Art in Vegas, won't stay in Vegas

From the Rebel Yell.

The Las Vegas Diaspora collection at the Las Vegas Art Museum is as vibrant and diverse as the city itself.

The 26 artists chosen were all graduates from the UNLV Master of Fine Arts program and protégés of former art professor, Dr. Dave Hickey. Their talents have garnered them exhibitions in the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern in London and galleries all over the world.

James Gobel’s collage, “Ridicule is Nothing to be Afraid Of,” is akin to the dichotomies of Magritte and dream-like symbolism of Dalí. In it, an arrangement of men dressed in 18th century garb stand around a naked, obese man that may represent obesity, hedonism, Americana and the pressures of being a gay man (as symbolized by a gash on his forehead). The colors have a velveteen sheen as they were painted onto felt.

One painting, specially made by Tim Bavington for the museum, took inspiration from the snow cone green color of the wall his artwork would be displayed on. Bavington takes cues from Kandinsky – he sees color when he hears music, choosing though to represent music in wide and thin vertical bands.

LVAM was established in 1950 and moved around until it finally settled at the West Sahara Library in 1970. Curator Libby Lumpkin, wife of Dave Hickey, was brought to Las Vegas by Steve Wynn to curate The Bellagio Fine Art Gallery. Her goal is to bring edgier, avant garde works to the museum. It seems fitting that she would choose Las Vegas, as pushing the envelope characterizes the city. In addition to their artwork, the artists varyingly different backgrounds, yet are joined together by a common artistic vision.

“When I joined the department of art at UNLV in 1990, I knew that students who chose Las Vegas to study art would have to be a special breed,” said Hickey, “[Las Vegas is] an extremely self-selecting venue … so I wasn’t surprised that the kids who came here were adventuresome, cosmopolitan, self-sufficient and indifferent to parental oversight. As a result of their industry and courage, some things that happen in Vegas don’t stay in Vegas. They go out and change the world.”