the revival of the downtown art scene
TRANSCRIPT
Brief History of Las Vegas
1905 - The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake railroad arrived in Las Vegas
1906 - The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino opens in downtown Las Vegas
1911 - Las Vegas was incorporated
1931 - Gambling was made legal
1941 - The first neon sign was used to attract patrons to the El Rancho casino in Las Vegas
1966 - Howard Hughes checked into the penthouse of the Desert Inn and never left, preferring to buy the hotel rather than face eviction
1989 - Steve Wynn opened the Mirage, the city’s first mega-resort
First forms of art introduced to Las Vegas
1912 - The Airdome, the first
outdoor theater in Las Vegas,
opened on Fremont Street
1928 - The El Portal Theatre
opens on Fremont Street
1941 – The first neon sign was
installed at the El Rancho
Hotel/Casino
1998 – Bellagio opens Las
Vegas' first art gallery
But isn’t everyone in Las Vegas a tourist? Las
Vegas isn’t know for art, where can you actually
go to see art in Vegas?
Art forms available in Las Vegas???
The art on display in Vegas ranges from fine art exhibits, like those found at the Bellagio or Cosmopolitan, to modern galleries in Vegas' growing downtown district.
That diversity has allowed artists to create what inspires them, as opposed to other big art cities, such as Los Angeles or New York, where the demand for certain types of art is greater.
Tourists in search of art don't have to venture beyond The Strip because museums and galleries are located right on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Jerry Schefcik, University of Las Vegas Art Galleries director, says “Vegas hotels have added the art for culture, and to make money. But the overall art scene in Vegas is growing because it attracts artists who think outside the box.”
"The artists aren't bound by any preconceived notion of what an artist is supposed to be," Schefcik said. "Like, if you go to New York you may have to fit into what they expect an artist to be in New York or L.A. or somewhere else.“
Being a free-formed and independently thinking, Las Vegas is able to successfully display a wide variety of art.
Summerlin Art Scene
Summerlin Art Group
The Summerlin Art Group had its grand opening the weekend of June 26, 2014 to celebrate the opening of its art school and gallery at 7885 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 108.
More than 40 pieces of framed artwork line the walls of the gallery.
The gallery offers art classes Monday-Saturday to adults and children.
Summerlin Art Scene
Annual Summerlin Art Festival
Summerlin offers an Annual Art Festival located at the Summerlin Centre Community Park.
The Summerlin Art Festival allows artists to display and sell their pieces of work as well as do live demonstrations.
Along with paintings, the festival has live dancers, glasswork, pottery, jewelry, metal works, sculpture and mixed media.
CityCenter Art Scene
CityCenter is located in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip. It consists of galleries and
open-air artwork at the following locations:
Mandarin Oriental
Vdara Hotel & Spa
ARIA Hotel & Casino
The Harmon Hotel
Veer Towers
CityCenter Art Scene
There are art galleries within these spaces as well as works of art that are meant to be stumbled upon while traveling throughout the many hallways and corridors of the massive buildings.
CityCenter presents the first major permanent collection of art in Las Vegas to be integrated into a public space, and one of the world’s largest and most ambitious corporate art collections in existence today.
Jim Murren, Chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International was quoted as saying “The fine art collection is the first initiative of its kind to merge public and corporate interests on this grand scale, and we’re proud to deliver this prominent force in contemporary art and culture to Las Vegas.”
The CityCenter fine art collection features works by acclaimed artists, sculptors and visionaries.
But does CityCenter really have a “scene”?
CityCenter is thought to be more for the passerby’s and the busy travelers. Yes,
there is an abundance of traffic moving through the galleries and the1000’s of
quick glances at the open-air style pieces, but is it really considered a “scene”?
The art displayed throughout CityCenter is the most expensive pieces of art
offered in Las Vegas. Even with its through-the-roof price tags, it fails in
comparison to the re-emerging Downtown art scene.
NEED TO ADD MORE HERE…
The Downtown Art Scene
Local Graffiti & Murals
On just about every corner in Downtown you can find amazing murals and graffiti.
The Life is Beautiful festival sparked some of the first installations of the massive murals.
Street Art News described Las Vegas as “being the hottest city in the United States right now for Street Art”
The Downtown Art Scene
Container Park
The most notable of several public-feeling private spaces the Downtown Project has so far produced.
A variety of small businesses operate in this arrangement of shipping crates.
Centered around a full-featured playground with four-story slide and fronted by a 55-foot-tall scrap-metal praying mantis, originally built for Burning Man, which at night periodically shoots fire from its antennae in bursts audible for blocks.
The Downtown Art Scene
First Friday’s
One of the most popular events in Downtown Las
Vegas is First Friday’s at The Arts factory.
First Friday’s is a monthly art celebration featuring
the work of more than 100 artists, including
painting, ceramics, mixed media, photography,
jewelry, textile arts and sculpture. Located in the
downtown Las Vegas arts district and surrounding
neighborhood, more than 80 indoor arts, food trucks, drink and shop venues open their doors and
50 outdoor artists, artisans and entertainers provide
outside fun each month.
Revitalization of the Las Vegas Art Scene
With the head of Zappos, Tony Hsieh, investing $350 million in The
Downtown Project, it is on the rise drawing more and more attention
towards it and away from the strip.
New modern bars and restaurants are sprouting up and a following
of the younger generation is emerging in Downtown and sparking a
new interest of the “what was”.
First Fridays intends to bring the public to an environment which
turns on the excitement and intrigues the event-goers to dig deeper
into their art community.
More info…
Summary
Because within the last 25 years, 90 percent of the population
arrived, the art scene is still a work in progress.
The Downtown art scene is what is currently blossoming into the
largest art scene in Las Vegas.
Conclusion
There is more to Las Vegas than its flashy lights and high-stakes gambling halls. Las Vegas has a strong up and coming art scene that strives to get more of the residents involved. From its art classes in Summerlin, high-end fine art galleries housed in billion dollar casinos or the old streets in Downtown Vegas.
There has been more opportunity for art to emerge in Downtown Las Vegas than in any other part of the city. It gives you the feel of old Vegas as well as the energy of the up and coming art scene.
By walking the streets of either Downtown Vegas or the strip you are surrounded by different forms of art, whether it be a local graffiti artist or a billion dollar skyscraper, you have no choice but to be engulfed by art.
While Summerlin and CityCenter are … for people living on the east side of town or staying in a casino, Downtown Las Vegas, with its…, is holding its dominance as the predominant local art scene in Las Vegas.
Bibliography
http://lasvegasnevada.gov
https://sites.google.com/site/everythinglasvegas21/las-vegas-history
http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2014/04/30/vegas-adds-culture-with-art-museums/
http://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/arts-culture/art-scene-influence-stretching-farther-west-toward-summerlin
http://www.streetartnews.net/2014/12/street-art-and-graffiti-in-las-vegas.html
http://www2.citycenter.com/press_room/press_room_items.aspx?ID=843
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2014/nov/20/downtown-and-out-the-truth-about-tony-hsiehs-350m-las-vegas-project
http://www.lasvegas.com/event/first-friday-art-celebration/11674/