Arts Notes: Signs of the Centennial will be around for a long time

Sunday, Jan. 1, 2006 | 8:26 a.m.

With Las Vegas' centennial year coming to a close, we are left with a collection of public artwork, exhibits and historic photos that give voice to who and what Las Vegas is.

In the wake of the year that saw the world's largest birthday cake, a return of the Helldorado parade, a documentation of Las Vegas Stories, a time capsule, art exhibits and various other events designed to celebrate Las Vegas' 100 years, we have an account of what Las Vegas means and has meant to certain residents.

The Winchester neighborhood boasts painted utility boxes that were part of a community art project called Zap! in which 10 local artists transformed utility boxes into works of public art. The project was a partnership between Clark County Parks and Community Services and the Centennial Committee.

Among the artists were Suzanne Hackett-Morgan, who turned the boxes into television sets that featured local talk show hosts over the years; Marty Walsh, whose appliance-themed subject matter turned a utility box into a toaster that reflected the colors around it, and Dolores Nast's painted produce on utility boxes in front of Winchester Community Center that reflect a farm that once operated in the area.

Additionally, dozens of murals turned up all over the Las Vegas Valley. They represented different visions of Las Vegas. Some murals are temporary. They vary in size and style. Some, such as Dray's "Interpretive Vision," are painted onto buildings, while others, such as UNLV's "Big V," a digital image printed onto translucent vinyl, take a more nontraditional approach.

Information and photos on 76 of the mural projects are featured on the Web site, www.lasvegas2005.com. The list includes completed and proposed murals and their locations. Well over 100 murals were contracted.

"We have a listing right now on our Web site for most of the murals," said Esther Carter, spokeswoman for the Centennial Committee. "We will update that when we get the final list."

Also, Carter said, "We are producing a book that will come out mid-January."

Details about whether the book will be made public and merchandised haven't been confirmed.

The Web site also features a virtual scrapbook of the year's Centennial events. More information can be found on the Web site or by calling the Centennial office at 229-2005.

Nevada State Museum

Another visual aspect of the Centennial year includes a collection of exhibits at the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society at Lorenzi Park, on Washington Avenue between Rancho Drive and Valley View Boulevard.

On display in the history gallery is the Centennial Quilt created by quilter Mimi Shimp, who pieces together past and present photo images of Las Vegas in a colorful arrangement.

"It's really an interesting piece that embodies the centennial," said museum director Greta Brunschwyler. "It really gives you a sense of people."

Also on display is a photo exhibit through March at the museum that features Las Vegas images from various eras.

The most comprehensive of the exhibits, however, might be "24-Hour Show: Working 'round the Clock," a 2,200-square-foot interactive exhibit that leads visitors through various rooms built out of drywall. One room represents a Las Vegas home, another represents an employee breakroom and another represents a casino with a showroom. In each room visitors can listen to interviews with Las Vegas residents about what it's like to live and work in a 24-hour town.

"It's got a lot of interactive elements, things to do, to touch and to see," Brunschwyler said.

"It's set up so that the entrances appear as if you are coming down the Strip, then you go into a house and people talk about what it's like to live here, from child care to grocery shopping in a 24-hour town. Then we hear what it's like to work here. It includes bakers, shoe-shiners, bartenders."

The museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $4; $3 for seniors; and free for children 17 and under. For more information, call the museum at 486-5205.

Kristen Peterson can be reached at 259-2317 or at kristen@lasvegassun.com.