Whether clever, colorful, or controversial, one thing’s for certain about public art in downtown Las Vegas: it’s flourishing. Alongside the booze, slot machines, and strippers, culture is becoming a big lure for visitors to what’s often called Sin City.
“People love to see a different side of Vegas,” said Don Contursi, founder of Lip Smacking Foodie Tours. His latest culinary experience takes people on a stroll through the city’s 18b Arts District, an 18-block-long corridor located between the towering Stratosphere and the Fremont Street Experience.
Revitalization of the Arts District
Art is soaring in this district, which until recent years was a gritty neighborhood avoided by tourists. More hip galleries and trendy restaurants have replaced garages and secondhand-furniture stores, leading to wider sidewalks and new vehicular traffic patterns.
“If you look back 10 years, I think we’ve come a long way,” remarked local artist Luis Verela-Rico, whose Radial Symmetry sculpture sits near the intersection of South Commerce and South Main.
The stainless-steel sculpture represents an abstract collection of woven baskets crafted by the native Paiutes, but it has drawn comparisons to everything from a Slinky to a UFO. The City of Las Vegas commissioned him to create the piece in 2018.
“It’s part of the fabric of the city’s identity,” he said of the growing volume of urban art.
Murals and Public Art Installations
The works include a diverse array of murals along streets and alleyways, primarily in the 18b Arts District and the Fremont East Entertainment District. Many were commissioned for Life is Beautiful, a large music and art festival held each September.
The standout murals are three pieces that each climb 21 stories high on the walls of the Plaza Hotel & Casino, located at the western edge of the canopied Fremont St walkway. The murals were painted in 2017.
Behind Closed Doors by British artist D’Face features an offbeat expression of hotel life, as if ripped from a comic book. Cultivate Harmony, a work by street artist Shepard Fairey, promotes harmony and peace as essential for the planet’s well-being. Tribute to Cassius Marcellus by the Brooklyn-based Faile collaborative, faces Interstate 15 and attracts the attention of 200,000 motorists each day.
“I was apprehensive; I was nervous about the character of the building and putting these things on them [but] it turned out to be a good decision,” said Jonathan Jossel, the hotel’s CEO. He noted that the oversized murals make the Plaza one of the most Instagrammed places in Las Vegas.
“A lot of people these days don’t go on holiday without thinking about, ‘Where do I go to take pictures?’” he observed. “We want people to come to downtown Las Vegas, to walk around, and to explore the neighborhoods.”
Finding street art isn’t difficult. Many search engines identify the addresses of various works. While cars might be seen cruising the streets of 18b, they are not necessary to explore. For many, part of the adventure lies in traversing the streets and alleys on foot, stumbling upon colorful gems.
Exploring by Bike and Foot
Pedal power provides a fantastic way to cover more ground without competing for limited parking spots. The Regional Transportation Commission’s Bike Share program offers over 200 bikes for rent at 21 downtown stations for as little as $5 a day. Riders can even get assistance from the bikes’ electric motors when needed.
Visitors can also use three-wheeled, electric scooters, which are permissible on sidewalks. Trikke Las Vegas provides group tours of the arts district as well as independent rentals of these fun tricycles for adults.
The Neon Museum
Situated on the northern fringe of downtown, a unique outdoor museum pays homage to one of the city’s first forms of artistic expression: neon signs.
In a city famous for imploding its resorts, the Neon Museum was founded to help save hundreds of iconic signs – from an Aladdin’s lamp to the 80ft-tall guitar that once soared above a Hard Rock Cafe.
“It is an art form to create those signs. There aren’t that many people who know how to blow glass,” said the museum’s Dawn Merritt.
First Friday Festival
Folks fortunate enough to be in Vegas on the first Friday of the month can enjoy the 18b Arts District in all its glory, as thousands of people wander through galleries and indulge in eclectic offerings from food trucks. The First Friday festival celebrates a different theme each month.
Friday evenings are particularly vibrant in the edgy Recycled Propaganda gallery, where visitors can be directed to a nearby alley where owner Isaac Zevalking, a self-described “socio-political artist,” created a mural depicting immigration injustice. In 2019, he garnered international attention for his painting of Lady Liberty in handcuffs, bent over the hood of a police car.
Don Contursi’s guests get the chance to interact with Zevalking during Sunday foodie tours, which include tastings at three restaurants within easy walking distance of each other. Contursi considers cleverly-prepared food a form of art.
“The plate is their canvas,” he said of the chefs.
Restaurateurs James Trees of Esther’s Kitchen and Allen Katz of Jammyland Cocktail Bar and Reggae Kitchen welcome guests during the foodie tours, both being strong advocates for the thriving arts scene in the neighborhood.
“Gentrification doesn’t have to be evil,” Katz noted regarding 18b. “It’s always going to be a bit of a wild child.”
