{"id":1118,"date":"2020-03-11T17:52:13","date_gmt":"2020-03-12T00:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/?p=1118"},"modified":"2026-08-30T22:46:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T05:46:06","slug":"charity-begins-at-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chiccompass.com\/wordpress\/charity-begins-at-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Charity Begins at Home"},"content":{"rendered":"
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This article was printed in the<\/em>
\n Spring 2020 issue of Chic Compass Magazine<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>

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Charity Begins at Home<\/h1>\n

BY JOAN S. PECK<\/p>\n<\/div>

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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, \u201cCharity begins at home.\u201d After all, with its meaning that a man\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n

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\u2019s a beautiful place, not necessarily fancy but comfortable with a sense of history.<\/p>\n

Nevada School of the Arts [\u201cNSA\u201d NevadaSchooloftheArts.org] is a non-profit 501(c)(3) cultural institution with a 42-year history. NSA became Nevada\u2019s first member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education and received the Governor\u2019s 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\u2019s faculty.<\/p>\n

The Music Programs are varied, and each one exciting and rewarding.<\/p>\n

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  • Music Mind Games - for young musicians ages five and up. Created by Michiko Yurko, it is a method for producing music literacy and theory.<\/li>\n
  • Suzuki Talent Education Program - for beginner and intermediate musicians age four and up for the highest quality private or group instruction.<\/li>\n
  • Preparatory Orchestra - for young string players, comfortable reading basic pitches and rhythms, to develop skills and techniques needed when performing with an ensemble.<\/li>\n
  • NSA Chorale - for students in grades 4 to 6 to study vocal techniques as well as musicianship, performance and social skills.<\/li>\n
  • 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.<\/li>\n
  • 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.<\/li>\n
  • 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.<\/li>\n
  • 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\u2019s 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\u2019s 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 \u2014 and Las Vegas. (many of those artworks are on display at such renowned museums as Chicago\u2019s Art Institute and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.; you can learn more at goodmanduffycollection.com.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>
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    \"Patrick<\/span><\/div><\/div>

    Patrick Duffy<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>

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    What made you decide to take on this role?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    PD: \u201cWe\u2019re 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\u2019s something for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n

    How long have you been in Las Vegas, and what brought you here?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    PD: \u201cI\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

    How did you get involved with the arts?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    PD: \u201cThrough 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

    What exciting thing do you have planned for this year?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    PD: \u201cThis year is the 100th birthday for legendary saxophonist, Charlie \u201cBird\u201d Parker. We are celebrating it by presenting the program, \u201cBird with Strings,\u201d which will be performed at the Smith Center\u2019s Myron\u2019s Cabaret Jazz (featuring Music Director Justin DiCioccio and Saxophonist Dick Oatts) on August 28-29, 2020.<\/p>\n

    \u201cYou may remember Charlie Parker was instrumental in changing the face of music when he hit New York in the 1940s. One of Bird\u2019s dreams was to record with a string section, which was realized through \u201cBird with Strings.\u201d Those studio sessions joined the faces of Classical and Jazz communities, creating Symphonic Jazz and broadening jazz trends in the 1950s and forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

    What is one of the most important things you want to accomplish at the NSA?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    PD: \u201cI 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.<\/p>\n

    \u201cFor 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

    Do you have scholarships available for those who need them?<\/strong><\/p>\n

    PD: \u201cWe 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\u2019t have \u201cskin in the game,\u201d it doesn\u2019t work well. And the parents love being a part of providing their child the gift of attending NSA.\u201d<\/p>\n

    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.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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