Congratulations All Around!

This past week was an exciting time in Downtown Las Vegas and beyond, especially with the grand openings of several new artistic and cultural attractions in and around the area.

The re-opening of the Barrick Museum at UNLV was the event to hearken the fall season. The Barrick's new partnership with the Las Vegas Art Museum is an exceptionally positive development, especially in a city that has desperately lacked a high caliber art institution over the past several years. It was also nice to see much of the local arts intelligentsia out and about celebrating the new museum. Hopefully they will all step up to the plate and support it now that it has a new home.

Located next to the UNLV Lied Library, the Barrick is located in the old gymnasium building on campus. With high ceilings and wood floors the Barrick has the look and feel of a great museum. Now that the museum is under the guise of the UNLV College of Fine Arts its future is secure, which is a great sign for me considering it was the first museum I ever interned at! I want to send out a huge congratulations to Aurore Giguet, the Barrick Museum Program Director, Jerry Schefcik, Director of the Donna Beam Gallery at UNLV, Jeff Koep, the Dean of the College of Fine Arts and Patrick Duffy, President of the Las Vegas Art Museum for making this a reality.

Another grand opening to take place this week was of course the long awaited Cockroach Theater at Art Square. The independent theater is the latest addition to come into the 18b Arts District Downtown. With an exciting crew that includes none other than Will Adamson, Levi Fackrell, Erik Amblad, Melissa Webb Finley, Scott Fadale, Jessica Scheitler, Erica Griffin and Ryan Reason the decade old company will continue breaking new ground in theater and all from their new home.

The last of the great grand openings to take place was of course none other than the Goldwell Open Air Painter Printmaking Studio and Artists Workspace. After more than a year of planning the folks at Goldwell are excited to finally make their presence felt in Southern Nevada. With their new space located smack in the middle of the arts district there is little doubt that the loneliest museum in the West will be shaking up the art scene in Vegas for many years to come. A huge congratulations goes out to Suzanne Hackett-Morgan, Charles Morgan and the board of the Goldwell Open Air Museum for making this dream come true.

Also I want to send out a huge thanks to the folks at Downtown Projects and Zappos for supporting these and many more projects!

In a year dominated with the openings of the MOB Museum and the Smith Center for the Performing Arts goodness knows the future is bright for Las Vegas Cultural Arts Scene!

OH AND BEFORE I FORGET!

Artistic Lifestyles opened up the world a few weeks ago with an amazing array of local talent ready for the world stage. Not to mention that they have an amazing studio with kilns and ovens ready for artists to create amazing works of art! - 2758 S Highland Dr Suite B

HONORABLE MENTION -

And of course our latest addition for the foodies! EAT - The Breakfast and Lunch Place Downtown! Located at 707 East Carson Chef Natalie Young's EAT is a must stop when visiting the area. The Huevos Motulenos are amazing!

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