Leader of the PAC

Kimberley McGee

Saturday, Sept. 26, 1998 | 3:08 a.m.

We've all heard the tongue clickings and deep sighs over the state of Las Vegas culture, or lack thereof. But Myron Martin, newly appointed director of the UNLV Performing Arts Center -- or PAC -- wants you to take a second look.

"Sometimes we believe what the rest of the world believes," Martin says, "that we are more tinsel than substance."

Amidst the bulbous casinos and sprawling suburbia, the Las Vegas art culture is blossoming, according to Martin. (The first Gateway Arts & Music Experience, a weekend-long festival featuring local artists, music and food, concludes today in downtown Las Vegas.)

When Martin moved to Las Vegas three years ago from bustling New York City, he says he too bemoaned the lack of substance and abundance of flash that appeared to be Las Vegas' only sense of cultural worth -- at first.

"I was one of those people that thought (Las Vegas) was a cultural wasteland," he says. "But when you look around, cultural opportunities abound for the people of Southern Nevada."

Rooted in the arts

Music was Martin's first love. Often the child who won first place for piano concerts and talent contests, he eventually attended the University of North Texas to major in, naturally, music. He later earned an MBA in marketing management from Golden Gate University in San Francisco. Combining the two, he began his career in the business of music, ending up in New York City as director of the concert and artists division for the Baldwin Piano Company. Martin's clients ranged from Billy Joel to the Boston Symphony.

"(Music) was a great love of mine ... so many great things have happened to me because of it," he says. One of those things was an invitation to dinner at the White House because of his career in music and the arts. "I'm blessed and very thankful," he says.

A directors position for the Liberace Foundation took him from the rich culture of New York to the vastly different terrain of Las Vegas. Joel Strote, president of the Liberace Foundation, says Martin was an enthusiastic and systematic director during his three years with the museum.

"He streamlined the (marketing) process and made it much more sophisticated," Strote says. "(He) gave us the ability to use data better."

When the PAC position opened, Martin saw an opportunity to be involved at a prime time in the growth of Las Vegas culture. "The more I realized or thought of the center as truly being the cultural capital of Southern Nevada, the more it seemed like something I should consider," he says, adding that he was impressed with UNLV's commitment to the arts.

The PAC is home to the Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, the Judy Bayley Theatre and the Blackbox Theatre.

Stirring interest

But as a community, has Las Vegas shown a commitment to the arts?

"No, and I don't blame them," Martin says, suggesting that the arts scene hasn't made a strong impression on the community. But he says that the recent combination of art and gaming is a welcome addition to the scene. "There is a great core of people in this community that want to see the arts succeed," he says.

He points to Steve Wynn's offering of famous, historical paintings by Matisse, Renoir and Van Gogh at the about-to-open Bellagio, and the Rio Hotel's upcoming exhibit of artifacts from the Russian Czars -- some of which have never been seen outside of Russia -- as proof.

Yes, these "museums" have slots and waitresses in low-cut dresses, but: "There's a lot of value in going to the Las Vegas Museum of Art and the Rio," Martin says. "We are lucky to receive it."

Jeff Koep, dean of fine arts at UNLV, says Martin's background and enthusiasm suited the PAC's needs to grow with the city. "The arts community needs to get together as a whole and take off its many hats and work for the emerging audience in Las Vegas that has a cultural habit," Koep says.

He notes that other cities, such as Chicago and Minneapolis, have pulled their resources together and created an exciting and bustling arts community, and Las Vegas is ready to do likewise. Even the Nevada Arts Council, based in Carson City, found it necessary to open a Las Vegas branch, a mere bud though it may be, to support the burgeoning art community.

"(The branch) is an acknowledgement that this is a phenomenal period of growth for Southern Nevada," Susan Boskoff, director of the Nevada Arts Council, says. The Las Vegas location opened in March.

Newcomers to the area bring expectations of cultural activities they found in their home city, as well as their expertise, she says. "There are new ethnic organizations that are developing to reflect the cultural needs of the growing community," she says.

Perform and promote

Martin hopes to bring in an eclectic mix of artists to the PAC that will incite the Las Vegas community to rally 'round the arts community. Among artists scheduled to perform at the PAC through the '98 season are the New York Philharmonic -- playing Las Vegas for the first time in 17 years -- the Russian National Ballet and the Orchestra of the Royal House Covent Garden.

"To be able to bring in the world's greatest musicians and dancers to this stage is going to be a lot of fun," Martin says.

But while a touring orchestra may sell out for three nights in Phoenix and Los Angeles, its one-night layover in Las Vegas results in a struggle to fill seats.

The problem, Martin says, is that many potential ticket buyers still don't know what is happening at the PAC. "One of our goals is to make sure that people know when a performance is here," he says. "We want to get people talking about these artists."

The Charles Vanda Master series has a good base of subscribers that attend regularly, he says. But Martin plans to reach beyond current subscribers, planning an advertising and direct mail campaign, as well as possibly partnering with other media, local organizations and the Clark County School District to promote performances.

"We plan to do that full gambit promotion," Martin says.

Recently, subscribers received a survey to further Martin's marketing efforts. "It's been a long time since we've asked the people that are such an important part of this hall, who are attending these events, what they think," Martin says. "We want to know what kinds of programs people come to, days of the week that work for them ... what's important to the people of this community," Martin says.

"My dream is that one day this city will be big enough that we could support two nights of the New York Philharmonic, three nights of the Russian Ballet," Martin says, instead of the current one- to two- night stopover at a hall that may be underestimated.

Hail the hall

"This is a full-fledged concert hall," Martin says. Since it is at UNLV, people may think "it must be like a high school auditorium. Acoustically, this is as good as it gets, and we should be proud of that," he says, adding that Artemus Ham Hall can stand as an icon of Las Vegas' commitment to the arts.

But the aging hall needs a few changes and upgrades to keep it in the running with other comparable halls around the country, he says. "There is no hiding the fact that the Artemus Ham Hall is in need of a face lift," Martin says. "And we are on the case."

Plans are to paint the hall, lay new carpet, modernize the lobby and buy 2,000 new chairs to replace the current burnt-orange, '70's-style theater chairs. To pay for all this, Martin hopes to get a little help from friends and supporters of the arts community.

"If we want our cultural offerings to grow in Las Vegas, I think we all have to step up to the plate," Martin says. "If you like ballet and don't buy a ticket, you have no right to complain."

He hopes to get jazz enthusiasts enthused not only about jazz musicians coming to the PAC, but also about the classical violinist, the plays and other performers that blow through town under our indifferent noses.

Martin's big plans may take years to reach fruition.

"I want to be here long enough," Martin says, "so that people say the UNLV arts program is where it should be for a town of this size."

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