events, and programming.

Today the town has arts and historic preservation groups, a resident artist program that attracts award-winning writers and artists from around the world, and an annual summer arts and science program with public programming such as concerts, exhibitions, poetry readings, art workshops, children’s engineering and science activities, etc.

Following through on a Master Plan goal to “support artists, arts organizations, arts-related businesses and audiences throughout the urban, suburban and rural communities in and around Carson City”, the capital city has consistently promoted Silver City’s many events through their own city’s tourism department, arts coordinator, and cultural commission. Nonprofit arts groups in Carson, such as Capital City Arts Initiative and Carson City Arts and Culture Coalition, and Carson’s community radio station KNVC 95.1FM, have also been extremely supportive of Silver City events and have helped promote them.

Likewise, the Silver City Arts group frequently cross-promotes Carson City’s many arts and culture events, as well as those of Silver City, Virginia City, and Reno/Tahoe, in their monthly e-newletters to arts lovers in the Northern Nevada region. Local volunteers formed the Silver City Arts group in 2014, with the goal of “encouraging the arts, building community, and sharing our unique town through free, public events."

Drawing on the community's own rich resource of artists, they host music, visual arts, and poetry events and programs. They also connect with outside groups to bring programming from visual, literary and performing artists from around the U.S. and the world.

All of these elements: event cross-promotion, enthusiasm for the arts, and a similar view of the centrality of arts and culture to strong communities - came together last month when the Silver City Town Advisory Council recognized Carson City as an “arts and culture sister city” to Silver City.

The proclamation, which will be formally presented to Carson City elected officials and to Carson City's Arts and Culture Coordinator during the Silver City Advisory Board meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m., reads in part, “the Silver City Town Advisory Board proclaims its desire and intention to formally declare Carson City a valued ARTS and CULTURE SISTER CITY in appreciation of Carson City's history of promoting the arts and culture of Silver City and in recognition of our mutual understanding that arts and culture are pathways to maintaining our vibrant communities.”