The Southern Nevada Art and Design Collaborative, together with AIGA Las Vegas, accepted a proclamation from the City of Las Vegas, designating April 2014 as Art & Design Month. It was presented by Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman and the Las Vegas City Council.

The Southern Nevada Art and Design Design Collaborative brings various associations and organizations together to share ideas and resources among artists and designers in order to advocate, inform, engage and inspire the community with design. There are 19 member organizations, representing fields that range from fine arts and graphic design to architecture and urban planning.

“With a spirit of appreciation, the people of Las Vegas honor and congratulate the members of the Souther Nevada Art and Design Collaborative, for their commitment to enhancing our community through art, architecture, design, and cultural activities,” the proclamation reads. “We commend them [Southern Nevada Art and Design Collaborative members] for their work to advocate, inform, engage, and inspire our citizens through art and design.”

The proclamation was especially timely for AIGA Las Vegas, a founding member of the collaborative, as its national organization is also celebrating its 100th anniversary. For more than a century, AIGA has advanced design as a respected craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force in the United States and around the world.

“It was a tremendous honor to accept the proclamation on behalf of the Southern Nevada Art and Design Collaborative while representing AIGA Las Vegas,” said Val Lehnerd, president of AIGA Las Vegas. “The collaborative is new, but its ability to bring together a community calendar for its 19 member organizations demonstrates how accessible and prevalent art and design is in Las Vegas.”

The Las Vegas Chapter of AIGA, the professional organization for design, is committed to providing education, support, and networking to professionals and students. The Las Vegas chapter was founded in 1999.