$250,500 distributed for arts

The Nevada Arts Council has distributed $250,500 in federal stimulus funding to 39 arts organizations throughout the state.

One-time grants of up to $10,000 were awarded to organizations in six different counties.

"We are extremely pleased that Congress and the Obama administration considered the arts as an essential national industry when creating the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act," said Susan Boskoff, Nevada Arts Council executive director.

To get the money out the door, Nevada Arts Council created a program called Sustaining Nevada's Arts Programs.

They reviewed 61 applications during a day-long public hearing.

In addition, four other Nevada arts organizations received stimulus funding from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Western States Arts Federation in the form of direct grants.