of the
Arts+ Leisure
A N d r e a n a D o n a h u e : C h r i s to p h e r Sm i t h ; P O P U P A RT HOUSE : M a r c o s R i v e r a P h oto g r ap h y
Best emerging artist Andreana Donohue gives good art. Since closing Main Gallery in 2009, Donohue has quietly and diligently established herself as one of Las Vegas’ best and hardest-working artists. Donohue’s rigorous craftsmanship re-imagines the humblest of materials into humor-tinged snapshots of nature, sublime and struggling. Consider last winter’s intricately cut plain paper that transformed the Winchester Gallery into a billowing white wall of clouds. Or a recent contribution to the Government Center’s “10 x 10,” a spooky black tree straight from the pages of the Brothers Grimm. Donohue’s ambitious work is charmingly whimsical, a little bit decorative and a whole lot smart. — Danielle Kelly
Best hope for the art scene 2012 promises the opening of three brand new cultural institutions anchoring downtown Las Vegas: The Mob Museum, The Neon Museum (disclosure: I’m the chief operating officer), and The Smith Center. Apart from providing fabulous new destinations for local and visiting cultural tourists, the implications for the immediate area are huge. Folks will need something to do with their time in between
seeing all those Broadway shows and sawed-off shot-guns and neon signs, something other than penny slots. Let’s hope it’s more galleries and cafes, and maybe even a — gasp — bookstore. Downtown could blossom into an urban cultural oasis. My fingers are crossed. Now about that art museum ... — D.K.
Pop Up Art House's "Transfigured Lands" show
Best Art Gallery
Best director When the play “Hellcab” pulled into Las Vegas Little Theatre at the end of 2010, few suspected that its near-perfect staging marked the beginning of an exceptional run by director Troy Heard. This year, he demonstrated a temperament that encompassed postmodern drollery (“Thom Pain”), high camp (“Theodora, She-Bitch of Byzantium”), black farce (“That Atrocious Tradition,” presented as part of the first-ever “Fearophilia” festival) and capped these achievements with a blood-curdling, immersive staging of Jennifer Haley’s cyber-horror drama, “Neighborhood III: Requisition
Pop Up Art House What isn’t there to love about The Pop Up Art House? This grand white space with ample room for ambitious work of any scale is serious about bringing serious art to Las Vegas. Proudly plopped down smack dab in the middle of industrial Henderson, it is also accessible and completely down to earth. Open less than a year, PUAH and its owner/director Shannon McMackin have courageously exhibited work that is usually good, sometimes great, but always committed to expanding the local art dialogue with fresh perspectives and new ideas. PUAH is art food for the brain. — Danielle Kelly 730 W. Sunset Road, www.thepopuparthouse.com
Reader’s Choice
Poetry guru
I nominate A.J. Moyer as best poetry organizer. He organizes the slams that send a team representing Las Vegas to the National Poetry Slam. He books features for them that include a killer lineup of some of the best performance poets in the country. You can also catch him hosting Talky Trees, a free arts festival at the Arts Factory. The man has a passion for this art form that fuels his dedication to the Vegas scene. There wouldn’t be half as much going on for poets in this city without the guy. — Randall Reynolds
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