Beverly Rogers

Last updated

Beverly Rogers is an American philanthropist. In 2014, she and her husband, Jim Rogers, founded the Rogers Foundation, a foundation trust specializing in education and the arts. In 2019, Rogers developed the Lucy, a literary and arts space, and in 2023, she debuted the Beverly Theater, a local film, performance, and arts venue, both of which are in the downtown Las Vegas area.

Contents

Early life

In 1962, Rogers moved from Pennsylvania to Nevada with her family, where her stepfather became a mechanic for a bowling alley, while her mother managed the office for an orthodontist. She then went to school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and sold advertisements for television and radio in the 1980s, after which she worked at KSNV-TV. [1]

In 1997, Rogers married her husband, Jim Rogers, after which she began getting involved in nonprofit work and philanthropy. Together, they worked on several projects in downtown Las Vegas such as the Lone Pine Film Festival and the Black Mountain Institute at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. [1] [2]

Career

Rogers Foundation

In 2013, Rogers and her husband, Jim Rogers, established a foundation trust called the Rogers Foundation with the "broad mission to address education". After her husband's death from cancer in June of 2014, Rogers began focusing her philanthropic efforts on education and the arts. [3]

Since its establishment, the Rogers Foundation has funded collegiate scholarships, created programs like Educate Nevada Now and CORE Academy, and facilitated the Heart of Education awards for teachers. [4] For a Las Vegas Review-Journal piece in 2021, the foundation reported approximately $89 million in disbursements toward projects relevant to its goals. [1]

University of Nevada, Las Vegas and the Black Mountain Institute

In 2013, Rogers and her husband donated $10 million dollars to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Black Mountain Institute for writers. As a result, it was renamed the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute. Their funds also created the Beverly Rogers Literature and Law Building, revitalized the institute's City of Asylum program, and launched the $50,000 Black Mountain Institute Prize for Fiction. [5]

In 2019, Rogers donated $5 million to the university's Special Collections to fund a curator of rare books and support the department's operations. In 2024, she donated rare books from her personal library to the collection, including rare editions of Jane Austen and George Eliot, as well as a book that Virginia Woolf had owned. [6]

The Writer's Block after its relocation to the Lucy in 2019 The Writer's Block bookstore in downtown Las Vegas.jpg
The Writer's Block after its relocation to the Lucy in 2019

The Lucy

In 2014, Rogers opened the Lucy on Sixth Street and Bonneville Avenue, a literary and arts space in downtown Las Vegas which hosts and partners with local organizations like The Writer's Block, which Rogers partially owns, and the Black Mountain Institute. [1] The Lucy features an outdoor venue, as well as twelve loft residences for artists and writers. [7]

Beverly Theater

In 2021, the Rogers Foundations unveiled plans to build a 14,000 square foot theater for film and performance in downtown Las Vegas on Sixth Street. [8] Originally slated for a 2022 debut, the $30-million-dollar Beverly Theater opened in 2023 with 146 seats. [9] It is considered the only art house in Las Vegas. [10]

With creative director Kip Kelly on board, the theater's programming was broadly split into three categories: Lit (literature), Live (live entertainment), and Film (with a specific attention to indie). On its segue, jazz shows and author readings are typically scheduled. [11]

Since its inception, it had fostered frequent partnerships with Rogers' other ventures like The Writer's Block and the Black Mountain Institute, featuring writers such as Teju Cole and Pemi Aguda. [12]

In 2024, the Beverly Theater launched a film distribution component of its operations, Ink Films, in order to promote independent films in the city and beyond. [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas</span> Largest city in Nevada, United States

Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-largest in the Southwestern United States. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city, known primarily for its gambling, shopping, fine dining, entertainment, and nightlife, with most venues centered on downtown Las Vegas and more to the Las Vegas Strip just outside city limits. The Las Vegas Valley as a whole serves as the leading financial, commercial, and cultural center for Nevada. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had 641,903 residents in 2020, with a metropolitan population of 2,227,053, making it the 25th-most populous city in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nevada, Las Vegas</span> Public university in Paradise, Nevada, US

The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) is a public land-grant research university in Paradise, Nevada, United States. The 332-acre (134 ha) campus is about 1.6 mi (2.6 km) east of the Las Vegas Strip. It was formerly part of the University of Nevada from 1957 to 1969. It includes the Shadow Lane Campus, just east of the University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, which houses both School of Medicine and School of Dental Medicine. UNLV's law school, the William S. Boyd School of Law, is the only law school in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas Valley</span> Metropolitan area in Nevada, United States

The Las Vegas Valley is a major metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada, and the second largest in the Southwestern United States. The state's largest urban agglomeration, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Statistical Area is coextensive since 2003 with Clark County, Nevada. The Valley is largely defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a 600 sq mi (1,600 km2) basin area surrounded by mountains to the north, south, east and west of the metropolitan area. The Valley is home to the three largest incorporated cities in Nevada: Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas. Eleven unincorporated towns governed by the Clark County government are part of the Las Vegas Township and constitute the largest community in the state of Nevada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nevada State University</span> Public college located in Henderson, Nevada, United States

Nevada State University (NSU), formerly Nevada State College, is a public college in Henderson, Nevada. It is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education and opened on September 3, 2002, as Nevada's first state college. The university is a designated Minority Serving Institute, Hispanic Serving Institution, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Institution. Its main campus is located on a 509-acre (206 ha) site in the southern foothills of Henderson.

Jan Jones Blackhurst is an American businesswoman and politician. She was mayor of Las Vegas, Nevada from 1991 to 1999 and the first woman to serve as mayor of Las Vegas. Jones Blackhurst is a member of the Democratic Party.

<i>The Believer</i> (magazine) American magazine

The Believer is an American bimonthly magazine of interviews, essays, and reviews, founded by the writers Heidi Julavits, Vendela Vida, and Ed Park in 2003. The magazine is a five-time finalist for the National Magazine Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Las Vegas Academy of the Arts</span> Magnet high school in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

The Las Vegas Academy of the Arts is a magnet high school located in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada. Students are accepted through an audition process and claim a major pertaining to performing arts or visual arts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSNV</span> TV station in Las Vegas

KSNV is a television station in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group alongside dual CW/MyNetworkTV affiliate KVCW. The two stations share studios on Foremaster Lane in Las Vegas; KSNV's transmitter is located on Black Mountain, near Henderson.

Carol Clancey Harter was an American academic administrator who was the 7th president of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) (1995–2006). She is the longest-serving president in UNLV history, at 11 years. From New York, she held B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. degrees from Binghamton University as well as three honorary doctorates. She was succeeded as president of UNLV by David B. Ashley on July 1, 2006. Prior to her tenure at UNLV, Harter was the 11th president of SUNY Geneseo, where she was succeeded by Christopher Dahl. She served as a faculty member and in two vice presidential roles at Ohio University and is the author of numerous articles and co-author of two books. Harter was the retired Executive Director and founder of UNLV's Black Mountain Institute at UNLV. She was Chair of the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute Advisory Board and a member of the Guinn Center for Public Priorities Board of Directors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Huntridge Theater</span> Historic building in Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Huntridge Theater, sometimes known as the Huntridge Performing Arts Theater, is a Streamline Moderne building located in Las Vegas, Nevada, that is listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places. The building was designed by S. Charles Lee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Earl Wilson Stadium</span> Baseball stadium in Paradise, Nevada, US

Earl E. Wilson Baseball Stadium at Roger Barnson Field is a baseball stadium located on the northwest corner of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus in Paradise, Nevada.

Richard Wiley is an American novelist and short story writer whose first novel, Soldiers in Hiding won the 1987 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He has published five other novels and a number of short stories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Symphony Park</span> District of Las Vegas in Nevada, United States

Symphony Park is a 61-acre (25 ha) site located in downtown Las Vegas. Once housing a Union Pacific rail yard, Symphony Park is being master developed for mixed-use by the city of Las Vegas, which is also the landowner. Symphony Park is home to the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Discovery Children's Museum.

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art is a museum located on the main campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), established in 1967. The museum was originally instituted as a natural history museum with a focus on the natural history and environment of Nevada and the broader Southwestern United States. In December 2011, the Barrick joined the UNLV College of Fine Arts and became the anchor of the Galleries at UNLV. The six galleries and one museum that make up the Galleries are each entities in their own right linked via a common administration.

James E. Rogers was an American entrepreneur and former attorney. He served as interim chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education and the University of Arizona College of Law carries his name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Writer's Block</span> Bookseller publisher in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

The Writer's Block is an independent bookseller, publisher, and literacy educator in downtown Las Vegas. It is the first independent bookstore in Las Vegas and second in the state of Nevada.

The Engelstad Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, was established in June 2002 to continue the philanthropic efforts of Ralph Engelstad. It was originally developed with the purpose of promoting medical research, improving the lives of people living with disabilities and creating new possibilities for high-risk individuals. The Engelstad Foundation focuses its efforts on education, healthcare, disabled individuals and childhood issues, among other areas. The foundation controls about $800 million in assets and has given over $500 million in grants, scholarships and donations to a number of nonprofits and partners throughout the United States since its establishment.

Marjorie Ann Jacobson was a founding member of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Foundation Board of Trustees. She was born in Iowa in 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Deanin Abbey</span> American artist and educator

Rita Deanin Abbey was a multidisciplinary abstract artist and among the first art professors at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Born in New Jersey to Polish immigrants, she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, in 1965 to teach, living there for 56 years and contributing several large-scale public artworks. She was an artist-in-residence at the studios of many artists and institutions, had over 60 individual exhibitions, and participated in over 160 national and international group exhibitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Mountain Institute</span> Literary center in Las Vegas, Nevada

The Black Mountain Institute, formally called the Beverly Rogers, Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute, is the literary center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. The institute provides various fellowships, programs, community events, and spaces in order to foster the literary arts in Las Vegas, specifically with an emphasis on climate and environmental narratives.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Beverly Rogers focused on 'vertical philanthropy' for education and the arts". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2021-09-13. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  2. "Beverly Theater ready to shine in downtown Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  3. Koch, Ed (June 15, 2014). "Media mogul remembered as 'fearless advocate' for education whose 'charity was unmatched'". Las Vegas Sun.
  4. "UNLV's honors college enjoys attendance surge, upgraded digs". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2015-11-01. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  5. Takahashi, Paul (November 16, 2013). "$10 million gift to bring Black Mountain Institute into 'new era of progress,' donor says". Las Vegas Sun.
  6. Miguel, Kris (2024-10-22). "UNLV donor Beverly Rogers to make donation to Special Collections and Archives - UNLV Scarlet and Gray" . Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  7. Nawotka, Ed. "Bookselling Spotlight: The Writer's Block". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  8. Staff, News 3 (2021-07-07). "Plans revealed for new independent theater in downtown Las Vegas". KSNV. Retrieved 2024-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  9. "Downtown Las Vegas art house set for '22 opening". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2021-07-06. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  10. "Beverly Theater ready to shine in downtown Las Vegas". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 2023-03-01. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  11. McCarver, Katie Ann (2024-05-25). "Boutique theater launches humble start of filmmaking industry in Las Vegas". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  12. "Black Mountain Institute Announces 2024-25 Literary Events | University of Nevada, Las Vegas". www.unlv.edu. 2024-08-22. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  13. McCarver, Katie Ann (2024-05-25). "Boutique theater launches humble start of filmmaking industry in Las Vegas". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved 2024-10-31.