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Southern Nevada Arts Coalition asks Las Vegas Arts Commission to help seed local regranting and staff funding
Summary
Founding leaders of the Southern Nevada Arts Coalition told the Arts Commission they recently secured 501(c)(3) status and are seeking municipal and community support to build a regranting program that would increase funding for artists and small arts organizations in Southern Nevada.
Founders of the Southern Nevada Arts Coalition (SNAC) described a new nonprofit’s mission to expand funding and infrastructure for artists across Southern Nevada and asked commissioners to help spread the word to city representatives and community partners.
SNAC secretary and founding board member Demecina Gray told the Arts Commission the coalition formed after the 2024 City of Las Vegas Arts and Culture Summit and has a stated goal of becoming a local arts agency that can regrant funds. "We want to uplift the arts community through becoming a regranting agency and a local arts agency," Gray said. She added that SNAC received 501(c)(3) status in the past month, which opens the organization to broader fundraising and grantmaking activity.
The coalition’s presentation emphasized building operational capacity and community relationships rather than taking funding from existing organizations. Jeana Blackman Taylor, a board member and managing director for the Nevada Shakespeare Festival, said she was motivated to join because Northern Nevada historically received more philanthropic and arts dollars and she wants to help build local infrastructure for Southern Nevada artists. Matt Hodges, who said he works with Spiga World and serves as a director of art and experience, described SNAC’s outreach programs, including quarterly "snack time" convenings that connect artists with opportunities and each other.
During a question-and-answer exchange, Commissioner Chi asked about SNAC’s major expenses and whether board members are compensated. SNAC representatives said current spending focuses on community outreach, advocacy and the costs of running convenings, and that staff and grantmaking are anticipated future costs once fundraising capacity grows. The presenters said they are relying on volunteer leadership for now and are pursuing staffing and a grant-making program as fund development permits.
Commissioner Portnoy and others offered practical suggestions, urging SNAC to engage a broad cross-section of "creatives," use social platforms to find collaborators, and ensure smaller, artist-run organizations are included in outreach and funding strategies. SNAC leaders welcomed the feedback and said coalition-building and operational resilience are priorities as they formalize grantmaking structures.
The commission did not take formal action on the presentation. SNAC asked commissioners to help connect the group with municipal representatives and to raise awareness of the coalition’s regranting goals.
