More than 200 members from the Las Vegas arts community recently attended the city’s second annual Arts & Culture Summit on Feb. 29 at the Historic Fifth Street School in downtown Las Vegas. The Summit, now in its second year, is building upon the success of its inaugural 2023 event where attendees had the opportunity to share ideas and resources, build stronger connections, and identify ways to continue building a stronger arts and culture community in Las Vegas.
The Summit is the brainchild of a city-led focus group working to build collegiality amongst the city’s leaders and representatives of arts and culture nonprofits, museums, arts galleries, performing groups and venues.
“The overwhelmingly positive response from leaders in the Las Vegas arts community to last year’s inaugural Arts Summit is driving us to continue building upon its success,” said Maggie Plaster, director of the city’s Department of Parks, Recreation & Cultural Affairs. “The arts community is stronger, more resilient, and more successful when it works together. By coming together in an open forum that allows healthy discussion, and idea and resource sharing, we are building a foundation of success for our local arts and culture community.”
Keynote speakers included Randy Cohen with Americans for the Arts; Felicia Shaw with San Diego Arts and Culture Coalition; and two panel discussions.
The day-long eventt was punctuated with frequent and well appreciated performances from a number of performing groups and artists. Performers included, The High Stakes Barbershop Quartet, opera singer Amara Wertin, a mini theatrical production by Vegas Theatre Company and Majestic Repertory Theatre, a poetry reading by Vogue Robinson, and performances by Mariachi Alma Del Sol, Rainbow Company Youth Theatre and the Southern Nevada Paiute Tribe. The event concluded with a happy hour serenaded by Las Vegas Youth Jazz Orchestra.
According to Plaster, plans are already in the works for a 2025 Las Vegas Arts & Culture Summit to continue to build upon the synergy created by this powerful event that brings together arts organizations large and small in an unprecedented gathering of thought-provoking discussion and idea and resource sharing.