NEVADA ARTS COUNCIL
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Poetry Out Loud 2026 is almost here! Will you be joining us? 🎤
More than 3,000 high schoolers across Nevada are competing for a chance to represent the state in the National Poetry Out Loud finals in Washington, D.C. Show your support for local student poets.
Join us in celebrating Nevada’s young voices as they recite poems honoring America250 and the stories that helped shape our nation. A big thank you to our sponsor, the @UNevadaReno, for making this event possible!
✨ State Finals:
📅 March 7, 2026
🕐 1–3 p.m.
📍 Joe Crowley Student Union, University of Nevada, Reno
Can’t make it in person? Watch the state finals live from our YouTube Channel.
👉Learn more through the link in our bio.
Have you secured your tickets to the @ArtistsThrive1 Summit in Las Vegas? 🎟️
Las Vegas is one of six cities nationwide hosting this year’s Artists Thrive Summit, with a local focus on Third Spaces: Community and Connection—the gathering places that help build belonging in a fast-moving city.
Join fellow creatives in Las Vegas and connect with participants across Lowell, Nashville, Kansas City, San Antonio, and Billings during shared national sessions.
✨ Be part of the conversation shaping creative communities.
👉 Register now through the link in our bio.
⏰ Sales end March 7, 2026, at 9:59 p.m.
From tall tales and everyday moments to ghost stories and unforgettable encounters, the stories we tell shape how we understand our communities and ourselves.
In the latest Follow the Folklorist blog, Nevada State Folklorist Brad McMullen explores personal experience narratives—the folklore genre that captures stories told from lived experience and passed from voice to voice across Nevada.
Dive into how these stories evolve, why they matter, and how your own experiences are part of our state’s living heritage.
👉 Read the blog through the link in our bio.
Join us in celebrating Black History Month with the Spotlight Showcase Series from @spotlightpoetrylv! 🎤✨ This free, all-ages event honors Black voices, stories, and artistry through the power of spoken word. Join us as we uplift creativity, culture, and community.
Experience a powerful evening of poetry featuring
🖤 Blu
🖤 Ashanti Files
🖤 JoeMac
📅 Feb. 28
🕔 3–5 p.m.
📍 West Charleston Library
Bring a friend, spread the word, and come show love for Nevada’s Black artists. 🖤
🎟️ RSVP now to save your spot through the link in our bio.
Did you hear? The Native Arts + Heritage Fund from @CreativeWestRao is now open, offering $2,500 in unrestricted funding to support cultural knowledge, creativity, and community connection through care-centered, trust-based support. 🌿
Eligible applicants include:
• Individual artists, culture bearers, and cultural practitioners
• Alaska Native or Native American community connection
• Residents of Creative West states, including Nevada
• Creatives 18 and older working in any cultural or artistic form
⏰ Deadline to apply: March 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. MT
🔗 Learn more through the link in our bio.
#TBT to Intersections: The Nevada Creative Conference 2024! ✨
We had an incredible time connecting, learning, and celebrating creativity, and now, we’re excited for the next one!
📅 Save the date: May 27–29, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Join the Nevada’s arts community for three days of inspiration, discovery, and celebration. Engage in six targeted session tracks designed to enhance your creative practice or strengthen your arts organization—while exploring the dynamic arts scene in Las Vegas and surrounding communities.
📩 Sign up for updates and be the first to hear conference details. Link in our bio.
Douglas County, hear the words come alive! 📚
Local high school students will recite poems at the Poetry Out Loud Semi-Finals, showcasing talent and creativity as they compete for the state finals. Don’t miss this free event at Douglas High School (@DHSTigers) in Minden on Feb. 6, 2026, at 3 p.m..
Get the details through the link in our bio.
🌟 Thank You, University of Nevada, Reno (@unevadareno)! 🌟
The Nevada Arts Council is proud to partner with the University of Nevada, Reno, who is helping us inspire young Nevadans this year through Poetry Out Loud. Their support empowers students to find their voices, recite poetry, and build confidence through creative expression.
Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s land-grant institution under the Morrill Act of 1862, the University is now recognized as a Carnegie® Engaged University, a top research institution, and a top National University by U.S. News & World Report.
Thank you for championing the arts and making this program possible!
Washoe County, experience poetry spoken aloud! ✨
High school students will recite poems live at the Poetry Out Loud Semi-Finals, giving their all for a chance to advance to the state finals. Join us at @HollandReno on Feb. 6, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. for this free celebration of young voices.
Get the details through the link in our bio.
The FY27 Arts Learning Project Grant is here!🌟
This grant supports arts learning programming, teaching artist residencies, and teacher/teaching artist training, giving students and people of all ages the chance to work with practicing artists. Funds can be used for group lessons, workshops (in-person or online), and/or educational performances at schools or community facilities.
⏰ Application deadline: April 1, 2026 at 5 p.m. PT
📜 Ready to inspire with the arts? Apply today and bring your vision to life! Link in our bio.
Storey County, get ready to be inspired! 📖
High school students will recite poems live at the Poetry Out Loud Semi-Finals, competing for a chance to advance to the state finals. Come to Virginia City High School on Feb. 5, 2026, at 1 p.m. to see their performances—admission is free!
Get the full schedule through the link in our bio.
Celebrate creativity and the artists who shape our communities. Episode 383 of The Art Box – Heart Full of Creativity features a conversation with our very own Michelle Patrick, Community Arts Development specialist.
We explore her journey as a photographer, her work building creative communities across Nevada, and her insights on why public investment in the arts matters now more than ever. This episode also examines what it truly means to hold space for creativity in both urban and rural communities.
🙏 Thank you to @SteveDudrow and The Art Box for having us and creating space for this important conversation.
🎧 Listen now through the link in our bio.
RECENT NEWS
FOLKLIFE IN FOCUS – Personal Experience Narratives: Tall Tales, Memorates, and More
Welcome to the Follow the Folklorist blog! Founded by Rebecca Snetlesaar and currently led by Nevada State Folklorist Brad McMullen, our blog is dedicated to exploring the rich tapestry of […]
Read MoreRelease: Regan Margetts Joins Nevada Arts Council as Arts Learning Specialist
Regan Margetts joins the Nevada Arts Council as the arts learning specialist serving the southern Nevada region. She will coordinate and execute K-12 and lifelong learning arts education programs, including […]
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BUY AN ARTS LICENSE PLATE
supporting k-12 arts learning
Nevada’s first Arts License Plate is available at DMV field offices statewide. The plate, designated by DMV as the “Children in the Arts” license plate, is available in a standard or personalized format. If you are interested in a standard format, the initial cost will be $51 dollars with an annual renewal fee of $20 in addition to all other registration fees.
NEVADA ARTS COUNCIL VIDEOS
sharing Nevada stories on art and heritage
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