TAHOE has a well-earned reputation for stunning beauty and dazzling nightlife. But over the past few years, Tahoe arts groups and events have made a name for themselves as well. Many vacationers now plan their visits to coincide with Tahoe festivals, dressing in outfits from the Roaring Twenties or soaking up music under the Milky Way.

Prior to this contemporary renaissance, only a handful of arts and cultural organizations carried forward the cause of arts in the Basin. Founded in 1974, the North Tahoe Fine Arts Council has a sterling reputation for mounting the popular Music and Shakespeare at Sand Harbor Festivals which draw over 22,000 visitors annually. Groups such as the Tahoe Arts Project (South Shore) and Arts for the Schools (North Shore) have provided arts programming for school children for a number of years - programming that would otherwise not be available. Sierra Nevada College has offered an art curriculum since the '60s, and Lake Tahoe Community College (established in the mid-'70s) features a variety of art classes and exhibits throughout the year. And, nestled among the rustic estates of turn-of-the-century San Franciscans, the Tahoe Tallac Association has, since the late '70s, established a number of galleries and performance spaces unique to the Tahoe Basin.

However, it was not until 1992 that two historic turning points occurred in the evolution of the arts at Lake Tahoe. In May, representatives from arts and cultural organizations, along with many local artists, gathered at the Resort at Squaw Creek to begin development of a comprehensive regional arts and cultural master plan. Then, in October at Caesars Tahoe, representatives from business, government, education and ethnic communities (including the native Washo), joined with the arts community to celebrate the arts and Lake Tahoe's rich cultural heritage.

The joining together of these communities was indeed cause for celebration. Welcome and enjoy Lake Tahoe's ever-growing arts and cultural attractions.