About - Arts For all Nevada

arts for all nevada

Arts for All Nevada is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Reno, seeking to integrate the exploration of arts and culture into the lives of all, starting with our own community. We offer a variety of quality fine art classes to the public, implement art programs in the school systems, and steward the historic Lake Mansion responsibly as a community center for exploration of arts and culture. While our emphasis is on those who have a disability, are disadvantaged, at-risk, or underserved by the arts, we recognize that every individual in our community has a role to play in the arts. People of all ages, skill levels, backgrounds, and experience can find their place at Arts for All Nevada, as our classes and programs focus on a variety of different art movements and media including visual art, creative movement, drama, and literary expression. We envision a world unified by the arts, where communities engage, create, and grow together.

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OUR VALUES

ACCESSIBILITY

The freedom to make and appreciate art, regardless of age, ability, or circumstance, should be given to all. Arts for All Nevada prioritizes making art accessible to anyone, no matter what obstacles they might face.

EXPRESSION

Artists should have the freedom to express themselves authentically through imagination, creation, and exhibition. Art has the power to give everyone a voice, a means of self-expression, and the power to grow themselves and the world around them.

Empowerment

The arts can give individuals the opportunity to grow their skills, self-esteem, and creativity – a chance to focus on ability rather than disability. Not only do we value acceptance here at Arts for All Nevada, but we take it a step further and intentionally encourage those involved in our programs.

DIVERSITY

We understand that a complete appreciation of the arts requires a complete appreciation of diversity in histories, cultures, and experiences. Arts for All Nevada seeks diversity in our staff, board, art educators and students alike, recognizing that our art forms, expressions, and artistic interpretations are stronger when we acknowledge many perspectives.

OUR VALUES

ACCESSIBILITY

EXPRESSION

Empowerment

DIVERSITY

OUR VALUES

ACCESSIBILITY

EXPRESSION

Empowerment

DIVERSITY

HISTORY

Arts for All Nevada was founded in 1986 under the name of Very Special Arts Nevada. Our goal was to coordinate with the community’s art organizations to produce art festivals that involved day-long artistic activities, hands-on art experiences, and live performances. Over the years, our involvement with the community grew, and our mission expanded into preserving the historic Lake Mansion as a community center for the exploration of arts and culture. In 2015 we renamed ourselves Arts for All Nevada to better represent our core mission, and we now facilitate the integration of art and culture into the lives of all people in Nevada by offering a variety of quality fine art classes to the public, and implementing art programs into the school systems.

vision

We envision a world unified by the arts, where communities engage, create, and grow together.

We envision a world unified by the arts. Participation and appreciation of the arts would be encouraged in every community, and art would be prioritized in every individual’s daily experience and education.
Quality art learning experiences that are specifically designed for students with disabilities would be just as accessible as art learning experiences designed for those without disabilities.
Every art educator would be prepared and equipped to not only include students who have disabilities in their instruction, but to serve them well through specialized curriculum.
Accessibility gaps in the arts would be completely bridged. Thoughtful and effective art curriculums and programs would be available, funded, and initiated in every school district in every community, reaching those of all ability levels and income levels.

OUR PROGRAMS

People of all ages, skill levels, backgrounds, and experience can find their place at Arts for All Nevada, as our classes and programs focus on a variety of different art movements and media including visual art, creative movement, drama, and literary expression.
See our list of programs offered below. Many of our programs are free of charge for the participant. For questions regarding programs, call 826-6100 ext. 3#, [email protected]

American Sign Language in the Arts
Artist in Residency
Art Adventures After-School Program
Art Classes for Youth and Adults
Family Arts and Cultural Festival Series
Renown Pediatrics Program
Artown’s Summer Arts Festival, Discover the Arts Series
Creativity Camps for Kids

Early Childhood Education
Holiday Party for Youth in Transition
Kononia Family Services
Lake Mansion Preservation
Lake Mansion Tours
Little Library
Lovelock Arts Festival
Arts Education in General Education Classrooms

Monday Art Makers
Renown Behavioral Services
Renown Rehabilitation Hospital
Scholarships
Sierra Nevada Journeys
Team Up/21st Century
Weekly Wonders/Leisure without Limits

LEARN MORE

VOLUNTEER

TEACHERS

Arts for All Nevada‘s Teaching Artists are professionals with expertise in one or more art disciplines. They are skilled in working with children, youth, adults and classroom teachers in both educational and recreational settings. They are familiar and comfortable working with various abilities and ages, and are experienced in adapting their instruction and techniques to reach all learners.

TEACHER APPLICATION

GET TO KNOW OUR TEACHERS

Alison Lee

Coming Soon!

Anastassia Manoussova

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Bradley Strock

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Carol Brown

Carol Johnson has been a practicing artist for many years and has branched out to watercolor-collage using papers including oriental, metallic, and handmade. She uses photographs and recycles old watercolors to draw inspiration for new pieces. She is part of the Dusty Roads Group at St. Mary’s Art Center. She has exhibited her work with the Sierra Watercolor Society and at St. Mary’s Art Center in Virginia City, as well as annually in the Brown Bag Lady Show in Jackson, WY. Her work is featured at the Yart Sale during Artown and the annual Open Studio Show every Autumn.

Cheryl Johnson

Cheryl has a Master’s in Education and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She recently retired from the Washoe County School District where she taught K-4th for 35 years. She is skilled at integrating art across all facets of academic curricula, with a particular passion for weaving together art and literacy.

Desi Barrett

Desi studied at Truckee Meadows Community College before moving on to Portland Community College and Portland State University. She has extensive experience teaching art at a variety of schools, art museums, and community arts organizations.

Galina Milton

Galina is from Lugansk, Ukraine, but spent much of her childhood admiring the culture and art of Kyiv and St. Petersburg. She has a Masters of Fine Arts specializing in figurative painting, and her favorite subjects to paint are the subtle moments that define people in their daily lives. She teaches part-time at Truckee Meadows Community College, Lake Tahoe Community College, and Arts For All Nevada in Reno, striving to nurture the next generation of artists.

Hazel Hamilton

Coming Soon!

Heather Boni

Heather has a master of Fine Arts in Dance with a specialty in Arts and Community Engagement from Florida State University. She studied dance in France and Italy. She worked as an Arts Integration Specialist for the Orange County Charter Schools and was the Director of the 21st Century Project., both in Orlando, Florida. She later served as a Teaching Artist for the Smith Center for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas, NV.

Jenna Ammerman

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Julia Flippo

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Julie Besancon

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Karen Hayes

Karen earned an Advanced Placement Art Scholarship and received her B.A. and M.A. in the metropolitan Los Angeles area. She taught K12 through University-level Fine Arts classes. She enjoys recreational painting instruction, creating custom graphics, and especially unique projects like Trompe L’oeil murals.

Karena Elise

Coming Soon!

Lorna Denton

Lorna has Degrees in Arts in Art and Design from several universities in the UK, including West Surrey College of Art and Design, Middlesex University, and Portsmouth College. She was The Head of the Art Department at St. Luke’s School and Oakmead College of Technology before coming to Reno. Since 2001, she has been an educator with Arts for All Nevada and Sierra Fine Arts Foundation. She continues to do commissions in Reno, the UK, and Canada.

Mark Tyler

Mark holds a Bachelor of Science and teaching credential from California State University Chico, and a Master of Arts in Education from UNR. He taught special education at the elementary school level in Lovelock, NV for 34 years.

Melanie Hoen

Melanie has an undergraduate degree in Computer Graphics from Le Haute Escole Albert Jacquard in Belgium and studied Professional Development at the Art Academy of Tournai, also in Belgium. She has worked primarily in graphic design and as a media specialist. Raised in France, she is fluent in English and French. Melanie worked at Arts for All Nevada as the Rentals and Volunteer Coordinator before leaving her position to pursue a new career in teaching.

Patty Lassaline

Patty Lassaline is a multi-media artist with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. She majored in ceramic arts and continues to create art as a professional, selling her pottery, cards from paintings, and beadwork. Patty finds great joy in offering a judgement-free atmosphere as an art teacher. She enjoys assisting others in finding their own inner artist while expressing themselves with play and fun in every project.

Sophie Ralston

Sophie is a visual artist and musician/singer-songwriter inspired by human quirks, nature, and all things whimsical. Born and raised in Reno, Nevada, Ralston spent many free-time hours of her youth drawing and was awarded the Muriel Goodwin Corbett Art Scholarship. After obtaining a B.A. in anthropology with a minor in art (digital media) from UNR, she self-released two original music CDs and performed in the U.S., Canada, England, and Australia. Current mediums of interest include watercolor, photography, and upcycled plastic.

Steven Krsytek

Coming Soon!

Suellen Turman

Suellen has enjoyed the exploration of teaching art to students of all ages throughout her life. She began teaching in Oregon, where she received tenure at Western Oregon University. She moved to Reno and shifted her focus to being a foster/adoptive mother. In Nevada, she taught in community colleges and the Coral Academy of Science, where she retired in 2023. Her drawings and paintings explore the human condition through symbolic abstraction, figures, and portraiture. She also pursues interests in sculpture, printmaking, dance, words, gardening, and hiking.

Tracy Vinzant

Coming Soon!

Vivian Olds

Vivian has a Masters in Arts Education from Lesley University, and a B.A. in Theater from UNR. Vivian loves inspiring her students to follow their creative spirit in all forms of art, and she is an owner of the art gallery Desert Light Arts. She has received several honors and awards including a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholarship and several Nevada Arts Council grants.