 8th Auust 2007 DECKING THE HALL Project brings public art to North Las Vegas By BEVERLY BRYAN
VIEW STAFF WRITER
A project to bring art to public facilities in North Las Vegas is starting off modestly with just a little bit more color around city hall.  The Nicholas A. Price/City of North Las Vegas Community Partnership Program for Art in Public Domain is a partnership between the city of North Las Vegas and painter, sculptor and photographer Nicholas Price. The partnership began on June 20, with an opening for the sampling of Price's copper and steel sculptures now on display in the front lobby, atrium and first hallway in city hall.
The project got its start when Assistant City Manager Sam Chambers met Grace Price, Nicholas Price's wife and marketing director, and they began talking about the city's need for a public art program and desire to expand the cultural and recreational options it offers. Art exhibits may soon be appearing in North Las Vegas recreational centers. "Long-term, we would like to see public art in our recreational facilities and our parks," Chambers said. He said there was a demand for public art programs in the city because of the many families with young children. He said the Prices were "very community oriented." Price chose the pieces currently on display with approval from the city. He said he chose a diverse range of pieces from different series in his collection with an eye for those he found thought-provoking and fun. He wants to rotate the pieces out and have exhibits in other city buildings. The pieces on display now include hanging sculptures -- some are abstract, some are masks, some suggest octopi. There are some freestanding pieces in copper and wood from the "Everlasting Garden" series in the atrium. He said he felt art could be especially valuable in such a diverse city as North Las Vegas. "It does break through a lot of cultural and ethnic and language barriers," Price said. A future city hall exhibit will feature Price's photographs of the natural Nevada landscape, in partnership with conservation group Outside Las Vegas. Financial sponsors include Black and White Cinema, Meadow Gold Dairy, Tough Tribe Book and Music Publishers and private donor Jane Brown. Price said he liked to get private entities like corporations to sponsor public artwork because, he said, "I don't think it should be just the responsibility of the public." He pointed to his outdoor sculpture, commissioned by the building owners, at the Bank of America building in downtown Las Vegas as an example. The artist said he would like to see his partnership with the city of North Las Vegas expand to include an educational outreach program in public schools. He said he believes it would be a good idea to start with an art contest to identify students with a genuine interest in the arts -- and to work with them. "We're hoping to do some big art projects that will involve more than one artist," he said. To that end, he wants to create a registry of artists who are available for commission. North Las Vegas Councilwoman Stephanie Smith has been a longtime advocate of the arts and said she was ecstatic when she heard about the program. "Culture defines a city, and art is a part of our culture," she said. The councilwoman, who teaches orchestra at Saville Middle School, said public art in North Las Vegas should not stop at the visual arts, but should continue to include performing arts, as well. Nicholas Price's current exhibit can be seen at North Las Vegas City Hall Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. For more information on the art program, go to www.nlvart.com. For more information on Nicholas Price's art, go to www.nicholasprice.net. |
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Additional Information: By providing a Program such as this, which in terms of a Public and Private Partnership, we believe to be the first of its kind in the USA, we are able to create an immediate patronage of the arts between these businesses and our community facilitated by the use of public spaces identified by the City. This Program is an excellent illustration of the business community's long term commitment to be part of our growing city and help fill the much needed void of cultural support, art expression and most importantly art education. The business patron also benefits from being part of the progressive cultural evolution in a rapidly developing City such as ours and the furthering of cultural sophistication in our community. Our mission for this Program is to achieve the following: 1. Build individual, corporate and community appreciation of the value of public art. 2. Generate more public- and private sector patronage and resources for public art and arts education 3. Respond to diverse community needs 4. Foster an environment in which the arts can thrive and contribute to the creation of more livable communities. Thanks To Our 2007/2008 Community Sponsors and Partners Current List To Be Updated Shortly - contact us on (702) 471 7709 to be part of our exciting 2009/2010 program. 
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