Artown: The month long celebration of the arts kicks off July 1

Marnie MacArthur, special to reno.com, tahoe.com
June 4, 2007

Come to Reno in July and there’s music in the air. Throughout the month, the city’s reputation for casinos is surpassed with vibrant culture, varied art forms and festivals around almost every corner. In July, Reno is Artown. The National Endowment for the Arts has called it, “One of the most compressive arts festivals in the country.” Artown is Reno’s Renaissance and it didn’t happen overnight.

“There’s a certain cache about Reno around the country and it’s growing reputation as a city that embraces artists,” notes Artown Executive Director Beth Macmillan. Now in its 12th year, and drawing close to 300,000 visitors, Artown started small. Beginning as a three-week event at one location and operating with a staff of one, Artown is now a major, month-long festival in venues citywide, a staff of five, and a Board of Directors.

In 1996 Reno faced an identity crisis. Casinos were closing and as in many other cities, people and businesses were leaving downtown for the suburbs. Enter the city’s Arts and Culture Commission and Mark Curtis, chairman of the Marketing Committee who is credited with creating the idea for an arts festival at Wingfield Park by the Truckee River in downtown Reno. Around the same time, the Reno City Council made arts and culture a priority along with revitalization of properties and businesses in the downtown area.

“The economy in Reno has been reshaped by a combination of arts and business and Artown is part of the economic vitality of the community,” said Macmillan. Economic impact of the festival has grown from $3.5 million in 1999 to $12.9 million in 2006.

About 70% of Artown events and performances are free, but nothing is really free,” Macmillan said. More than 100 business and civic organizations are essential partners and the City of Reno has been the major donor from the very beginning.

At the first festival in 1996, local artists and arts organizations included the Reno Philharmonic, playing Pops on the River, Nevada Repertory Theater’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Sierra Arts Folklife Festival and Folklife exhibit, and the Nevada Festival Ballet to name just a few. From these modest beginnings, Artown 2007 brings to Reno internationally recognized talent and exclusive performances by Herbie Hancock, Hell’s Kitchen Dance with Mikhail Baryshnikov, Pink Martini, and the American Ballet Theatre.

So, how does a city grow a festival from 30 events attracting 30,000 people to 350 events attracting close to 300,000? The answer is success breeds success and commitments from local arts organizations, along with an enthusiastic and energetic executive director are key elements.

Approximately 93% of Artown events are planned, presented and produced by Reno arts organizations. In addition, Macmillan’s networking efforts have brought internationally and nationally renowned artists including Marcel Marceau, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and the Joffrey Ballet to Reno’s Artown.

Every January in New York, Macmillan attends a conference of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters (APAP) and in September the Western Arts Alliance (WAA), a similar conference for the western states. The New York event is attended by agents, managers, and artists from around the world. Macmillan builds relationships and is doggedly persistent in pursuing the talent she wants for Reno.

The key to attracting big name artists is knowing their performance schedules around the country and offering them a slot that will work within an already scheduled tour. For example, Herbie Hancock performs in Napa before Reno; Pink Martini comes to Reno following a performance with the San Francisco symphony; and the American Ballet Theatre (ABT), which finishes the season at the Metropolitan in New York on July 7, is scheduled to perform in Orange County, California on July 12. July 10 was the perfect date to offer the company a stop in Reno.

“For the first month, the managers at ABT did not answer the phone or return my calls,” said Macmillan. “When they finally spoke to me, they said, “You know what it’s going to cost, don’t you? Are you still interested? Her answer: “Yes, of course!”

Macmillan came to Reno in 1983 as a professional dancer with the review Hello Hollywood Hello at the MGM Grand, now the Grand Sierra Resort. She taught dance to children and took business courses at University of Nevada, Reno, before joining Artown as Festival Manager in 2001. She became executive director in 2003. Her knowledge and enthusiasm for the arts has been instrumental in making a difference in the city she calls home.

Along with the Artown staff, more than 75 volunteers help make the festival flow smoothly each year. In 2006, a 4,300 children in the Reno area participated in the “Discover the Arts Series.” Many youth from disadvantaged and at-risk neighborhoods participated in workshops from the Missoula Children’s Theatre, known around the world for its work with children. The Reno Food Bank offers a Kid’s Café where the children receive a free lunch along with free arts performances.

Although ticketed-events at Artown existed before Macmillan’s tenure, Ballet Hispanico was the first professional dance event presented at the Pioneer Center in 2001. Nevada Hispanic Services was the arts partner and U.S. Bank and Nevada Bell were the major sponsors, including others, for the week-long residency.

A non-profit organization since 1999, major funding for Artown comes from the City of Reno. Title sponsors in 2007 include Altmann-Ott Homes, Eldorado Hotel Casino, International Game Technology, KOLO 8 News, The Montage, Nevada Mining Association, Reno Gazette-Journal, Sierra Pacific Power Company and Washoe County, with additional support from the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The well-known phrase, “It takes a village…” can be aptly applied to Reno and Artown. Local and international talent, committed business, civic leaders, and individuals all pulling together have changed Reno’s image on a national level. The “Biggest Little City” has grown up. It may not be the “Big Apple,” but Reno is the place on the west coast to celebrate the arts this summer.