First Friday

Hippie Nation Gallery And Records Opens At Fremont Street Experience In Downtown Las Vegas

June 4th, 2009 Categories: First Friday

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Another fabulous addition to the Summer Of ‘69: Vegas or Bust which is a nightly trip down Hippie Lane at the Fremont Street Experience in beautiful Downtown Las Vegas.

John Van Hamersveld, the “Official Artist of Summer of ‘69” has opened his gallery and record store on the ground level of FSE parking garage next to Mickie Finn’s.

The grand opening meet and greet is happening as part of First Friday. Friday June 5, 7–10pm.

 

Here’s the official description from the press release:

Fremont Street Experience and John Van Hamersveld, the “Official Artist of Summer of ’69” host the unveiling of Hippie Nation™ Gallery & Records to the public on Friday, June 5.
                       
Guests are invited to tour the gallery of the famed artist, which features various works of art including concert posters and a collection of rare vinyl records.
 
The Hippie Nation™ Gallery & Records opening is part of Fremont Street Experience’s “Summer of ’69: Vegas or Bust” concert and event series that takes Las Vegas back 40 years this summer in celebration of 1969. The summer-long celebration runs through Labor Day weekend. The gallery will be open by appointment only throughout the summer in conjunction to “Summer of ’69: Vegas or Bust.”

While you’re there, check out the 200+ 50’s and 60’s autos that are on display. The public votes for best of show from Friday thru Sunday.  

 

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Another Fun Filled Weekend In Vintage Vegas

June 4th, 2009 Categories: First Friday

It’s First Friday!

It’s First Thursday Preview of First Friday!

It’s the summer of 69: Vegas or Bust CRUISING weekend – 200 pre 1970 cars on display at Fremont Street Experience. FREE

It’s “Rare Earth” in concert – FREE Saturday Night 9pm

It’s “Bill Haley’s Comets” in concert – FREE Saturday Night 9pm

There’s live music from one end of Fremont to the other!

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“Johnny Art” TONIGHT Only At Beauxarts Gallery

March 6th, 2009 Categories: ART, Arts District, First Friday

8 year old gifted child artist, Johnny Swager is doing a demonstration and book signing TONIGHT ONLY during the First Friday Extravaganza.

He’ll be at the Beauxarts Gallery/Theatre in the upper level of the Arts Factory.

I found his work quite fun. I think you will also.

 

 

 

 

At his publisher’s website, I found the following blurb about his book, which is called “Johnny Art – the Art of Johnny Swager”

Johnny Art is about the life and art-making of seven year old Johnny Swager. Johnny is an extremely gifted boy who is not intimidated by any subject. His work exhibits a confidence rarely seen in children and a freshness that only a child can bring to the canvas. Collectors, art teachers, and critics are captivated with Johnny’s ability to render subjects with such maturity and painterly skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Olympic Garden 20th Anniversary Party And Lots Of Music, Art and Entertainment This Week

March 4th, 2009 Categories: Arts District, First Friday

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned strip clubs before, but Olympic Gardens, now known simply as OG on Las Vegas Blvd at Oakey is having an open bar and on Thursday night from 5–7 pm to celebrate their anniversary.

OG says they’re having His Honor, Mayor Oscar Goodman, as well as Actor James Caan and Comedian Vinnie Favorito as special guests.

I’ve never been to a stip club, but free drinks are free drinks.

Then, of course we’ll be headed to the First Thursday Preview from 6 to 9 at most of the venues that will ALL be open on First Friday.

Of Special note on Thursday will be the 7pm announcement of the winners of the Juried Show which is on display at the Contemporary Arts Center in the Arts Factory.

Saturday night is the PEDALPHILES bicycle bar crawl thru downtown. I heard a rumor that one of the stops this Saturday will be at the new “Don’t Tell Mama” piano bar at 517 Fremont. I was there last Saturday and had a hoot. Meet up at the back of the Arts Factory at 6:45pm. Bring your bike and spending money. LOTS OF FUN!

(I’ll plug in the links later, but I wanted to get some reminders up on the blog before I ran out to show some homes).

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Downtown Las Vegas Arts District Hosts Monthly Festival - First Friday

January 1st, 2009 Categories: Downtown Las Vegas, First Friday

I usually remind you all about First Friday, The Downtown Las Vegas Arts and Music Festival which is always on the First Friday of the Month. It’s Centered on the corner of Main and Charleston in Downtown Las Vegas.

This month, the Downtown Las Vegas Street festival is on January 2^nd from 6pm to 10pm.

I’ve taken the liberty of providing the complete run down of galleries, music, exhibits and events that you can see and experience at First Friday in the Downtown Las Vegas Arts District, instead of just linking to it.

JANUARY First Friday be sure to bundle up as it may be chilly this month. You’ll want to check out the live tiki carving at Casino Center and California by Charles Christians and Matthew Dittember . We will be hosting more than 50 artists on the street (including the Outdoor Exhibition Spaces) and in the gallery spaces within the outdoor festival area on Casino Center Blvd. and Colorado Ave. The Outdoor Exhibition Spaces are being curated by Enrique Nevarez (see below). New exhibits opening elsewhere include Jerome Barkley at City of the World and Jeff Britton showing at Trifecta Gallery in the Arts Factory.

To MAKE A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION TO FIRST FRIDAY just click: http://www.firstfriday-lasvegas.org/fundraise.html

We have a minimal $2 entry fee at the gates to the outdoor festival (children twelve and under free when accompanied by an adult). All of the entry fees go to support the First Friday arts event with more artists and live performance. This also allows us to continue to pay for all of the necessary infrastructure for an event that has grown as First Friday has. Each month we pay for trolleys, barricading, Artist Outdoor Exhibition Spaces, stages and supporting equipment, porta-potties, tables and chairs, power and technicians for the event, security, police, safety (ambulance, EMT’s etc.), set up and clean up crews and more! All of these things are done to enhance the experience for our visitors and to continue to give artists in the Las Vegas community the opportunity to show their work to a large and diverse audience.

 

El Cortez/First Friday Express Trolley
 

The El Cortez Hotel & Casino joined with First Friday and is sponsoring an Express Trolley. The trolley will take patrons from the El Cortez, 600 East Fremont Street at the Cortez Garden Gateway (with 1,200 free parking spaces in the garage and also valet) to the Main Street and Colorado Trolley Stop at First Friday (and back again). The bus will run from 6:00 p.m.(starting at the El Cortez) until 10:00 p.m. with the last First Friday stop at approximately 9:30 p.m. Take advantage of the convenient parking and avoid traffic after the event. You can also enjoy the Entertainment District’s First Friday after parties when you arrive back at the El Cortez.

 

DISCOUNTS
 

This First Friday, the ‘i love First Friday 2!’ sticker will be redeemable at Big Island Smoothies ( 2 for 1 smoothies), located at 1516 Las Vegas Blvd. S., next to Dino’s Lounge. For the best Mexican food around try La Cabana located at 526 S. Martin Luther King Blvd., $2 off any entree. The sticker is valid throughout January 2009! For info WWW.PARADISELOUNGELV.COM
 

OUTDOOR FESTIVAL INFO
 

Buy a Best Friend of First Friday card and get free entry for one year ($25). The outdoor festival can be entered just south of Charleston on Casino Center Blvd.; just east of Main on California and just east of Main on Colorado Blvd. The Friends of First Friday Information Table in the outdoor festival is in front of The Funk House on the corner of Colorado and Casino Center. Don’t forget to pick up your VIP pass to Vegas’ arts scene, the Friends of First Friday membership card, which offers discounts at First Friday-friendly vendors throughout the Las Vegas Valley, purchasing a Best Friend of First Friday card (dated 3/15/08 or later) now also gains you entry to First Friday events for one year from date of card purchase. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult. To see the list of participating vendors, visit the FoFF page ( http://www.firstfriday-lasvegas.org/foff.html ). The Information Table (located in front of The Funk House) provides information for visitors to First Friday. We also have special “I ‘heart’ First Friday” t-shirts available for just $15 at the  Friends of First Friday Information Table. Within the gated outdoor festival area there are NO DOGS, skateboards, hacky sacks or bikes. City ordinance requires no glass bottles or cans! All of these rules are for everyone’s safety and comfort.
 

Outdoor Artists Exhibition Spaces
 

First Friday Outdoor Exhibition spaces featuring art work by Brandon Lin, Miriam Krasner, Ashley Jacobson, Marie Grujiciic, Paul Tokarski, Juan Muniz (Frijol Boy), Lilith Travaglini, Leslie Ann Farrel, Enrique Nevarez, Autumn McGrath Luis Martinez and Lisa Atkins. Provided free-of-charge to selected artists, the Outdoor Exhibition Spaces give creators of a variety of disciplines the opportunity to showcase their latest works in the heart of the popular First Friday festival grounds. Artists can apply at art@firstfriday-lasvegas.org.
 

Live Entertainment
 

The LAND ROVER STAGE:

Hedwig and the Angry Inch excerpts

The Day After (Indy Rock)

Neon Facade

Ministry of Love

DJ Vajayjay (will spin between bands)

California and Casino Center

Live Tiki carving demonstration by Charles Christians and Matthew Dittember

Break dancers provide more entertainment on Colorado near Main St.
 

Outdoor Festival Food and Beverage
 

Dino’s continues to offer libations of all kinds. Fabulous tacos by La Cabana. Be sure to get your sweets from the Kabob Hut. Also, Whirlygig, the non-profit producer of FF, has their official water and soda booth (on Casino Center & Colorado) with all proceeds benefiting First Friday. Quench your thirst and support FF at the same time! www.whirlygiglasvegas.org. 
 

AFTER THE JUMP YOU’LL FIND ALL THE GALLERIES, RESTAURANTS, BARS AND OTHER VENUES

Read the rest of this entry »

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First Friday Video - The Downtown Las Vegas Arts District

December 12th, 2008 Categories: First Friday

I found some great video for all of you. Even those of us who are regulars never seem to get to see all that there is. I’m always encouraging you to go have a great time on First Fridays, but the truth is that The Downtown Las Vegas Arts District is open all week. It’s even fun to look when there isn’t a huge crowd.

Even more important, is that all of these galleries and artist spaces and studios have the ART FOR SALE all thru the week. In fact, almost uniformly, they tell me that First Friday primarily serves them as a way to introduce the art, but that that when something SELLS, it happens during the week.

The SinCityArtGroup seems to have found a way to capture the essence of the First Friday event in 3 minute videos. I try to report with still photos, but they don’t do it the way video does. For example I’ve probably taken 200 photos of the break dancer kids over the years and have never ended up with a shot that accurately portrays their amazing perfomances. This video tells it all in about a 5 second clip.

First Friday Las Vegas December 2008 Video from funkaruck on Vimeo
First Friday Las Vegas November - SinCityArtGroup from funkaruck on Vimeo.

I hope they plan on doing a new video every month about First Friday and the downtown Las Vegas Arts District. 

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Klever - The Russian Non-Conformist Epoch

November 13th, 2008 Categories: Arts District, First Friday

The most important thing that I saw at First Friday last week is still showing thru the end of the month in the upstairs gallery of the Arts Factory.

Klever is a Russian Artist who painted the story of the Soviet attempt to destroy the arts in all of it’s forms. I think they paintings need to be seen in person, but they’re also on line at his website.

The paintings were all created in secret as he risked certain death if he was discovered. He managed to smuggle all of them out of Russia in 1986 and has been showing them around the world ever since.

Please at least look at the website, but head down to the Arts Factory and see them in person!

I took the liberty of re-typing below the description of one of the paintings that I found to be the most moving.

 

 

 

This is the artist, hanging on a cross which sybolizes the death of creativity, free will and art in general. The artist is still clutching onto the most powerful tool he will ever have – His paintbrush– In hopes that one day he’ll be able to use it again. Across his chest is a bull’s-ey. All non-conformists were rime targets for the KGB. This painting is a prime indicator of th fear all artists lived with. Only two years after this piece was painted, artists from Snkt Petersburg and Moscow participated in what is now called the “Bulldozer Exhhibit”, where all of the artist’s dispays were buldozed down into rubble. The destruction took place at Ismaelsky park in Moscow in 1975 and during peaceful dispay of work the KGB rolled across the park in bulldozers, destroying all of the work and hurting hundreds.  

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A First Friday Encounter That We Missed - Lola Vs The Universe

November 12th, 2008 Categories: ART, First Friday

Marty Walsh at Trifecta Gallery in the Arts Factory consistantly finds the freshest, hippest and best pop artists to showcase. This month she’s featuring “Lola Verses The Universe”, a collabarative mixed media project by Jennifer and Brian Henry.

Jennifer also edits the First Friday newsletter.

I was thrilled yesterday to have been invited to become one of Lola’s friends on Facebook. You can too!

And you can become my friend also, if you like.  

If you missed it at first friday, you should stop in and meet Lola

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Visiting With Artists At First Friday

November 9th, 2008 Categories: First Friday

I’m going to show you the artists that I met or was happy to see again at First Friday. Usually I take pictures of the crowd or a piece of art that struck me. Friday wasn’t so very busy and I had a chance to actually chat with many of them.

Dray’s been around the Arts District from it’s inception. He told me he’s moving to Atlanta. I’m wishing wish him well and will miss seeing him around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leslie Rowland’s moving to Neonopolis. She’ll be showing as well as creating in her new gallery/workshop soon. Mostly so she can have her living room back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Danny Bennett took over 2 walls at the Biggs new studio on Casino Center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dasha and Mike Biggs are expanding their line of t-shirts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steven Spann’s become so popular that his studio is by appointment only now except on First Friday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diane Bush’s “Permission to See Freely” was a hit with everyone who walked in while I was there. Diane’s performance art piece with the portrait of the president and the bottle of bleach was also on display. If you missed it, here’s the before during and after that became the finished work..  

(Diane, I love this picture!) 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Diederichsen’s showing Diane this month as well as some of his own landscapes at Diederichsen Fine Art in the Art’s Factory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Main and Hoover, I had Sharon Gainsburg show me that I could actually hold a chisel and not destroy the stone.

She’s just the nicest lady. She made me feel like even I could do it.  She gives Stone Carving and Sculpture classes and I’m tempted to maybe think about it.

In contrast, every art teacher I ever had made me feel terrible about being color blind, clumsy and careless. That’s really sad. 

 

 

 

See what I did in just 3 minutes! Not really, but Sharon did make it seem rather easy.

 

 

 

If you missed First Friday AGAIN……Make it a point to do it next month. And better yet, do some roaming around in the middle of of the week or on your next day off. The arts district is there every day of the year! 

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First Friday Annual Gala Fundraiser Tickets Available Now

October 19th, 2008 Categories: Arts District, First Friday

The growing arts community is a vital piece of the puzzle in our efforts to save the historic neighborhoods and classic homes of Las Vegas. We’re very fortunate that geographically,  our downtown Arts District, as well as the neighborhoods we’re promoting are all in the center urban core of Las Vegas. The next wave of residents are all about urban living. Art, music, convenience, diversity, and culture are all important to us.  The architecture and design of the homes is as important as what they do outside of the house.

That’s why it’s important that we support First Friday, and the whole Arts District scene in general. First Friday however is a non-profit venture. It’s also a costly event every month. Once a year there’s a big cocktail party gala fundraiser. Last years was a blast, and this one promises to be even better.

Tickets are available online and at the various stores and galleries in the arts district.

Even if you can’t attend, you can still make a donation on line here. Please consider it.

  

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Catching Up and Getting Back To Blogging.

October 9th, 2008 Categories: Arts District, First Friday

Let’s start with my First Friday Pictures.

Viva Hollywood was a huge hit. Things were sorted and displayed a whole lot better than when I first went to visit last week.

About 50 of  our readers came out to say hello during the very impromptu meet and greet.

12 of them were people who I didn’t know, and had never met or communicated with. There’s several thousand of you spread around and I want you to know that I appreciate each and every one of you.

I ended up taking lots of pictures of furniture, but none of people.

But I did hand off the camera to get a shot of me and 2 of the “angels”, Pam and MaryJoy.

Viva Hollywood was a huge hit. Things were sorted and displayed a whole lot better than when I first went to visit last week.

Tags: first+friday, las+vegas+arts+district, mid+mod+furniture

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An Impromptu Very Vintage Vegas Meet Up At First Friday

October 2nd, 2008 Categories: First Friday, Night Life

It’s informal. It’s certainly not well-planned. There won’t be time or energy to obtain refreshments or name tags or any of that.  

MaryJoy, Pam and I were making our First Friday plans after we watched the debate this evening.  We decided to find each other at 6pm at Viva Hollywood. We agreed we’d need to spend at least an hour there. Better make that an hour and a half.

I just decided to invite you all to show up at the same time. I’d love to meet you in person. Stop by and say hello. 

Friday Night…6 to 7:30 pm. Viva Hollywood at 1126 S. Main Street. It’s across the street from Retro Vegas, which ought to be your other planned stop of the evening.

Between the incredible furnishings at these two stores, and the Tour of Paradise Palms on Sunday, and all the links we’ve given out this week,  the Very Vintage Vegas readers will be the best educated in the country.

Here’s the First Friday calandar of events so that you can plan the rest of your evening.

Don’t forget Bikefest,

and I totally forgot to mention the XFEST  rock concert on Saturday Night in the Fremont East Entertainment District. ($20.00 admission).

There is a large music festival in the Fremont East Entertainment District Saturday, October 4^th; 6 PM-until.  The festival will have 30 different bands and DJ’s on 5 different stages plus food and merchandise vendors.  The music will range from rock, rock-a-billy, reggae, hip-hop, etc.  You can visit the web sites to learn more. www.xfestlasvegas.com or www.myspace.com/xfestlasvegas.  It’s only $20 to get in.

 

 

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First Friday Adventures - A Huge Crowd Descends On Downtown Las Vegas Arts District

September 8th, 2008 Categories: ART, Arts District, First Friday

The First Friday crowd was enormous this month, as the heat had finally broken. Evening temperatures were only in the low 90’s, which we consider perfect Las Vegas weather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A steady stream of traffic, and rave reviews from the visitors at “Retro Vegas” on Main Street. The inventory of authentic retro furnishings and accessories for your vintage pad changes almost every day. It’s one of those places that people keep coming back to on a regular basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Painting Physical Presence” is showing all month at the Contemporary Arts Collective.

 

Ayako Ono, a Japanese exchange student at UNLV paints only in blues. Her series on the trains and train stations deals with the loneliness in public places. Ms. Ono uses a multitude of blue hues, and only blue hues , to create the physical presence of loneliness and a feeling of isolation that leads to reconsidering one’s identity.

Eric Gecas, on the other hand uses no blue at all. His paintings are built out of a sculptural concern for physical presence. Mr. Gecas uses his wife and children as models. All of the figures in his paintings are life size or a little larger.

Robbie, who’s better known as the Biscuit Street Preacher is showing at Marty Walsh’s Trifecta Gallery in the Arts Factory.

Marty has impressed and enthralled me for years with her knack for finding great artists to showcase every single month. This month is no exception.

Check out the whole series at the Trifecta website, or even better, pay the gallery a visit! 

One of our favorite downtown resident artists, Leslie Rowland has a few new pieces of her decorated furniture on display this month. Her Gallery is also in the Arts Factory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I was hanging with Brian Paco Alvarez, when we ran into a few of the grafitti artists that helped to create the “Beneath the Neon – The exhibition” that ran this summer at CAC.

They reminded us that we had promised to help them find “safe” walls to do their art. Paco and I are going to help get a space for them to do a live grafitti demonstration for next month’s First Friday. We’re going to have a meeting tonight to get it into motion.

 

 

And the most interesting piece of art was a massive lump of clay that anyone could lend a hand at transforming. I spoke to the artists, and subsequently lost the brochure he gave me, so I don’t know his name.

That’s me and MaryJoy. Our little contribution was just our initials, but it was certainly something different.

 

 

First Friday should be on your list of must do things in Las Vegas. If you’ve never been to it….go put it on your calandar now.

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First Friday After Hours

August 1st, 2008 Categories: Arts District, First Friday

The little bird who told me about this is Joel Rosales, who’s exhibiting some of his photos of landmark buildings that have been lost to the wrecking ball.

Joel hosts a website dedicated to the Lost Buildings of Las Vegas. It’s a rare case where there’s a website that we wish didn’t have to exist.

The AFTER PARTY is 9:30 to Midnite at REQUIUM STUDIOS located at 32 W. Imperial.

 

 

I’ll stop in if I can stay up that late.

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First Friday and The Thursday Before In The Downtown Las Vegas Arts District

July 31st, 2008 Categories: ART, Downtown Businesses, Downtown Las Vegas, First Friday

How in the world did July slip by so quickly?

It’s time once again for First Friday, in the Downtown Las Vegas Arts District.

Get yourself out of the house on Friday Night and see what’s happening. You’ll be glad you did!

Here’s the link to the calendar of events. There’s plenty happening, and something for everyone.

Tonight, (THURSDAY) at the Thursday Before Preview:

The Contemporary Arts Collective, (freshly re-painted and looking like a gallery again) invites you to the opening party and artist’s discussion for their new show: ‘Painting Physical Presence’ - Paintings by Erik Gecas and Ayako Ono

The Opening Reception is 6–9PM

There are several new exhibits opening in the Arts Factory the same night:

Justin Favela presents photo/mixed media collage work from UNLV in the common area gallery

TRIFECTA presents ‘Right/Left Behind You’ by Casey Weldon 

Mark Diederichsen and Steven Spann open their galleries for a preview reception. 

Lost Vegas and Retro Vegas will be open the same 6–9 pm for your vintage shopping delight.

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