Our Mission
At Nevada School of the Arts (NSA), our mission is to provide a dynamic and inclusive performing and visual arts education to a diverse community of students spanning all ages and backgrounds. While educating the artists and audiences of tomorrow, we strive to develop responsible and enlightened world citizens by igniting a lifelong passion for the arts.
NSA offers private and group lessons in piano, guitar, voice, violin, viola, cello, woodwinds, theatre, and visual arts. Guiding our students is an artist faculty that includes graduates of The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, Indiana University, Peabody Institute, The Art Institute of Chicago, and other renowned institutions.
Objectives
- Nurture the personal, creative, and artistic development of every student.
- Maintain a distinguished faculty of dedicated professional artists and educators.
- Provide high-quality instruction, performances, exhibitions, and educational experiences for students of all ages.
- Expand access to arts education through scholarships and tuition assistance.
- Remain responsive to the evolving needs of our students, families, and community.
- Build lasting educational partnerships with schools, arts organizations, and community institutions.
- Advocate for the value of the arts and arts education throughout Southern Nevada.
Who We Serve
At Nevada School of the Arts (NSA), we believe that high-quality arts education should be accessible to students of all ages and backgrounds. Through exceptional instruction and meaningful artistic experiences, we help students develop their creativity, confidence, discipline, and sense of possibility.
Access is central to our mission. NSA works to remove financial barriers and expand opportunities for students from under-resourced and historically underserved communities throughout Southern Nevada. We believe the arts can be a powerful force in a young person’s life, fostering self-expression, connection, and personal growth while opening doors to future educational and professional opportunities.
Our goal is to build a community in which every student, regardless of background or financial circumstances, has the opportunity to experience the transformative benefits of an arts education.
During the 2022–23 academic year, 41% of NSA students received full or partial scholarships. NSA provided scholarship support to students living in 49 of the 76 ZIP codes in Clark County, Nevada.
Our History
Nevada School of the Arts (NSA) was chartered as an independent nonprofit community arts school on July 7, 1977, but its roots extend even further. The school grew out of the Saturday Conservatory, an outreach program of the Department of Music at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as well as a highly successful summer arts camp at Mt. Charleston.
NSA continued operating at UNLV until 1991, when its administrative offices and primary teaching center moved to the Paradise Elementary School campus. In 1994, the school relocated to the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies, Performing and Visual Arts in downtown Las Vegas. As demand for space at the academy grew, NSA moved again in 2004 to the Festivals Professional Business Park on South Decatur Boulevard.
In 2008, with the support of the City of Las Vegas and former Mayors Oscar and Carolyn Goodman, Nevada School of the Arts became a resident organization at the Historic Fifth Street School in the heart of downtown Las Vegas. The historic campus remains NSA’s home today, providing space for lessons, rehearsals, performances, exhibitions, masterclasses, and community programs.
For nearly five decades, NSA has served students of all ages from throughout the Las Vegas Valley. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a member of the National Guild for Community Arts Education, NSA continues to expand its programs both at the Historic Fifth Street School and at schools, performance venues, and community spaces across Southern Nevada.
NSA students have earned recognition at the local, regional, and national levels, reflecting the dedication of both our students and our distinguished faculty of professional artists and educators. From young children beginning their first artistic experiences to advanced students preparing for college and professional careers to adults pursuing a lifelong passion for the arts, NSA provides opportunities for learning and artistic growth at every stage of life.
In recognition of its contributions to arts education in Nevada, Nevada School of the Arts received the 30th Annual Governor’s Arts Award for Leadership in Arts Education.
Board of Trustees
JUDAH ZAKALIK
Chair
Judah is a Founding Partner of PandA Law Firm, a Nevada law firm helping consumers in Las Vegas and Henderson find debt relief through a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy or debt settlement, and helping homeowners avoid foreclosure through loan modifications and workouts, short sales, and deeds in lieu of foreclosure. Mr. Zakalik’s legal background includes experience in personal injury, corporate litigation, real estate transactions, corporate bankruptcies, and intellectual property rights.
As a courtroom litigator, Mr. Zakalik represented financial institutions in lawsuits brought by homeowners for violations of federal statutes. This experience has proved invaluable in Mr. Zakalik’s current practice, helping homeowners and businesses keep their residential and commercial property through the loan modification process and consumer bankruptcies. As a Founding Member of the Diversity Committee within the State Bar of Nevada, Mr. Zakalik actively volunteers his time to increase diversity within the legal profession in the State of Nevada.
When not practicing law, Mr. Zakalik enjoys riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the Las Vegas arts and music scene, traveling, bicycling, and engaging in snow sports.
BENJAMIN BURNS
Secretary
Benjamin is the Director, Creative Strategy at Quillin Advertising Public Relations & Social Media where he develops integrated marketing campaigns for clients across several industries. He currently serves on the Steering Committee for the Human Rights Campaign Las Vegas and has served on The Golden Apple Gala Committee for the Public Education Foundation.
JEFF BREEDEN
Treasurer
Jeff is a native of Southern Nevada having grown up in Boulder City. He started on piano in elementary school but switched to trumpet in middle school and never looked back. A student at NSA in the early 90’s, he can recall lessons on the second floor of Grant Hall at UNLV including one memorable night when everyone was huddled around the radio listening to the beginning of the First Gulf War. Today Jeff is still making music with the Las Vegas Brass Band and occasionally the UNLV Basketball Pep Band.
Professionally, Jeff is a tax partner with RubinBrown, a top 50 US accounting firm. He serves clients in a variety of industries including construction, retail and professional practices as well as high net worth individuals. He and his wife Jeny like to travel in their free time now that their twin sons are off in college.
GLENN ALAI
Glenn Alai is a Broadway, film and television producer who has guided the careers of Penn Jillette and Teller since 1994.
A graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Alai began his career in 1991 in the entertainment and public relations office at Caesars Tahoe, eventually moving into a similar position at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.
An avid admirer of classic Las Vegas entertainment, he has produced sold out concerts starring Lainie Kazan, Connie Stevens, John Davidson, Florence Henderson, Leslie Jordan, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. and Carol Lawrence. He also conceived and produces the annual Aid for AIDS Nevada (AFAN) event “An Evening of Cabaret Benefitting AFAN.”
Alai was awarded an ADDY in 2017, along with Caesars Entertainment, for outstanding integrated brand identity campaign for the Penn & Teller Las Vegas ad campaign. He served as president of the AFAN Board of Directors for four years.
JAY BLOOM
Jay Bloom is an investor, real estate developer, and entrepreneur based in Las Vegas. Bloom was born in Tachikawa, Japan, on a US Air Force base where his father was serving. He was raised Jewish. He has an MBA from Fordham University.
While still in college, he started Magnavest, an investment company that covered call option writing. After graduation, he worked for ten years at Manufacturers Hanover Trustin New York City, becoming an officer working in portfolio risk management and later in real estate risk management.
In 1996, he and his wife also founded a veterinary discount company, Pet Assure. After selling the company, he retired at 33, but became interested in flying helicopters. He earned a private helicopter pilot's license and bought his own helicopter, then bought the flight school and founded a company that offered 3-minute flights from piers on the New Jersey coast. The 9-11 attacks made that business unprofitable; based on an arrangement with Eastman Kodak to sell souvenir photographs to tourists, he then founded Nactor, which sold souvenir photographs at amusement parks, zoos, and other large attractions.
In Las Vegas, Bloom heads a number of real estate investment and development companies. He is chairman of First 100 LLC, which buys and forecloses on home owners association liens. His home is owned by Spanish Heights Acquisition Company, and he is a manager of SJC Ventures, a property management company. He co-founded and is executive chairman of Pegasus Group Holdings, which develops and operates data centers that use renewable energy.
Bloom was managing partner of the Mob Experience, a Mafia-themed attraction that opened in 2011 at the Tropicana casino on the Las Vegas Strip. Other entertainment ventures have included producing performances at the then Gladys Knight Theater at the Tropicana and a planned Star Wars-themed entertainment and retail center on the Strip. In 2018, he co-founded Police Chase Las Vegas, which offers participation in a simulated police chase at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, as either a police officer or a fugitive. The company started operations in early 2019.
BRIAN BURKE
Brian Burke is a highly accomplished creative director and producer recognized by Billboard Magazine as "Strip Royalty." With over 25 years in the entertainment industry, Brian is considered an entertainment visionary and veteran, having left an indelible creative mark on some of the most iconic productions in Las Vegas and around the world.
Brian’s impressive resume includes work on some of the most prestigious shows in Las Vegas such as the Formula 1 Grand Prix Opening Ceremony, Le Reve, and Celine Dion's A New Day, as well as television juggernauts like American Idol, America’s Got Talent and The Latin Grammy Awards. His creative vision and talent for direction have earned him widespread recognition, including several Emmy nominations and 10 "Best Of Las Vegas" production shows.
Brian is also a highly sought after producer, having overseen Las Vegas residencies for some of the biggest names in music. He has worked closely with Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, and Pitbull, and directed Lionel Richie's Iconic performance at The Coronation of King Charles Concert at Windsor Castle.
In 2023, Brian was tapped to executive produce and create the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the inaugural Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. This massively successful ceremony was seen worldwide by an estimated 2.7 billion people.
Brian’s passion for his work and unwavering commitment to excellence has made him a beloved and respected figure in the entertainment industry.
His company, Brian Burke Creative, is partnering with world renowned artists, iconic brands and international businesses to elevate creative content and produce large and intimate immersive entertainment experiences around the globe. BBC is known for a strong and unique creative vision, leading and collaborating with international teams and vendors, bringing out the best in performers and creating unforgettable visual experiences for audiences on budget and on time.
Brian is Chief Creative Producer at Formula 1 Las Vegas. He is proud to serve on the board of Nevada School of the Arts and support its mission in the performing arts.
KIM COOPER
Kim counsels clients on strategies to acquire, maintain, and enforce their domestic and foreign intellectual property assets. She prosecutes federal trademark applications including appeals, oppositions, and cancellations, before the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Kim represents clients in intellectual property disputes including drafting and responding to cease-and-desist letters and DMCA takedown notices, drafting initial complaints, and negotiating settlement and coexistence agreements. She drafts and negotiates various agreements and develops and implements procedures for DMCA registration compliance and registered agent services. Her clients include e-commerce, entertainment, and construction companies, as well as manufacturers and restaurateurs.
JOE GANLEY
Joseph R. Ganley is a Senior Litigation Partner at the Firm of Hutchison & Steffen. He practices in virtually every aspect of business and commercial litigation, including intellectual property (e.g., copyright, trademarks, trade secrets, etc.), real estate, construction, employment, insurance, corporate governance, corporate divorces, securities, healthcare, transactional, administrative, fiduciary duties, and contract disputes. A firm believer in building strong local communities, Ganley implemented an annual Blood Drive at his law firm, which welcomes donors not only from the firm’s employees but the entire legal community benefiting the Las Vegas chapter of the American Red Cross. He also spearheaded the firm’s perpetual clothing drive that provides needed donations for the Safe Nest domestic violence shelter, he volunteers at a local charter school that is relatively new to the Las Vegas Valley, andsupports school gardens STEM program through the local non-profit Green Our Planet. Originally from historic Weymouth, Massachusetts (founded in 1622), Ganley is a graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont and the Boston University School of Law, and he still holds season tickets to the Boston Bruins and New England Patriots.
DE ANN LETOURNEAU
De Ann Letourneau is the Concertmaster of the Las Vegas Philharmonic, one of the few female Concertmasters in the US. She has been invited to virtually teach, conduct masterclasses at various Universities and performance coaching across the US and Abroad.
She is a native of Superior Wisconsin where she began studying at age 14, and very quickly became noted as one of the up and coming Young Artists through several National Young Artists Competitions. She has appeared as guest artist with many orchestras including the Milwaukee Symphony, Las Vegas Philharmonic, National Arts Chamber Orchestra (Chicago), Duluth-Superior Symphony, Green Bay Symphony, Contemporary Arts Ensemble of Ohio, St. Martin Chamber Orchestra, Orchestra, the Lake Superior Chamber Symphony and the Henderson Symphony. She has also been heard on several TV and Radio interviews and concerts including: KNPR FM, National Public Radio (Las Vegas and Minneapolis), WQXR FM New York, Wisconsin Public Radio, Fox 5, channel 14 “Morning Blend” and PBS stations.
JAMES MARTINES
James (“Jimmy”) Martines is an experienced board member and accomplished general counsel with a history of public and private experience. He is valued for his experience in policy development and organizational leadership, knowledge of parliamentary procedure, and his pragmatic and creative approach to strategic organizational progress.
Jimmy currently serves as Vice Chancellor & Chief General Counsel for Nevada’s public higher education system, the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), which serves over 100,000 students across its eight institutions with nearly 15,000 faculty and employees. In this role, Jimmy provides comprehensive legal services to NSHE’s executive leadership and the elected Board of Regents. He also oversees NSHE’s Office of Legal Affairs, consisting of over 30 attorneys, and the Department of Human Resources.
In 2015, Jimmy joined NSHE as System Counsel and General Counsel for Nevada State University (NSU). Since then, he has served as NSHE Real Estate Counsel, General Counsel for the College of Southern Nevada (CSN), and twice served as Acting Vice Chancellor & Chief General Counsel before accepting the permanent appointment in 2022. During this time, Jimmy also proved to be an effective member of NSHE’s Legislative Team, presenting bills to legislative committees and advocating for or against bills for his clients.
BILL TOWNSEND
Bill Townsend is an American entrepreneur who helped create and build several publicly-held global technology companies, notably search engine Lycos (sold for $7.6B), GeoCities (sold to Yahoo! for $3.5B), YouthStream Media Networks, and Deja.com (sold to Google and eBay), social networking pioneer sixdegrees.com (the intellectual property behind LinkedIn), and e-tailer Newegg.com ($2.8 billion revenue).
Townsend co-founded Ontheline Corporation with Jack J. Illare, III to provide a Web 4.0 digital lifestyle platform for citizens of countries that protect freedom of expression. Ontheline’s two platforms, Ontheline for adults and Friendswith for children, will become publicly available in 2025 with 304 million people and 8 million businesses pre-enrolled. He serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the company where he oversees a team he has worked with for as many as 27 years.
Townsend earned his MBA in Global Business from Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business. Post-graduation, he held the John Schoen Entrepreneur-in-Residence chair and lectured on leadership and entrepreneurship. He earned his BA at The College of Wooster and completed additional studies at Washington & Jefferson College.
He has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, LA Times Magazine, Baylor Magazine (where he was selected as one of the Top 100 Baylor Alumni), Wooster Magazine, numerous domestic and International media, NBC Nightly News, ABC Television, and CNBC. Townsend appeared in ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and CNBC’s Treasure Detectives.
In 2000, Townsend founded The Amati Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to expansion and preservation of the stringed arts, after learning violinmaking and the positive connections between music education and computer programming. In 2005, Townsend uncovered and introduced a wood treatment system to increase sonority and harmonics in musical instrument making, creating a base chemically matching Italian master Antonio Stradivari’s ground on which to apply varnish and protect wood. One of Townsend’s handcrafted violins was featured in The Smithsonian Institution’s Heart & Hands exhibition and a violin he made for Martie Maguire of The Chicks resides in the GRAMMY museum. He is a board member at Gilcrease Nature Sanctuary and Uvolution, provides funding to numerous women’s shelters, and has underwritten the college educations of 12 minority students.