LOOKING IN ON: ARTS

Friday, Sept. 7, 2007 | 7:30 a.m.

Casey Weldon wipes the sweat off his forehead. Cars breeze past on Main Street. A bus screeches to a stop, and its passengers spill onto the sidewalk.

Inside the storefront gallery, Weldon grabs a few paintings from a box and leans them against the wall. This is his last official show at Vurb magazine in the Arts Factory. He leaves for New York on Tuesday.

"Everything Must Go" is as much of a fire sale as it is a goodbye exhibit. Weldon needs to shed some of his work before the move. The tiny retrospective of his Las Vegas work offers a little closure.

Glancing into the sun, Weldon says he won't miss the Las Vegas heat, but he'll miss the art community and First Fridays.

He moved to Las Vegas in 2004 after graduating from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif. Like other local artists, he wanted to tap into the budding arts scene, learn a little, grow a little and get some shows.

He has exhibited regularly at galleries in the Arts District, participated in group projects, curated a few shows and worked as a freelance illustrator for local magazines and Web sites.

"Everything Must Go" showcases the evolution of his Las Vegas works. More recent paintings feature 1980s cartoon favorites filtered through Weldon's eyes. Like his other works, they balance humor and darkness.

Alvin and the Chipmunks become naturalistic chipmunks - fur, stripes, beady eyes and all - playing in the countryside. They still have their sweaters, but are far from the sunny, fake renditions that market their tinny songs.

Weldon's technical skill in painting and his flair for illustration and design ground his sense of comedy. Something is always skewed in his hazy landscapes and antiquated backgrounds, an element that distorts the otherwise normal world.

A blond boy sits hunched atop a milk crate and rests his head on his lobster claw hands, which have snapped his Atari joystick. A plump Strawberry Shortcake stands flanked by giant namesake deserts, just crumbs on her plate. Blood drips from the Pink Panther's teeth after a rumble with Snagglepuss. Realistically portrayed Care Bears hawk counterfeit designer trout, Louis Vuitton-and-Burberry-scaled knockoffs.

After three years of pumping out works and developing a style he's comfortable with, Weldon says his work finally has a consistent theme. Now 28, he'll work as a freelance illustrator in New York.

Details: "Everything Must Go"; 6-10 p.m. today; Vurb magazine in the Arts Factory, Main Street and Charleston Boulevard; www.firstfriday-lasvegas.org or www.caseyweldon.com.

'Tis the season

It's been a long, dry summer. Aside from a couple of music festivals and the Las Vegas Philharmonic's "Star Spangled Spectacular," there has been little to appease classical audiences.

The philharmonic's season begins Sept. 29. Those who can't wait might want to catch the Las Vegas Chamber Music Society's season opener, featuring student musicians from the Green Valley Chamber Music Festival, Nevada School of the Arts, the Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts and other schools.

Soloists, duets and quartets will perform pieces by Saint-Saens, Ravel, Sarasate, Barber, Mozart, Bach, Chausson, Liszt and Mendelssohn.

The society, led by Bob Stewart, manages to draw in unique solo performances in addition to chamber groups. This season includes a harpist from New York and an accordion player from Philadelphia.

Details: "Youth on Strings "; 7 tonight; Summerlin Library Theater, 1771 Inner Circle Drive; free; 217-7784 or www.lvcms.org.

Ballet

The Nevada Ballet Theatre kicks off its season with performances of "Don Quixote" Oct. 5-7 at UNLV's Judy Bayley Theatre. Additionally, dancers from Nevada Ballet have begun teaming with Cirque du Solieil performers for a year-end performance featuring original choreography. The pairing follows the dance company's high-profile photo shoot with fashion photographer Jerry Metellus. Meanwhile, Twyla Tharp repetiteur Keith Roberts is in town to work with dancers on Tharp's "Nine Sinatra Songs." The work will be part of a February performance, "From Stravinsky to Sinatra," which also includes Balanchine choreography. It should be an exciting season for the company entering its 36th year.