Arts in a grown-up world
Large urban areas around the world have several things in common: the usual shear numbers of people; lots of buildings (some magnificent in their architecture and historical value, some like most in Las Vegas spectacular for a few years then torn down to make way for something even more spectacular; a business community; and frequently a “catch” – something that makes that particular city unique.
Las Vegas’ uniqueness is not in its buildings, business, or people; but in its ability to frequently reinvent its external persona. Certainly the building and dismantling of “world class” casinos in the blink of an eye is quite an achievement; but if you do nothing with the extraordinary revenue the business of entertainment brings to this City except keep building and dismantling the same old things, what then gives the “real” Las Vegas, the one that more than 2 million people make their home, its own identity.
The “Strip”, as most locals call it, is an attraction for millions of visitors who enjoy a few days drinking, dancing and parting with wads of cash. Then they return to their real lives in regular town USA. Regular Town USA has people, buildings, businesses, parks, libraries and expressions of life in the form of art.
Las Vegas is a vibrant community of artists and is home to some of the best in the world. Yet, most of our attention both personally and politically is on the 3 day visitor’s experience and not on the long-term resident.
When I arrived in Las Vegas from the incredibly culturally and artistically international city of Vancouver British Columbia one of my first interests was to acquaint myself with the permanent arts scene here. I certainly had to dig deep. I came across a story on the future building of a spectacular performing arts center (now called the Smith Center) that would be the envy of New York City, Los Angeles, and even many European venues. Nearly five years later the project is still “in the works”.
It seems strange to me when we can build a 3,500-room Casino in 18 months!
In 2005 Las Vegas celebrated its Centennial. What a great opportunity to celebrate a colorful history and to establish a lasting legacy of the arts. Some attempts were made; a few murals were painted, a quilt seemed to capture the attention of many for a short time, but it now sits quietly in its City Hall corner, barely getting noticed by the frantic taxpayer looking for a problem solver and not taking a moment to marvel at this work of art.
There have been applaudable attempts to encourage additional activities straining to draw attention to new artists through First Friday; but the City has spent very little time, money, and effort in making public art, a community where private art flourishes and support of a world class performing arts center a priority. We could have built two full Casino resorts by now; why not just one performing arts center?
An active art community breathes life into our daily grind. It brightens up our long and frustrating commute when we see a tortoise painted on the wall of the freeway. There have been some great strides such as the Springs Preserve and the few new community parks that dot our landscape.
There needs to be a concerted effort to take the gift the casinos give us and use it wisely to develop our legacy – the thing we residents of Las Vegas would like to be remembered for.
Tourists drive down the strip and rarely see our neighborhoods; but we do. Las Vegas needs to get involved, get organized, join an organization or write to city government and ask to make the arts and the Smith Center which will stand tall amongst the “Hollywood Set” a permanent symbol of our becoming of age, of being a real grown up city, of paying attention to the quality of life of our citizens and continue to thank the millions of visitors who make it all happen for us.
The Smith Center, a city-wide mural project, carefully chosen public art shared throughout the City, support for grass roots arts programs, and a yearly celebration that highlights our home grown talent would all go a long way in giving Las Vegas its own grown-up identity.
Just visit New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Denver, Albuquerque, Austin, Montreal, Vancouver, London and thousands of other cities.
What sets them apart is their commitment to the arts; to the tangible history and future of their little piece of the world that will live long after the demolition crew comes back to town.
