Five entrants in running to create landmarks

Friday, Aug. 10, 2007 | 7:17 a.m.

A well-known conceptual artist from New York and a splashy Brazilian pop artist from Miami head the list of finalists to design public art for downtown Las Vegas.

The $700,000 Gateway to the Arts District project would place artist-created landmarks at four intersections, including Las Vegas and Charleston boulevards and Charleston and Main Street.

The list of finalists, including four well-known public artists and a local trio, is the result of an international search that began this year.

The finalists are:

The artists will present their proposals to the city's planning department, the Arts Commission and the Nevada Transportation Department, which is providing part of the money from highway enhancement funds. No date has been set for the presentations.

There's no word on whether an arena proposed for Charleston and Main would affect plans for art at that intersection.

It's too soon to tell, said Lisa Stamanis, administrator for the city's visual arts program. The decision is up to state transportation officials, she said.