It's been said that there's no off-season for the arts, an advantage that may help Napa thrive in two important ways: by attracting more visitors to spur the local tourism economy year-round, and by bolstering the community's growing arts scene.

"Sustainable art needs cultural tourism," said Kristina Young, who was recently named executive director of Arts Council Napa Valley, the non-profit agency that helps guide and plan art events throughout the county.

Her title is new, but Young's been acting as executive director for more than a year and has been with the Arts Council since 1999. Her years of experience may have been one reason behind the success of the recently-concluded NV Arts 2010, a first-of-its-kind, month-long, valley-wide focus on the arts.

With more than 100 events at locations all over Napa County, the festival was a pathmaking collaboration between galleries, theaters, wineries, schools and visual and performing artists.

"Whew," sighed Young. "It was an enormous new event, created in six months." The finale was Nov. 14 in Yountville, where a series of celebrations included the opening of an exhibition called "Amazing," at the Napa Valley Museum, that showcased work by current students and recent graduates of Vintage High School. (The show remains on display through tomorrow in the museum's lower gallery.)

Along with breaking new ground, the ambitious but low-key festival broke even, and Arts Council staff have already begun plans for more events – and more marketing -- in 2011.  "This year was building the model and garnering local support," Young explained. "We will build on that for 2011."

At a time when public funding for the arts is evaporating, Arts Council is working closely with local businesspeople who understand that cultural tourism can bring in visitors even when the valley's vineyards are dormant and the wineries quiet.

Young said a program coming in April will target visitors to help bolster business during the spring, which mirrors the October-November "shoulder season" as a time when tourism lags. Packages offering various combinations of wine tasting, theater, art and music will help lure visitors to Napa, where it's hoped they'll also shop, dine and lodge.

Arts Council is currently applying for a share of the proceeds from a recently-approved increase in hotel user fees. Young explained that this is money hoteliers agree to collect on room sales in order to fund ways of increasing business – not a tax paid by locals. (Repeat: Not a tax paid by locals.)

Another Arts Council project, an "Artwalk" with sculptures dotted throughout downtown Napa, uses smart phone technology that allows visitors to scan a code on each sculpture's base to receive detailed "gallery notes." The Artwalk has been so popular in encouraging foot traffic that downtown businesses are providing funds to expand the program.

"It's been very well received. It has a downtown impact," said Young. She added that Arts Council has received calls and emails from people all over the U.S, inquiring how to see the Artwalk.

The current series of sculptures was created on the theme "Celebrating the Napa River." Next spring, they'll be sold off and an independent jury will select 15 to 18 new sculptures on a different theme.