Artown

Started in 1996, Artown is a yearly arts festival held every July in Reno, NV by the city council. The National Endowment of the Arts cites it as one of the most comprehensive arts festivals nation-wide. Artown generally offers visual entertainment in the form of plays and dance, hosted by locals, as well as inviting local rock bands to perform at the Rollin' on the River Rock concerts held every evening of the festival. Children are encouraged to participate in the Kids Discovery in Arts program hosted. Many of the events are free and designed to attract both tourists and locals.

In 2006, Artown attracted over 285,000 attendees and generated $12,894,072 for the city of Reno NV.

Previous attractions have included Pink Martini, Diavolo Dance Company, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company, Stomp and exhibits featuring art by Diego Rivera, Andy Warhol and Edward Hopper. The only act advertised for the 2007 Artown Festival thus far is Alley II, directed by Sylvia Waters.

History

Once known as the entertainment capital of the nation, Reno hosted now-legendary singers, dancers, and comedians, who performed to sold-out showrooms in casinos lining the banks of the Truckee River. But by 1995—after a solid run as one of the most dynamic playgrounds in the West—Reno showed all the wear of changing times and changing tastes. Downtown’s Truckee River corridor lost its glamorous glitter, and locals sought all the comforts of suburbia. In 1996, a small group of business and arts executives in CITY 2000 (City of Reno Arts and Culture Commission) developed a plan to use the arts to improve the city's self-image and give locals a reason to play downtown again. The idea was to highlight the community's cultural depth, ignite civic pride, and channel the economic and cultural rebirth of our city. Later that year, over three weeks in July, the first Uptown Downtown Artown festival took place. And to the wonder of all, more than 30,000 people attended.

In the years since, Artown has grown into what the National Endowment for the Arts calls one of the most comprehensive festivals in the country, with 87 organizations and businesses offering about 300 visual, performing, and humanities events in about 50 locations citywide, during the entire month of July. Approximately 285,000 people attend the festival annually.

Artown has welcomed such international, national, and local artists as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Marcel Marceau, Great Basin Chautauqua, Project Bandaloop, the San Francisco Ballet, and the Reno Philharmonic. They have also created unique events, including Discover the Arts, a hands-on arts program especially for children; and Movies in the Park, an outdoor screening of classic and cutting-edge films. In 2003, our newly opened Nevada Museum of Art featured the Frida Kahlo/Diego Rivera exhibition. During Artown workshops are available to the community to explore new perspectives of visiting artists.

ee also

*Reno, NV
*Nevada Museum of Art

References

External links

* [http://renoisartown.com Artown official website]