Charity Begins at Home

BY JOAN S. PECK

I was delighted to meet with Patrick Duffy to learn more about the Nevada School of the Arts located in the Historic Fifth Street School in old downtown Las Vegas. When I was told that, thanks to both Mayor Goodmans, the city owns the building and it belongs to the community, I naturally thought of the proverb, “Charity begins at home.” After all, with its meaning that a man’s family should be his foremost concern, it made sense that the city would step in to provide a place for its inhabitants to take advantage of what the school has to offer in the way of music, and the arts.

Formerly called the Las Vegas Grammar School, the Historic Fifth Street School was constructed in 1936 on Fifth Street, which later became Las Vegas Boulevard. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 20, 1988. It is one of the few remaining intact mission-style buildings of its era, and it is a cultural oasis amid downtown Las Vegas’ office and legal corridors. It is the home to an assortment of local arts and architectural organizations, one of which is the Nevada School of the Arts, a music organization. The complex consists of 27,500 sq. ft. of space in multiple buildings, some of which are available for use or rent for public or private functions.

These areas include a multi-purpose performance area/auditorium capable of accommodating up to 400 people, a gallery space for exhibitions, and smaller meetings able to hold up to 200 people and a 30-person conference room. Also, there are open courtyards available for outside activities, as well as the 16,000-square-foot Centennial Plaza that can be used for outdoor gatherings. It’s a beautiful place, not necessarily fancy but comfortable with a sense of history.

Nevada School of the Arts [“NSA” NevadaSchooloftheArts.org] is a non-profit 501(c)(3) cultural institution with a 42-year history. NSA became Nevada’s first member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education and received the Governor’s Arts Award in 2010. It is fortunate to have some of the most respected teachers and educators from around the world serve as the school’s faculty.

The Music Programs are varied, and each one exciting and rewarding.

• Music Mind Games – for young musicians ages five and up. Created by Michiko Yurko, it is a method for producing music literacy and theory.
• Suzuki Talent Education Program – for beginner and intermediate musicians age four and up for the highest quality private or group instruction.
• Preparatory Orchestra – for young string players, comfortable reading basic pitches and rhythms, to develop skills and techniques needed when performing with an ensemble.
• NSA Chorale – for students in grades 4 to 6 to study vocal techniques as well as musicianship, performance and social skills.
• Piano Studies – for students of all ages (beginners to advanced) who have the option to perform or compete in local, state, and national events each stage of development.
• Private Lessons – for students of all ages (beginners to advanced) for hands-on training in a one-to-one teacher/student setting for training in technique, repertoire, sight-reading, and performance skills.
• NSA Chamber Orchestra – for advanced 8th grade through High School musicians by audition only to engage with repertoire from the 17th century to the most contemporary.
• School of JAZZ at NSA – for jazz musicians of all ages and ability to actively participate in its interdisciplinary jazz education program.Patrick Duffy became NSA’s President and CEO of Nevada School of the Arts in 2018. He was the former president of the Las Vegas Art Museum, former chair of UNLV’s galleries board, and a former Smith Center board member. He and his late partner of more than two decades, Wally Goodman (who died in 2008) built the Goodman Duffy Collection, featuring works by artists from around the world — and Las Vegas. (many of those artworks are on display at such renowned museums as Chicago’s Art Institute and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; you can learn more at goodmanduffycollection.com.)

Patrick Duffy

What made you decide to take on this role?

PD: “We’re going to make the music program, as great as it is, even better. I thought to myself this is an opportunity to take that business acumen and create an art and culture buffet for the valley, so there’s something for everyone.”

How long have you been in Las Vegas, and what brought you here?

PD: “I’ve been here for nearly 20 years. I came here because I was offered an opportunity to become a regional director for Neiman Marcus at one of four choices: Tampa, Scottsdale, Newport Beach, and Las Vegas. When I presented them to Wally, it boiled down to Las Vegas, and here we are.”

How did you get involved with the arts?

PD: “Through my life with Wally Goodman. He was a liberal arts scholar, educated from opera to symphony to poetry to painting. He taught me ALL. Now, I share that knowledge and experience with my husband, Luis Valazquez.”

What exciting thing do you have planned for this year?

PD: “This year is the 100th birthday for legendary saxophonist, Charlie “Bird” Parker. We are celebrating it by presenting the program, “Bird with Strings,” which will be performed at the Smith Center’s Myron’s Cabaret Jazz (featuring Music Director Justin DiCioccio and Saxophonist Dick Oatts) on August 28-29, 2020.

“You may remember Charlie Parker was instrumental in changing the face of music when he hit New York in the 1940s. One of Bird’s dreams was to record with a string section, which was realized through “Bird with Strings.” Those studio sessions joined the faces of Classical and Jazz communities, creating Symphonic Jazz and broadening jazz trends in the 1950s and forward.”

What is one of the most important things you want to accomplish at the NSA?

PD: “I want to make sure that the community recognizes that the Historic Fifth Street School and our program is non-exclusive. We are looking for those people who want to develop and expand their musical abilities and appreciation for the arts.

“For all the several thousand students that have passed through Nevada School of the Arts, their music and skills they learned have stayed with them. For students from CCSD valley schools, music and art have helped propel them to success, to thinking, acting, and maturing in society, achieving higher incomes and professional standing.”

Do you have scholarships available for those who need them?

PD: “We do. If someone needs help, I want them to come and see me so that we can make that happen. Our scholarships are not full rides in the aspect that the parents have to participate, as well. As we know, if you don’t have “skin in the game,” it doesn’t work well. And the parents love being a part of providing their child the gift of attending NSA.”

I walked away from the Historic Fifth Street School heartened to know that the NSA was in the good hands of Patrick Duffy, who with his expertise, knowledge, and love of the arts is doing all he can to bring his touch of collaboration to enliven the arts community right here in Las Vegas.