Hey, buddy, you got a light?

By Kristen Peterson

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 | 2:37 p.m.

Nearly eight months after being installed downtown, the Gateway to the Arts District project is in its final phase. Crews are working on the late Dennis Oppenheim’s two 45-foot light-emitting paintbrushes at Charleston at Casino Center and Fourth Street –working on spotlight beams, cooling fans and the installation of a plaque. Additionally, cranes were on site Monday repositioning the paintbrush at Casino Center, which was installed improperly in July. Jace Radke, spokesman for the city of Las Vegas, says the paint brushes should be completed within the next couple of months.

The artist behind the controversial $700,000 sculpture project died in January, but was able to see the LED-lit works illuminated when visiting Las Vegas shortly after their installation. Programmer Jason Goldenberg used a laptop computer to experiment with the more than 120 lights on the sculpture, creating rhythmic color patterns, flickering rows, wavelike patterns and even text, while Oppenheim sat next to him. Each paintbrush was designed to emit beams of colored light that crisscross over Charleston, into the night sky. Oppenheim was selected in October 2007 when he beat out three other proposals, including a local collaborative effort.