Art’s less a thing apart

By Kristen Peterson

Friday, April 3, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Now that chunky sculptural benches and atomic star clusters have arrived on Casino Center Boulevard, you might want to mosey downtown to see Las Vegas’ first attempt at commingling art and infrastructure in the arts district.

The almost $300,000 project, “Atomic Passage,” a nod to midcentury modernism, runs down Casino Center from Colorado Avenue to Charleston Boulevard. Funded by the city’s “percent for arts” program, it’s a triumph for art in this economy — though plans were under way and funds were in place long before the economic collapse.

Downtown business owners and visitors have griped about the lack of streetscaping in the mostly industrial 18-block area, which lost many of its galleries and studios and much of its oomph in the past couple of years, mostly because of a failed arena project that threatened leases in the area and sent some gallery owners packing.

The city has sponsored several murals throughout the arts district and a fire-hose sculpture by John S. Banks that spells “ART,” but this is the first time art enhancements have been integrated into the engineering infrastructure of a streetscape public works project, says Michael Ogilvie, the city’s public art coordinator.

Plans are still moving forward with the Gateway to the arts district project, which would place two large paintbrushes, designed by artist Dennis Oppenheim, a rock star in the public art world, on Charleston Boulevard.

“Atomic Passage,” which is part of a larger $2 million streetscape enhancement project that planted more than 50 trees, added lighting and widened sidewalks, should help designate the area as an arts district.

There aren’t too many businesses on Casino Center Boulevard, but the city chose the stretch of road because it’s the hub of the monthly First Friday events, Ogilvie says.

Two block-shaped cast benches are plopped on each side of the road. Giant inlaid stars sparkle from the sidewalks in intermittent clusters. Both could be the beginning of a beautiful argument over aesthetic decisions and meaning, which almost always happens with public art. Danielle Kelly, Erin Stellmon, Adam Morey and Aaron Sheppard are the artists who designed the enhancements. They based the designs on the geography, ecology and building history of Las Vegas.

Benches, clean sidewalks and artistic design are common in other towns and cities, no matter their size, but Las Vegas has never been known for “walking.” It’s the simple things. Ask Kelly: “Just coming from cities where I’m used to walking on sidewalks and having one to walk on and having a place to sit down for a while in a designated space — that’s so exciting.”