Expansion at Nevada Museum of Art begins

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) - A $60 million plan for the Nevada Museum of Art has begun.

The plan would include establishing an education and research center to double pre-K-12 school attendance to 12,000 students a year, as well as increase the number of galleries dedicated to permanent collections.

The Nevada Museum of Art has been attempting to support the relocation of the Howell/Sinai Mansion for the last five years. Those efforts will now transition into saving the public memory of the structure through videography and harvesting architectural elements.

The Howell House/Sinai Mansion at California and Hill Street was acquired by the museum in 2018 as part of a 50,000 square foot expansion that has broken ground this week.

Previous attempts to relocate the building over the last five years have been unsuccessful due to being unable to find a suitable location.

The Nevada Museum of Art announced plans in 2022 to expand its facilities by 50,000 square feet to enhance its education, gallery and research spaces.

“With a population of over three million, the state currently has only one accredited art museum, which creates an urgent and ongoing need to provide educational and research opportunities for current and future generations,” Nevada Museum of Art CEO David Walker said. “This expansion project aims to establish a strong foundation for growth and expansion to meet the growing demand for artistic and cultural resources in the region.”

The doors to the planned Education and Research Center south entrance will open wider to accommodate more than 12,000 students annually. This would double the museum’s capacity for school tours and hands on activities.

The expansion would also provide more space for art, archive, and library collections by expanding the Center for Art + Environment.