Artists to come ‘home’

Kristen Peterson. Las Vegas Sun

Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007 | 7:26 a.m.

What: Silent auction preview for Las Vegas Art Museum's gala fundraiser event

When: 6-8 p.m. Friday

Where: Dust Gallery, 1221 S. Main St.

Admission: Free, 880-3878

For "Las Vegas Diaspora: The Emergence of Contemporary Art from the Neon Homeland," the Las Vegas Art Museum is calling back artists who studied at UNLV and then launched successful careers.

Some of the artists in the exhibit were born here. But many were drawn to the UNLV art scene highlighted by the arrival of art critic and author Dave Hickey.

Hickey, who taught art theory and criticism and in 2001 received a MacArthur Foundation " genius " grant, is married to Libby Lumpkin, the museum's executive director.

For those who want to mutter "nepotism," go ahead.

But what else can the museum do when Hickey put Las Vegas on the art map internationally ? Art mavens often know only one thing about Las Vegas art, and that's Hickey.

Now his former students are beginning to generate buzz.

"Las Vegas Diaspora" features an eclectic group of students who studied with Hickey from 1990 to 2001. Many are represented by notable galleries nationally and internationally. Two former students, Tim Bavington and Philip Argent, have works in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

"The idea for doing this show is to demonstrate that Las Vegas can be a center for the emergence of art and not just the reception," Lumpkin says.

She says she's concerned about the awkward appearance of her husband's involvement, but the museum board wanted to do the exhibit. Hickey is donating much of his time to help curate the exhibit.

"In the early 1990s, Las Vegas was the last place on Earth to go and study art , so it attracted really independent-minded and adventuresome students," Lumpkin says. "Many people in town don't realize that these artists live in their neighborhoods."

As the museum on West Sahara Avenue prepares for "Las Vegas Diaspora," so does the community. After all, this is somewhat of a reunion ; half the artists still live here. A high-priced gala for the exhibit is expected to raise a considerable amount of money for the museum, which reinvented itself two years ago and is looking for a second location. But the gala at the Four Seasons and the exhibition's opening aren't until next month.

The first of several "Diaspora" events will be held Friday at Dust Gallery on Main Street. Smaller works donated by "Diaspora" artists will be on display as a one-night-only preview for next month's silent gala auction. Bidding begins on the more than 20 works, including some created specifically for the auction. The works are only a small portion of the gala's auction items, which include Roger Thomas-designed furniture, a day looking at art in Los Angeles with Dennis Hopper and a tour of Robert Rauschenberg's studio in New York.

"A show like this isn't unheard of," Lumpkin says. "What's unusual is to showcase artists that have been so successful."

For the auction, Bavington donated a work on paper, which Lumpkin describes as collectible. Bavington's works on paper sold like hot cakes at an exhibit at the former GC Arts gallery downtown. "That's where he works out the concept of each painting," Lumpkin says.

David Ryan's acrylic paint on acrylic plexiglass is a takeoff from his typical circular patterns. "It's more immediate than (my) other work," he says. "But it's holding on to other elements of the other work."

A stunning lithograph by Sherin Guirgus has been donated to the auction. Sean Hummel, Sush Machida Gaikotsu, Brad Corman, Sean Slattery and Almond Zigmund also donated works.

Lumpkin says museums often donate considerable pre-auction space for exhibition, but Las Vegas Art Museum doesn't have it. Dust Gallery has shown some of the artists in the exhibit, but owner Naomi Arin says that in addition to showcasing the auction pieces, she'll donate her percentage of sales by those artists to the museum.