Local artists come together to help those in Japan...

With the horrible earthquake and ensuing tsunami that occurred in Japan on March 11 people from all around the world have come together to help our brothers and sisters in the "Land of the Rising Sun." Locally, relief agencies raised money and sent supplies over. Several local scientists have also gone over to assist with the ongoing crises at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant. So with this outpouring of support it was a matter of time before the local arts community came together to pitch in to help.

This evening Blackbird Studios is having a special event for Japan. Japan'D-Aid, a Japanese relief silent auction and live painting event will take place 4pm to 10pm with a silent auction at 8pm. If you have not been to Blackbird Studios the time is now to check out the awesome gaggle of artists that call the space home and it all for a great cause!

Black Bird Studios
1551 Commerce Street
in Downtown Las Vegas

Taiko Drumming at Black Bird Studios...

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

Art Walk 2011 in Summerlin TODAY!

With cooler temperatures in Vegas the weather should be perfect to head out to Summerlin for their Spring 2011 Art Walk. The Art Walk is taking place this Saturday and Sunday at the Trails Village Center from 10am to 5pm. So if you have some time to head out for the nice weather and some great art get out to the far west-side of town TODAY! And make sure to bring the kids!

Trails Village Center
1970 Village Center Circle
Las Vegas, Nevada
702-595-8255
http://trailsvillagecenter.com/
Admission and parking is free!

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

I-Phoneography? The I-Phoneographs of 41 I-Phonagraphers... TONIGHT!

Could the days of carrying cumbersome cameras with huge telescoping lenses, tripods and film (memory card) soon be over? Well when just about anyone can take a photo by clicking a button on a phone you do have to ask the question. With the rise of camera phones into our technologically crazed society everyone is a photographer now. Not just can you take photos with your phones but you can send these photos anywhere around the world in a matter of seconds for all to see. 

But with all this technology at our fingertips there are a few nostalgia heads that are using I-Phones in a more anological way, so to speak. So you invent an app for the I-Phone that takes photos like an old analog camera such as the 1980's throwback the Hipstamatic and voila you have some cool vintage looking images! Well apparently that is the case and on Friday, April 29th 41 would be photographers are having an exhibition of these amazing little images that they have taken with their I-Phones. 

Vegas from the Hip - A collection of Las Vegas iPhoneography 

Opening Friday, April 29th at the Nevada State College Library, 5pm-8pm. Nevada State College Library will host the opening of Vegas from the Hip, a collection of Las Vegas photos shot with iPhones and the Hipstamatic app. The show features 99 images from 41 photographers.

Nevada State College Library
303 S. Water St. (BW2 building)
Henderson, NV 89015

For more information please call Gregory Robinson 

702-610-7691
http://vegasfromthehip.wordpress.com
lvfromthehip@gmail.com

About the Hipstamatic and the show by Gregory Robinson

In the 1980s, the Hipstamatic was a real camera, a plastic “toy” created by Bruce and Winston Dorbowski. It sold less than 200 units, but it was an impressive little camera. The iPhone app mimics the look and feel of the original, providing a tiny viewfinder, random light leaks, and changeable lenses and films. Although the iPhone camera itself is capable of providing a clear, detailed image (5 megapixels was impressive not that long ago), the app does the exact opposite.

Digital photography never looked so analog.

These photos recall a time when you cared about the pictures you took, but did not really know how to take them. The results are random, haphazard, and often somewhat out of focus. At times, (like any other camera) Hipstamatic photos are complete junk. More often than not, they are beautiful and nostalgic. They give you the feeling of coming across an old photo in your grandmother’s attic, even if they were just taken yesterday.

The medium is the message.

The Hipstamatic helped to start an entire photographic movement, now called iPhoneography. There are books, blogs, dozens of Flickr groups, and hundreds of specialized apps available, all devoted to it. The governing aesthetic in the iPhone community is that the photos must be taken and edited on the iPhone, without any help from a PC or Mac.

In late 2010, New York Times photographer Damon Winter used the Hipstamatic app to shoot a series about the war in Afghanistan War. It made the front page. Critics went crazy, but not in a good way.

Chip Litherland saw it as another sign of the death of photojournalism, saying that the Hipstamatic shots were “dig[ing] another knife deeper into the back of its decaying corpse.”

It is nice to see that art still makes people a little grumpy.

Yes, you could take these pictures with a regular camera, and they would probably look better by most standards. They would be clear, properly composed, and colored in realistic way. That is not the point. Unlike your regular camera, the phone is always with you, ready to catch everything. iPhoneographers tend to value quick shots, “from the hip,” emphasizing spontaneity over composition, and dream-like blurriness over the precision clarity of high-end digital cameras. The result is a colorful, random, off-centered look at Las Vegas.

Photo provided by Gregory Robinson

Photo provided by Gregory Robinson

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

First Friday Fundraiser and Auction TONIGHT @ the World Famous Double Down Saloon...

If you like First Friday and want to support one of the most important monthly cultural events in Southern Nevada make sure to go to the Double Down Saloon this evening. Cindy Funkhouser, President of Whirlygig, the non-profit organization that puts on First Friday, has teamed up with P Moss, Shane O'Neal, Mike Diamond and of course Whispering Giants Giant Jimmy Foster to bring together a memorable evening full of cocktails, socializing and fun.

I also hear renowned local artists Jerry Misko and Mark T. Zeilman will be featuring some of their awesome art! Rumor has it there will be a world famous "mechanical pony" too!

So make sure to get to one of the most famous and historic saloons in Las Vegas to support one awesome and fabulous cause!

Doors open at 6pm sharp...

The Double Down Saloon
4640 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, Nevada 89169
702-791-5775 http://www.doubledownsaloon.com/

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

Mayor Oscar B. Goodman Celebrates Insert Coin(s) Video Lounge Game Bar TONIGHT...

Even though Insert Coin(s) Video Lounge Game Bar has been open for several weeks, to great reviews I might add,  the party doesn't really start until the Mayor says so. Tonight one of Downtown's newest and coolest attractions celebrates its opening with the traditional ribbon cutting ceremony. Mayor Goodman will be at Insert Coin(s) with Martini in hand to officially welcome the new establishment that is helping redefine the face of Downtown.

About Insert Coin(s)

The brainchild of a local Las Vegan, Insert Coin(s) is billed as the “first videolounge gamebar.” The new nightspot will combine a lounge atmosphere with the latest in ever-changing, high-tech entertainment. Video game-themed cocktails, video DJs and national championship videogame competitions will also be part of the mix at this epicenter of modern entertainment.

The 7,000-square-foot venue has been designed for partygoers and video game enthusiasts, noted founder Christopher LaPorte. In addition to state-of-the-art video games on over 60 HD displays, nostalgia buffs can enjoy blasts from the past playing one of 45 arcade cabinets and video game systems from the heydays of the 1970s and 1990s.

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony begins promptly at 5:30pm

Insert Coin(s) Video Lounge Game Bar
512 Fremont Street
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
702-477-2525

http://insertcoinslv.com/

Insert Coin(s) Video Lounge & Game Bar
Opening Night
(Photo by Paco)

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

Marathon ribbon cutting ceremonies in the Arts District...

Photo by Paco

It is no secret that Downtown redevelopment is picking up momentum. From news reports coming in from all around the country the focus has been more and more concentrated on the city's historic center. Though Las Vegas is notorious for making it to the bottom of many lists, Downtown has broken that streak and landed itself as one of the top 10 Best Cities for Young Artists http://flavorwire.com/169898/the-best-cities-for-young-artists/4#post_body . As the Creative Class is finding its way back Downtown thanks to new developments such as lounges, cafe's, restaurants, neighborhood bodegas, galleries and so much more, the future is bright for this Radiant City we call home.

This afternoon the 18b Arts District is celebrating the opening of 4 new establishments. Our beloved Mayor Oscar B. Goodman will personally welcome each of the new establishments with a ribbon cutting ceremony and maybe even a Martini in hand.

The festivities begin sharply at 5pm at Resnicks Grocery and will wind there way to Lady Silvia Lounge, Artifice Bar and Lounge and finish up at Bar at Bar + Bistro at the Historic Arts Factory.

Resnicks Grocery
900 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
702-982-2999

Resnicks Grocery - http://www.resnicksgrocery.com
Artifice Bar & Lounge - http://artificebar.com/
Bar + Bistro at the Arts Factory - http://barbistroaf.com/

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

Two awesome photographers in the same show only spells creative trouble...

Just the thought of Ryan Reason and Jennifer Maupin exhibiting their photography together in one gallery tells me that we are in for a treat. Jennifer and Ryan's awesome photography has been featured in exhibitions and local publications, not to mention that "yours truly" has been the subject of one of Jennifer amazing images.

Just last week I was given the pleasure of seeing Ryan's collection for the show and boy was I blown out of the water. One image in particular stuck out, not just because of its raw beauty but more than that, it is the quintessential image that defines Las Vegas's Cultural Arts Scene. For me to make such a declaration should tell you that this photo is a must see. Of course I begged Ryan to allow me to post the image on this very blog but he declined. So you will have no choice but to go down and see it for yourself when the show opens next week.

“Pinfluence” will open to the public at Alios Gallery from 6 to 10 p.m. on Preview Thursday May 5th and First Friday May 6th. Alios is located at 1217 S. Main St., less than a block south of Charleston Boulevard, next to Retro Vegas.

About the Artists
Midwestern-born Jennifer Maupin, came to prominence with “The Downtown Project,” her series of portraits depicting the faces behind the ever-morphing redevelopment of downtown Las Vegas, which debuted to an enthusiastic reception at the gone-but-still-beloved Henri & Odette gallery. Native Las Vegan Ryan Reason -- whose photos are regularly featured in publications such as 944, Vegas Seven and Vegas Magazine -- collaborated with artist Kendall Abbott on the quirky photography-and-decoupage exhibit “(Man)nequin on the Street,” featured at the Arts Factory.

jennmphoto.com
ryanreason.com

For more information please contact
Ryan Reason
pinfluence@gmail.com
702-612-9474

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

The Kaiser Report... Musical happenings for the week of April 25...

Here is the weekly musical update by Laraine Kaiser, with plenty of musical happenings to entice all those interested in the performing arts. Haver a great and artistic week everyone!

Concerts April 25-May 1

Monday April 25, 7:00pm
Mykola Suk and Jae Ahn Piano, Wendy Moss soprano Lenka Hajkova and Lauren Cordell, violins Hanna Suk, viola Elena Kapustina cello Jonathan Zeh, bass
Amy Beach, Three Songs for Voice, Violin and Cello, Beethoven Piano Concerto #5 and more
Starbright Theater
2225 Thomas Ryan Blvd.
Las Vegas, NV 89134
Free and Open to the Public
more info: 702-240-1301

Monday April 25, 5:30pm
UNLV String Chamber Music Recital
Doc Rando Hall (Beam Music Hall)
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89154
Free and Open to the Public
more info: 702-895-3011

Tuesday April 26, 7:30
UNLV Symphony Orchestra Sibelius Violin Concerto featuring Tracy Bu
Artemis Ham Concert Hall UNLV
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89119
Tickets $10 $8 for seniors/military
UNLV Students one free ticket with ID
more info: 702-895-2787

Wednesday April 27, 2:30pm
Doctoral Chamber Recital, Fred Umar
UNLV Beam Music Center, room 160
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89154
Free and Open to the Public
more info: 702-895-3011

Wednesday April 27, 7:30pm
Cello Ensemble Concert
Doc Rando Hall (Beam Music Hall) UNLV
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89154
Free and Open to the Public
more info: 702-895-3011

Thursday April 28, 2011 2:30-4:00 (cello), 4:00-5:00 (chamber)
Ani Aznavoorian cello masterclass /chamber masterclass
Nevada School of the Arts
401 S. Fourth St. #125
Las Vegas NV 89101
Free and Open to the Public
more info 702-384-2787

Thursday April 28, 5:30pm
Artist in Residence Lecture Recital, Matt Dunne, Guitar
Doc Rando Hall UNLV
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89154
Free and Open to the Public
more info: 702-895-3011

Thursday April 28 and Friday April 29 7:30pm
Weiwei Le, violin professor at UNLV, performs electric violin with the dance department, percussion, and lighting department
UNLV HFA building (music office building)
Black Box Theater west side of building
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89154
$13, $8 students/seniors/military
more info: 702-895-2787


Friday April 29, 2011 7:00 pm 
Cellist Ani Aznavoorian and Pianist, Adam Neiman Concert
Nevada School of the Arts
401 S. Fourth St. #125
Las Vegas NV 89101
at the Historic Fifth Street School, Home of Nevada School of the Arts (NSA)
are returning to Las Vegas to present a wonderful evening of works by Bach, Brahms, DeFallia, Faure and Paganini. They will be presenting 2 outreach concerts at Hyde Park Middle School and Clark High School.
Ani will also conduct a cello master class on Thursday, April 28, 2011 2:30-4:00 pm open to you and your students, followed by a chamber music master class from 4:00-5:00 also open for observation.
For tickets call NSA office.
NSA wishes to make these performances affordable for students who can take advantage of hearing great artists.
Student tickets are $10.00. Adults $25.00 VIP $50.00 ( includes meet the artists reception after the recital).
We hope to see you and your students at the recital and enjoy a wonderful evening of great music.
more info 702-384-2787

Saturday April 30, 8:00pm
UNLV Opera Scenes Workshop Performance
Doc Rando Hall (Beam Music Hall)
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89154
Tickets $10 $8 for seniors/military
more info: 702-895-3011

UNLV Students one free ticket with ID

Saturday April 30, 3:30pm
Doctoral Recital, Jonathon Baltera, baritone
Doc Rando Hall UNLV
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89154
Free and Open to the Public
more info: 702-895-3011

Saturday April 30, 4:00pm
CCSD Youth Orchestras
Artemis Ham Concert Hall UNLV
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89119
Free and Open to the Public
more info: 702-895-2787

Sunday May 1, 1:30pm
Morelli Woodwind Quintet
Doc Rando Hall
4505 Maryland Dr.
Las Vegas NV 89154
Free and Open to the Public
more info: 702-895-3011

Sunday May 1, 2:00pm
Japanese Drumming Concert by the Las Vegas Kaminari Taiko
Clark County Library
1401 E. Flamingo
Las Vegas NV
Free and Open to the Public
more info: 702-507-3458

Sunday May 1 2011 3:00pm
Madelene Capelle, 'Divas Undone' a humorous and entertaining take
on Opera by a lifelong professional Soprano
Mountain View Presbyterian Church
8601 Del Webb Blvd.
Las Vegas NV 89134
Free and Open to the Public

Sunday May 1, 7:00pm
Cellist Ani Aznavoorian performs with Pianist Adam Neiman
Nevada School of the Arts
401 S. Fourth St. #125
Las Vegas NV 89101
$10 Students w/ID
$25 Adults
$50 VIP with catered reception

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

A photo odyssey at the Clark County Museum... Opportunity for photographers...

There is so much happening in Las Vegas when it comes to photography it's mind boggling. Now here is a great opportunity for all photographers who want to take some awesome photos in an awesome setting such as the Clark County Museum.

The Clark County Museum
1830 S. Boulder Highway
Henderson, NV 89002-8502

702-455-7955
http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/Depts/parks/Pages/clark-county-museum.aspx

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

Painters & Poets Jam TONIGHT @ The Arts Factory in Downtown...

Every Saturday the crew of Born and Raised Productions get together with the great folks at the Arts Factory and put on a fun and creative event. With live painting, musicians jamming and poets going crazy on the mic you know you are in for a good time. Rumor has it I may be doing some free form tonight when I get back from my jaunt to Death Valley. But more on that later...

See you tonight! Downtown that is... Where the real Vegas begins...

The Arts Factory
107 East Charleston Blvd.
Las Vegas, Nevada 89101
702-383-3133
http://www.theartsfactory.com/

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...

CENTERpiece Gallery opens Asian Contemporary...

Image provided by
CENTERpiece Gallery

There is no doubt that Asia is Hot Hot Hot. With booming economies and close to a third of the worlds population this sleeping dragon is finally beginning to awake. Over the last 10 years Las Vegas has embraced our friends to the West by celebrating Chinese New Year at many of the resorts. The local Asian community has invested heavily in our city and have created a vibrant China Town along Spring Mountain. With this dynamism happening in our community and beyond it was a matter of time before the contemporary artistic talents of Asia would grace our shores.

CENTERpiece Gallery at City Center will be opening there latest exhibition Asian Contemporary on Thursday , April 21 at 6pm. The event is free and open to the public.

CENTERpiece is located at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Porte-cochere.
For more information please contact the gallery at 702-739-3314
www.centerpiecelv.com

Image provided by
CENTERpiece Gallery

About the exhibition and artists provided by CENTERpiece Gallery...

In recent years, the Asian Contemporary art market has begun to break world auction records, rivaling those of western practitioners and has been instrumental in broadening the budding Eastern market. Chinese artists, specifically, have been instrumental in this market shift, exploring themes of history, landscape and the Cultural Revolution. Artists on view include conceptual photographers Hai Bo and Huang Yan; painter Zhang Xiaogang, whose portraits address personal identity against the backdrop of Chinese collectivism; and Wang Guangyi, a leader of the Political Pop movement.

Not far behind in market momentum, Korean artists have increasingly garnered international attention with their vibrant energy and hybrid mediums, continuing to influence cross-cultural interest. Collectively, they exhibit exceptional mastery in video, mixed media, performance, photography, and sculpture, ranging from hyper realism to pop art. Jooyun Kang exemplifies these trends through her immaculately painted surfaces combining beads, crystals, and sequins painstakingly applied to the canvas surface. The exhibition will feature painting, photography, and works on paper from a selection of the above artists also including Jin Soo Kim, Ye Tao, and Wei Yi from Fu Xin Gallery in Shanghai.

Nevada Public Radio

For more information on the Cultural Arts in Las Vegas please visit Nevada Public Radio. NPR has detailed listings of many cultural and civic events hosted by area non-profits click on this linkhttp://www.knpr.org/common/psa/listNEW.cfm and if you are planning an event in the next few months, be sure to get your free listing in Nevada Public Radio's Desert Companion magazine by submitting the information here at http://www.knpr.org/culture/eventaddnew.cfm

Have You donated to KNPR? Pledge Now at http://www.knpr.org/index.cfm

Brian Paco Alvarez enculturating Las Vegas into the millennium...