A Reopening Message from our CEO

The past three months have brought profound changes to our world. The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent economic collapse, combined with a collective reckoning with racism and social injustice in America, offers an historic opportunity to listen, learn, grow, change, and invest in new ways to serve Nevada’s increasingly diverse communities. Now more than ever, art museums are essential to a civil society.

We are pleased to announce the start of a phased reopening of the Nevada Museum of Art this week, keeping the health and safety of our guests and employees the highest priority. This phased approach includes a FREE Community Day on Saturday, June 20, courtesy of the Estelle J. Kelsey Foundation.

In April, the Governor’s Covid-19 Task Force asked the Museum to draft an Operating Reopening Plan to share with other arts and culture organizations throughout the state. An internal nine-person committee incorporated guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), State of Nevada, Washoe County School District, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the American Alliance of Museums. By nature, accredited museums like the Nevada Museum of Art are highly regulated facilities with clear protocols and controls in place to ensure health, safety and security. The plan was reviewed by the CEO of Renown Health, the region’s largest not-for-profit healthcare network, and also praised by the Governor’s Office.

In response to the Covid-19 crisis, the Museum closed its doors in mid-March, just as we were opening our newest exhibition: The World Stage: Contemporary Art from the Collections of Jordan D. Schnitzer and His Family Foundation.

Organized by JoAnne Northrup, the Museum’s Curator of Contemporary Art, The World Stage showcases 90 artworks by 35 renowned contemporary American artists of diverse backgrounds. The exhibition title, The World Stage, is inspired by the name of a series of paintings by Kehinde Wiley, an artist in the exhibition who is best known for his presidential portrait of Barack Obama that hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.

We have extended The World Stage through early 2021 to provide additional space to reflect on the content and themes found in the exhibition. The extension, prompted by the Black Lives Matter movement, provides a backdrop and platform to amplify the voices of the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) artists celebrated in this exhibition, and supports critical dialogue between the artists, members of our community and Museum staff. Specific information about these programs will be released in the coming weeks.

The Nevada Museum of Art is deeply committed to elevating the artistic voices of BIPOC communities in our galleries, collections, and through our award-winning publications. We are also committed to continuing the vital conversations we’re having both internally and externally, which will help to inform and shape a path towards thoughtful change and healing.

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to our community. The Nevada Museum of Art is your museum. It will always be our honor to serve you, and to help enrich the lives of all Nevadans.

David B. Walker
CEO | Nevada Museum of Art