[1:54] I now call the January 15, 2025 meeting for the city of Las Vegas Art Commission

[2:01] to order. Would the deputy city clerk call the

[2:05] role, please? >> Chair Fields. Here.

[2:10] » Vice Chair Benaric. >> Here.

[2:13] » Second. Vice Chair Roberts. Excused. Commissioner Cleven.

[2:18] » I'm here. >> Commissioner Westfield excused.

[2:22] Commissioner Douglas excused. Commissioner Dantes

[2:27] » here. >> Commissioner Churk

[2:29] » here. >> Commissioner Chi

[2:31] » here. >> Commissioner Portoy

[2:33] » here. >> Commissioner von Bastians

[2:35] » here. >> Commissioner Galott

[2:37] » here. >> Thank you chair. You have a quorum.

[2:40] » Thank you. And item number two, has this meeting been properly noticed and posted

[2:45] in compliance with the Nevada open meeting law?

[2:48] » Yes, chair, it has. >> Thank you. Moving on to item number

[2:52] three. Public comment during this portion of

[2:57] the agenda must be limited to matters on the agenda for action. If you wish to be

[3:02] heard, come forward and give your name for the record. The amount of discussion

[3:07] as well as the amount of time any given speaker is allowed may be limited.

[3:16] I see there's no public comment at this time. So, we're moving to item number

[3:21] four for possible action to approve the final minutes by reference of the

[3:25] regular meeting of November 20th, 2025.

[3:32] Would

[3:36] anyone like to make a motion to approve the meeting minutes?

[3:43] » Commissioner Cleven and I'll move to approve.

[3:47] Commissioner second

[3:52] the meeting has all in favor

[3:56] » I >> I

[3:58] » I >> any oppose

[4:12] passes and the meeting minutes are approved.

[4:17] Okay, now we're moving to item number five, report by Carmen Bills, art

[4:22] commission chair, regarding a monthly summary of current initiatives, cultural

[4:27] events, and opportunities, all awards. Celebrate with us at the opening

[4:33] reception of It's Oak Clay, the Animal House Pottery Member exhibition on

[4:38] Thursday, January 29th from 5 to 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Gallery in City Hall.

[4:45] Light bites and refreshments will be available. Please join us on Groundhog

[4:50] Day, Monday, February 2nd at 10:00 a.m. for the unveiling of Waiting on a Light

[4:56] on the count corner by Sound Exchange by artist David Ryan. The event will take

[5:02] place at the corner of Third Street in Ogden, where guests can view the artwork

[5:06] up close and hear directly from the artist.

[5:10] Join us for a proposal presentation meeting for the Walapai Canyon

[5:14] Environmental Sculpture Project on Wednesday, February 4th from 2 to 3:30

[5:20] at the historic three fifth street school. Be a part of the process of

[5:25] selecting the award awarded artist for a new public pro art project.

[5:31] For more information about these events and more departments of parks,

[5:35] recreation, and cultural affairs programming, please visit www.artslo

[5:41] vegas.org or call 702229 arts. Do any commissioners have

[5:49] additional events or happenings they would like to mention?

[5:52] » Yes, this is uh Commissioner Portoi. Um I have a couple events which are coming

[5:57] up. Um, National Pop Art Day, Meet the Artist Night at Portoi Gallery. Um, on

[6:04] West Oki Boulevard. That'll be from 7 to 900 PM. Um, and featured entertainment

[6:10] will be Barry Manalo's music director, Joey Milotti, will be on Keys.

[6:16] Also coming up um April 9th through the 14th um my endangered species series

[6:24] artwork will be on ex exhibition at West Charleston Library from April 9th

[6:30] through the 14th 2026.

[6:40] » If there's no one else, >> this is Commissioner Shurk. Thank you.

[6:43] Um just want to share two opportunities um from the Nevada Arts Council. The

[6:48] first one is the project grant for organizations. If you're a nonprofit

[6:52] organizations and or public institution looking for funding for an arts project

[6:56] for um fiscal year 27, the application is currently open um for a grant for

[7:02] $7,000 um with a uh onetoone match. The

[7:08] application is currently open and will close at February 3rd um at 5:00 pm. For

[7:13] more information, please visit nvartsconsil.org.

[7:16] Um the second opportunity is that uh the Nevada Arts Council is also looking for

[7:21] a portrait painter to paint the governor's portrait. Um the com this

[7:27] contract is for $40,000 and uh more information is also available on

[7:31] nvartsconsil.org. Thank you.

[7:38] Thank you. If there is there anyone else?

[7:43] Okay, we're moving on to item number six, report by cultural affairs staff

[7:49] regarding a monthly summary of current initiatives, all wards.

[7:55] This is Parker Reki for the record. Hello. Uh you should have received the

[7:59] staff report with updates of the percent for the arts projects and we've also put

[8:03] together a presentation to show the activities and initiatives happening.

[8:06] Now here you can see our upcoming meeting

[8:10] schedule. Um just so everyone is aware it's going to um be on the third

[8:15] Thursday of every month. Laura [snorts] Machado for the record.

[8:21] Uh, as mentioned in the chair report, we're excited to share that Waiting on a

[8:25] Light on the Corner by Sound Exchange by David Rain is being installed this week

[8:30] and we look forward to seeing you there at the opening on Groundhog's Day,

[8:35] February 2nd at 10:00 a.m. on that southwest corner of Ogden and Third

[8:40] Street.

[8:45] The AMP Gateway and Arts District public art project. Um, we have our finalized

[8:49] artists here and they will be presenting their proposals at this meeting during

[8:53] the next agenda item. The AMP board for Cheyenne A public art

[8:59] project is moving along and is currently being reviewed by the council women and

[9:03] staff.

[9:07] Mary Sabbo for the record. Um, the Boulder Plaza sculpture project, the

[9:12] seed by CR2 is still in progress. Um, the engineering documents are still in

[9:16] review with building and safety.

[9:21] Parker Reki, Centennial Hills Park Environmental Tile Mural Project. Um,

[9:26] the evaluation panel is meeting to determine which artist to award the

[9:29] project. Uh, we're hoping to select that artist by the end of this month.

[9:37] Laura Machado. Uh Cliff Garden Studio is currently at the 50%

[9:43] uh completion rate for their project, their fourth project milestone. They

[9:48] continue to be on track. We have the installation scheduled for the end of

[9:52] April and then we hope to welcome everyone for the dedication of this

[9:57] event at the beginning of May. We'll provide more information as we get

[10:00] closer.

[10:03] Also, you may have noticed when you walked in to the meeting today, we're

[10:07] excited to share that Crystal Ramirez's piece, The Night We Met, was officially

[10:13] dedicated and um we welcome it. It's a wonderful addition to our public art

[10:18] collection. We're really excited. Uh the project is almost complete. We have one

[10:23] step left to check off the box for permitting and then that project will be

[10:28] complete.

[10:34] This is Mary Sabo for the record. Um, conservation and maintenance is always

[10:38] an ongoing project. Um, we've secured conservation and maintenance funder

[10:42] homerogo uh before general collection, maintenance and graffiti abatement. And

[10:47] we worked with um RLA conservation um on routine cleaning of radial symmetry. And

[10:54] they are developing some assessments for us as well of some other pieces in the

[10:59] collection. And as always, we welcome members of the public to report any

[11:02] concerns related to conservation and maintenance um by emailing us or you can

[11:07] reach out to any one of us.

[11:11] The Here's Park Tile mural project um a request for proposals was issued to a

[11:17] directly se selected artist and proposals were received in December and

[11:21] they are currently under review uh by the project stakeholders.

[11:27] This is Parker Reki. The Walapai Canyon Trail Head Environmental Public Art

[11:31] Project. Um, as Commissioner Beiels mentioned, we will be having the

[11:35] proposal presentation on Wednesday, February 4th from 2:00 to 3:30. Um,

[11:40] where we will select the awarded artist.

[11:45] This is Holly Lelay for the record. Justin um actually we had a big move in

[11:51] uh his contract today. So, we're finalizing that with the attorney to get

[11:56] that finally signed and probably changing the date to May of this year

[12:01] for an installation.

[12:05] Uh the medical district projects are moving along. We have this contract with

[12:12] Luis Fella Rico in um uh we're still working on that. He's getting bids and

[12:19] he's almost completed his third bid that he has to get um for legality reasons

[12:24] and then we will be moving forward.

[12:29] And Wayne will be installing next month. The event for this will be on February

[12:35] 20th um from 10 to 11 a.m. if you can make

[12:40] it. Um, currently we have the the pedestal on

[12:45] site and he will be installing that closer to the reception date.

[12:53] This is Mary Sabbo. Um, the Mirabelli Community Center mural project, Find

[12:58] Your Wings by Matthew Murphy, is uh now complete. Um, he wrapped this project up

[13:04] uh in early December and we had an unveiling ceremony. Um definitely go

[13:10] check check out this project uh if you get a chance.

[13:17] » Thank you. That um wraps up our summary of current initiatives. Do any

[13:21] commissioners have any questions? >> This is Commissioner Chi. Um we had

[13:26] decided at previous meetings that we would try to make sure there were

[13:29] commissioners attending these uh launch events and stuff. So is anyone

[13:35] who's going to the February 20th event? I am

[13:41] » Commissioner Churk. I have the one on February 2nd and 20th on my calendar.

[13:47] What's the one on February second? >> It is the waiting um on a light

[13:53] » David Ryan's. >> Okay.

[13:56] » And I'll be at that one too. >> Okay.

[13:59] So, we I noticed that usually in our folder we have a piece of paper that had

[14:05] the dates and stuff. I know this time we don't have it. So um how do we get the

[14:12] » This is Parker or I can provide that commissioner. Thank you.

[14:16] » Thank you. >> And this is Holly Lelay for the record.

[14:19] The event was just scheduled a couple days ago. So we're still working on

[14:23] everything I had to schedule with UNLV because it'll be on their site. So I'll

[14:28] get that stuff out to you guys as soon as I have more finalized stuff.

[14:40] This is Commissioner Cleven. I just want to say thank you to the staff because

[14:43] there's so many projects that are being completed and everything looks

[14:47] wonderful. So, we really appreciate all of your hard work and stewarding the

[14:51] projects forward. I know it's a long long process for many of us. We've seen

[14:56] these processes for for the course of a few years. So, it's great to see them

[15:00] come to fruition.

[15:08] Thank you. And thank you to the amazing staff.

[15:12] And so now we're moving to item number seven, report by cultural affairs staff

[15:18] regarding AM Gateway District in 18B Arts District Project design proposals

[15:25] for various locations or three DS. This is Parker Reki. Um, for this

[15:33] project, our evaluation panel has uh vetted all the proposals and has is

[15:38] confident to showcase it to you folks today. We do have an artist uh in

[15:42] present and he'll be speaking on his behalf. But for all the others, um, I'll

[15:47] be speaking on their behalf. So, let's go.

[15:51] Our first artist is Shan Michael Evans at Industrial in Wyoming.

[15:59] He says, "My design features a series of colorful geometric flowers painted

[16:03] across the utility boxes in an industrial undeveloped area. These

[16:07] stylized flowers bring an intentional burst of vibrancy to a place defined by

[16:11] concrete and dust, creating a visual contrast that is both surprising and

[16:15] positive. Beyond decoration, the work serves as a gesture of transformation, a

[16:20] signal that this area too is part of a living city. The design invites

[16:24] curiosity and their presence reclaimed the space with creativity.

[16:28] If we go back, you can also see his design

[16:32] uh superimposed to the sidewalk here.

[16:39] Next, we have Andrea Pavas at Oki and Las Vegas Boulevard.

[16:45] She says, "Because my utility cabin cab cabinet sits at the entryway at the Las

[16:49] Vegas Arts District, and because Vegas is forever linked to gambling, I think a

[16:53] painting of lemons and cherries, iconic symbols of slot machines, makes

[16:56] delicious sense. The fact that the box sits in front of a restaurant also

[17:00] influenced the food and beverage theme. In terms of the composition, I kept

[17:04] hearing the phrases glass half empty or half full and the cherry on top in my

[17:08] head and thought that dividing the box into separate stacked sections that

[17:12] resemble a glass filled with fruit with the cherries being on top would be a fun

[17:16] way to illustrate those sayings and to play more with the themes of luck and

[17:19] positivity.

[17:25] Next, we have artist Matt Hughes at St. Louis and Las Vegas Boulevard.

[17:31] Matto says, "I focused on animals rendered in my own style. The animals I

[17:36] chose were the redtailed hawk, coyote, mule, deer, and big horn sheep.

[17:41] Embodying characteristics such as perseverance, adaptability, bravery,

[17:44] strength, and wisdom. These creatures do not represent the desert ecosystem. They

[17:49] also, excuse me, they do not only represent the desert ecosystem, but they

[17:53] act as mirrors of human character, reminding us of the resil resiliency and

[17:57] beauty within ourselves." He's also included plants for the

[18:02] smaller electrical box, the Mojave Yaka, desert marolds barrel cactus, and the

[18:07] beavertail prickly pear cactus.

[18:11] [snorts]

[18:16] Next, we have artist Samir Asani speaking on his design.

[18:25] » So, my art piece is on St. Louis and Paradise. It's pretty close to the

[18:29] gateway arches. So, I really wanted to make sure I incorporated those elements.

[18:33] So, I wanted to use a bright pallet so has contrast from a far distance. I

[18:38] wanted to have the gateway arches with the car driving under it. Um, on the

[18:43] sides, I wanted to incorporate the Strat as well as a showgirl gesturing towards

[18:47] the Strat. Um, I wanted to incorporate Las Vegas elements like gaming symbols,

[18:51] cards, poker chips, diamonds, all that kind of stuff. Um, I want to use bright

[18:57] colors and um have something that has a lot of contrast.

[19:04] » Thank you. >> Thank you.

[19:10] » Next, we have Bonnie Kelso at Bob Stupac in Las Vegas Boulevard.

[19:15] She says, "This mural series for my utility cabinets along Las Vegas

[19:19] Boulevard explores themes of whimsy and nature and concealment. Each cabinet is

[19:23] transformed into a faceless monochromatic aven creature rendered in

[19:27] bright vivid hues. The largest box painted in pink represents a maternal

[19:32] figure followed by four smaller chicks each showcasing their individuality

[19:36] through color. The flowing feathers guide them towards the art district

[19:39] symbolizing movement, identity, and purpose.

[19:55] Next we have Nathaniel Benjamin at California A and Commerce. Now we're

[20:01] moving into the arts district.

[20:05] He states, "The two larger cabinets shows the shoes of people from different

[20:08] walks of life. The top of the cabinet shows stars in space extending onto the

[20:12] sides like legs into each of the shoes. In a similar way, the other larger

[20:17] cabinet shows the texture of earth also extending into its respective shoes. The

[20:21] smaller cabinet says many feet one path across the two sides facing towards the

[20:26] intersection. Another side shows a shape reminiscent of a spiral or thumbrint.

[20:30] The final a circle of people holding hands and on top is the symbol of an

[20:34] atom. He is hoping to form a sense of

[20:38] connection and represent a diverse cast of characters including small details

[20:42] that tell a little bit of their stories.

[20:49] Chala Escobar has a box on California A at Kasa Dan Juan.

[20:56] [snorts] [clears throat] She states being located

[20:59] near that restaurant whose atmosphere celebrates Mexican culture and the art

[21:02] of Freda Kalo. She wants to pay tribute to Latin art and culture designed by

[21:08] Loaria cards, the beloved bingo game played across many generations and parts

[21:12] of Latin America. She selected the iconic symbols of El Corazone and La

[21:18] Cala Vera and the duality of existence prominent in Latin American culture.

[21:26] She also has a box a few boxes um on California a at ers

[21:34] and [clears throat] here she honors the importance of storytelling by depicting

[21:37] a continuous fantasy landscape that focuses on a young heroine's journey.

[21:47] Next we have artist Miguel Hernandez on California A. [snorts]

[21:52] He states, "I came up with this concept for my love of flowers, nature, and

[21:55] realism through art, and would like the opportunity to paint the boxes to look

[21:59] like 3D barrel cactus plants with various and vibrant flowers on top.

[22:05] He has a series of four boxes.

[22:11] Next, [snorts] we have artist Giovani Uronda entitled Sweet Treats on

[22:15] California AV at You Are Me." He says, "These are my first murals on an

[22:19] electric box." And he wanted to do something fun, light, and happy. The

[22:22] artwork focuses on themes of clowns because they bring joy and remind people

[22:27] to be silly and clown around. He believes that anyone who sees this work

[22:30] should be able to have fun and get in touch with their inner child.

[22:39] And lastly, we have artist Mila May on California at Mscala.

[22:43] [snorts] She states, "The proposed designs

[22:46] transform an ordinary utility cabinet into a playful reflection of downtown

[22:50] Las Vegas. Vibrant and full of energy, it connects to an environment by

[22:54] imagining what might be happening inside these mysterious boxes, turning function

[22:58] into fantasy. The design blends circuit board-like platter patterns and smiling

[23:03] faces, revealing an imagined inner world.

[23:10] I also wanted to add a final thank you to our evaluation panelists,

[23:14] Commissioner Vonbastians, Ido, Yur Uturalde,

[23:19] La Wilcox, Stacia Fiser, and David David Renan.

[23:24] Thank you. Does anyone have any questions?

[23:32] » Thank you so much. We're going to move forward with item number eight, obeyance

[23:37] item, discussion for possible action regarding the purchase of enriched

[23:42] heritage by Adalfo Gonzalez located at 1300C street

[23:48] not to exceed $35,000 of the percent for the arts fund ward five summers

[23:55] Armstrong. >> Hi, this is Laura Machado for the

[23:59] record. Um, as you may remember from our last meeting, um, at the last arts

[24:05] commission meeting, we're proposing the purchase of Enriched Heritage by Adelfa

[24:09] Gonzalez. I'll just give a little recap. The sculpture was originally installed

[24:14] in January 2024, part of the contemporary public art project. The

[24:19] installation was initially planned for one year. That was extended for an

[24:23] additional year. That loan period ends this month. So, we're bringing it to the

[24:28] arts commission for discussion and possible action to purchase this

[24:34] sculpture. So, we had a few questions at the last meeting and we've addressed

[24:38] those questions. Um, the first was regarding maintenance.

[24:44] A condition report was completed in December. We did determine there were

[24:49] very few minor rust issues. So the artist went out, cleaned the sculpture

[24:56] and repainted those rust areas. Um, so all of the issues that were discovered

[25:02] have been resolved and it has been cleaned.

[25:08] Uh, there was another question about ongoing care. The annual maintenance

[25:13] will be minimal. It will consist of cleaning with soap and water followed by

[25:18] drying with a cloth. If there are any issues regarding um any rust or open um

[25:26] spaces where there's been a chip of the paint, we'll reach out to Adulo and

[25:30] he'll address those issues. One of the other questions was regarding

[25:35] the structural stability. So this sculptures foundation and the

[25:40] anchorage was approved and designed by a Nevada licensed engineer that the city

[25:45] hired when this piece was installed. Uh the anchorage is rated to last more than

[25:50] 10 years and there's no additional support that's needed.

[25:54] Uh and then the final question was do we need to do anything to make sure that

[25:59] it's protected from the weather. So currently it has a durable automotive

[26:05] grade paint and at this time there's no additional weathering protection that

[26:11] need we need to require but we will do an we do an inventory every year and

[26:16] we'll make an assessment if there is anything that comes up that we need to

[26:20] address. Uh we don't anticipate any additional maintenance beyond the

[26:24] standard annual cleaning. Um the artist has been really wonderful to work with.

[26:31] He's very responsive and the business owner would really like for this to say.

[26:37] So staff recommends uh acquiring this into the city's public

[26:42] art collection, but it's up for you for further discussion. I'm happy to answer

[26:45] any questions.

[26:49] » Would anyone like to make a motion to purchase the enriched heritage

[26:54] installation? >> Ch. This commissioner Gotti, I would

[26:58] make that motion. Commissioner Churk second.

[27:05] » Is there any discussion? >> I This is Commissioner Churk. I just

[27:09] want to say thank you so much for doing the due diligence and making sure that

[27:13] we're very confident in making this purchase. Thank you.

[27:18] » This is Commissioner Cleven. Um I just wanted to note that this is in an area

[27:23] that has been disinvested for a long time. And so by the city really

[27:29] realizing that this is a great location for temporary artwork and now

[27:32] programming it with permanent, I think it really puts a stamp on this as an

[27:36] important community space and also reinvest in the community. So I

[27:40] appreciate that we're having this discussion.

[27:45] » If there's no further discussion, I would like to call for a vote. All in

[27:49] favor? I

[27:52] » I

[27:57] » All opposed.

[28:00] » The vote carries.

[28:05] Item number nine, discussion for possible action regarding the acceptance

[28:09] of a donation of artworks titled Ruby's pool parking lot pano hammer pano and

[28:16] Liberace by Linda Altruits into the city's permanent artwork collection no

[28:22] fiscal impact all wards. This is Laura Machado again for the

[28:29] record. So, in the process of conducting our annual inventory, we located these

[28:36] four pieces that have been on loan with the city and this loan has expired. When

[28:42] I reached out to the artist, Linda Ultrawitz,

[28:45] she suggested or recommended offered a generous donation to um offer these

[28:52] pieces into the city's permanent art collection.

[28:56] There's no fiscal impact associated with this donation. They are two-dimensional

[29:01] pieces in good quality. There's no additional maintenance that's required

[29:05] or conservation. They were installed on the seventh floor. They have been

[29:09] removed for that room to be rehabbed and I believe there is a location on the

[29:15] fourth floor that is open for these pieces in the finance department that

[29:19] really appreciates photography. So, um, based on your discussion and possible

[29:25] vote, staff recommends, uh, accepting this donation, but I'll leave it up to

[29:30] your discussion and happy to answer any questions.

[29:37] Would anyone like to make a motion to to accept the donation of artworks titled

[29:43] Ruby's pool, parking lot pano, hammer pano, and Liberace by Linda Alterits

[29:49] into the city's permanent artwork collection with no fiscal impact.

[29:53] » This is Commissioner Ch make that motion to accept the donation.

[29:58] » Commissioner Port second it. >> Thank you. The move the motion has been

[30:03] properly seconded. Now I will for the vote. All in favor?

[30:10] » I >> I

[30:12] » I

[30:18] motion passes. Thank you.

[30:25] Item number 10, discussion regarding topics for future agenda items. Comments

[30:30] made during this portion of the agenda by individual members shall refer solely

[30:35] to proposals for future agenda items and any discussion shall be limited to

[30:40] whether or not such proposed items are within the purview of the commission and

[30:45] or whether such proposed items shall be placed on a future agenda.

[30:50] No discussion regarding the substance of any proposed topic shall occur and no

[30:55] action shall be taken. Are there any

[31:01] uh future agenda items? >> This is Commissioner Portoi. Um I was

[31:07] contacted by a couple artists in the district about the RA uh raised prices

[31:14] of parking and the inconvenience. I don't know whether that comes under our

[31:18] jurisdiction. Probably not. But at least I want to

[31:22] just bring it up for discussion if possible at a future date.

[31:29] This is Commissioner Cleven. It doesn't fall under our jurisdiction, but we

[31:33] could ask for a report from parking services.

[31:38] We could always ask.

[31:43] Thank you. Is there anyone else?

[31:49] Thank you. We'll move to item number 11, citizens participation. Public comment

[31:55] during this portion of the agenda must be limited to matters within the

[31:59] jurisdiction of the commission. No subject may act be acted upon by the

[32:04] commission unless that subject is on the agenda and is scheduled for action. If

[32:09] you wish to be heard, come forward and give your name for the record. The

[32:13] amount of discussion on any single subject as well as the amount of time

[32:18] any single speaker is allowed may be limited.

[32:24] Okay. Well, if there is no one else to comment,

[32:31] I adjourn this meeting. Item number 12, adjournment. Thank you for your time

[32:37] today, everyone.

CLV 01-15-2026 Arts Commission Meeting

Transcript