TAKE FIVE: PUBLIC ART

Monday, Jan. 22, 2007 | 7:14 a.m.

In her 12 years with the City of Las Vegas, Lisa Stemanis saw the city's public art evolve from murals in public schools to free-standing sculptures.

This year is different. Completely different.

Artists and city planners are teaming to create collaborative streetscapes and functional public art.

Much of what's happening is a result of the city's Percent for Arts ordinance, which earmarks 1 percent of all capital projects for public art.

Budgets fluctuate in accordance with capital projects. Last year's budget was about $450,000. This year's budget is expected to be about $600,000 and next year's will be roughly $600,000.

"The whole idea is to coordinate projects during the construction so you don't go in afterward and add the artwork," says Stemanis, administrator for the city's visual art unit.

Stemanis is a big fan of including art in public infrastructure: "It just shows that a city is thinking and aware of providing unique experiences to the community."

One of Las Vegas' first Percent for Arts projects is the Centennial Hills Community Center, which is scheduled for completion this spring. The center includes collaborations with two artists - Darius Kuzmickas, who designed functional atmospheric light into the building, and Jeff Fulmer, who's creating an outside ornate metal piece on brick pedestals.

Here's a look at some of the other developments:

Gateway to Las Vegas Arts District

Within the next couple of months the city of Las Vegas will begin an international search for artists for its Gateway to the Arts District project. The project looks to create landmarks at four intersections into the Arts District that would identify the area. Two of the gateways will be at Las Vegas and Charleston boulevards and at Main Street and Charleston Boulevard. There are no restrictions. The Arts Commission is leaving it open to interpretation and is willing to look at various ideas. "We really want to see the artists' creative response," Stemanis says. "It could be many things."

The $700,000 project is partly funded from the Nevada Department of Transportation's highway enhancement funds and is a partnership between the Las Vegas Arts Commission and the city's planning department.

Public art coordinator

Artist Michael Ogilvie was hired last month as the city's public art coordinator. He serves as the liaison between artists and the city's engineering and planning department.

His largest project, he says, will be the Gateway to the Arts District. A humor-based artist, he taught drawing and print-making at UNLV for four years. He moved to Las Vegas from Reno five years ago and received his MFA from UNLV.

Casino Center Boulevard project

A team of graduate students from UNLV is working on the art for a sidewalk-widening project on Casino Center. They have created renderings for benches, inlays and pedestrian footlights that will be on the sidewalks between Charleston Boulevard and Colorado Avenue.

The team includes Danielle Kelly, Erin Stellmon, Adam Morey and Aaron Sheppard.

The art budget is $20,000, and the $2 million streetscape project is expected to be completed in 2008.

The design includes shimmering concrete and quartz benches and red shooting stars. These so-called "atomic stars" will inlay the sidewalk.

"The main thrust of our design plan was thinking of development of the city with the geology of the region," Kelly says. "We also wanted to have a momentum for foot traffic on the street with areas to feature public performances on First Fridays."

Artists Registry

With the 1 percent program in place, the city is seeing more interest in its Artists Registry. The Arts Commission's registry, a database of artists interested in public art projects, has grown from about 150 artists to 250 artists in the past year.

Hoover Avenue

The Arts Commission is looking at a project at Hoover Avenue between Casino Center and Las Vegas boulevards that would include public artwork.

The first phase will link Las Vegas Boulevard to Fourth Street - the site of Sam Cherry's SoHo Lofts. Eventually the project will extend to Casino Center - the site of Cherry's Newport Lofts.