Before there was an Arts District or First Friday, there was the CAC -- promoting art culture in Las Vegas -- run by local artists and volunteers to this day.  The Contemporary Arts Center continues to be a cornerstone of our art community, connecting national and international artists with local artists and audiences.\n\nI joined the CAC because when I moved to Las Vegas, I didn't know where to start and I wanted to volunteer somewhere that mattered, meet people, and connect to the community.  It's been a year now, and mission accomplished: I've met so many wonderful people in the Arts District and even helped put on a few of their exhibitions.  I learned a lot about where to submit my work and what it takes to put on a great show.  Vegas feels like my forever home now, and connecting to the art culture was a big part of that.\n\nBecause the CAC is a 501c3 non-profit organization, it's run by a board of directors, which is open to the public -- so sometimes you have a big board with lots of people and time to plan things, and other years it's just a few people scraping by just to pay the rent.  From short film festivals, to wearable art fashion shows, to controversial paintings on national tour, to brief performance installations ... the CAC doesn't have to stress about whether a piece will SELL, it's whether the piece will MATTER.  And it's because of volunteers who work, and the donors who pay to become members, that this public asset continues two decades later.  How well it's doing depends entirely on how many people will lend a hand and donate a few bucks every year.\n\nLooking through the history has been fascinating about the challenges and successes of these motley crews, and inspiring to see that people from all walks of life can join the organization, have a say in how it's run, and then get hands-on experience with whatever facet of the industry they're interested in.  Artist run spaces can be hit-or-miss, but they're important and rewarding, and the CAC deserves our support.