Findlay Cadillac supports City Lights Art Gallery

The City Lights Art Gallery, a nonprofit co-op located in downtown Henderson, received a giant boost recently when the organization was presented with a $5,000 donation from Findlay Cadillac. The gallery has been in existence since October 2003 and annually gives scholarships to senior high school students who plan to attend a college with a major in an arts field.

The donation was the second time that Findlay Cadillac had awarded funds to the gallery.

“The students who are awarded the scholarship are high school seniors in Southern Nevada,” said gallery president Eric Courtney, a native of Chicago who is a professional photographer.

“There were five winning students last year,” he said. “The winning students went on to attend colleges from all over the nation.”

In his thanks to the dealership, Courtney said, “We greatly appreciate the more than generous donation from General Manager John Saksa and his employees for supporting our cause so that we can continue our mission.”

Saksa praised the gallery. “This is a heartfelt charity that helps young people live their dreams and we’re proud to be a part of it,” he said.

Courtney said the City Lights Art Gallery accepts tax-deductible donations throughout the year.

“We also conduct classes,” he said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students who want to further their studies in the arts.”

Tracie Virgen is among the students who have been awarded a scholarship from the City Lights Art Gallery.

“I discovered City Lights through the Public Education Foundation,” she said. “I live in the Centennial Hills area, so it was great to connect with a gallery over in Henderson and discover the artists in that area. I am also a first-generation college student so the donation of City Lights toward my tuition meant a great deal to my family and me.”

Tracie attends Occidental College in Los Angeles, a small liberal arts campus a few miles away from Art Center College of Design.

“I am excited to take classes at both institutions in order to develop my major in art and art history with an emphasis in studio art,” she said. “I am also a student-worker for Oxy Arts, so I have been able to work at art events on campus, work as a gallery attendant, etc.”

Further information regarding the gallery can be found by calling 702-260-0300, by visiting www.citylightsartgallery.com or by visiting the gallery at 3 E. Army St., just off Water Street in downtown Henderson.