Bleeding Neon

Illustration by Michael Todoran

Place Gallery is a scrappy, homespun art gallery and artist studio run by one of my oldest friends, the awesome Gina Quaranto. In recent months, Place, located on Main Street across from the S2 Art Center, has become a favorite among the local underground/low brow/outcast art scene, hosting multiple shows every month, with epic First Friday receptions including artisans, live music, libations and more. It’s technically the first gallery in which I’ve ever formally shown art (in the LVSK8 IV group show). And, sadly, it’s become a victim of multiple factors threatening to crush its already delicate existence.

This summer, the building housing Place has had power and air conditioning problems — not something that a business in the Las Vegas summer can endure. Then, a few weeks ago, an exploding electrical transformer rocked Main Street, damaging businesses for blocks, including Place, which is now missing several window and door panes. The gallery has been temporarily closed due to the conditions, and while insurance will cover replacement of the glass, it won’t do so without a steep $5,000 deductible, which Place just doesn’t have in pocket.

Art Renegades, the collective that organized LVSK8 IV, is moving the skateboard art show temporarily to Todd VonBaastian’s Alios Gallery, a few blocks south of Place at 1221 S. Main St., where a second reception for the group show will be held this Friday. At the same time, a fund-raising event is being held at Alios for Place, called “Picking Up The Pieces.” Details are still being worked out, but there will be some sort of art auction, raffle prizes, bake sale and other fun stuff to raise funds for Place — whether it’s to pay for repairs to the existing location, or help pay for the gallery to move somewhere less volatile.

I donated five of the Giant Robot prints (as seen in my online store) for the art auction, as well as a complete set of comics from Pop! Goes the Icon (including The Utopian #1-3 and Omega Comics Presents #1-2), and I’ll be down there for the benefit auction/reception as well. It starts at 6:30 p.m., and I highly recommend you come down and toss in a few bucks. Great deals on locally grown art can be had. And you can see the monstrosity I painted on a skateboard deck as well.

If you can’t make it to the event, donations are being accepted online as well.

In the midst of blazing through drawing Utopian pages to get a month or so ahead, so I can focus on other projects that are about to take over, including another feature for Seven and a new comic anthology. And lunch.

Oh, wanna ask me probing questions anonymously (or otherwise)? There’s an app for that.

One of Las Vegas’ most in-demand photographers — and one of the nicest guys I know — is Erik Kabik. In addition to being everywhere in town, shooting red carpets and VIP events for wire photo service RETNA, Erik is also the house photographer for the Hard Rock Hotel, a post he’s earned thanks to years of shooting live music. I’ve been lucky enough to have Erik’s concert imagery accompany multiple features I’ve written for HRH magazine.

To celebrate 20 years of shooting concerts, Erik’s favorite concert photos will be on display at the Mandarin Bar on the 23rd floor of the Mandarin Oriental hotel at CityCenter on Monday, May 17. If you get a chance, stop by the reception from 6 to 8 p.m., where long-time Vegas DJ Shoe will be spinning the tunes while Ty Ku provides complimentary cocktails.

Erik’s subjects on display will include The Grateful Dead, Jay-Z, Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews, Madonna and much more. If you’re a fan of music or photography, I highly recommend checking out his work.

We have found the way to the art ...

As I self-promoted in at least one or two places last week, my Friday evening was spent manning a table outside the Funk House at the corner of Casino Center Boulevard and Colorado Avenue, attempting to sell comics and pop art to the masses at First Friday. Despite having a location on the south side of the building (meaning I was facing away from all of the Casino Center action) and often being mistaken for part of the adjacent First Friday info table, it actually went somewhat better than expected. Though I didn’t sell as much art as I’d hoped (four prints and one set of postcards), I did a decent amount of comics – surely helped by the three-for-10-dollars deal I was offering on The Utopian.*

To be honest, I actually sold almost as much in four hours on a street in Downtown Las Vegas as I did in two full days at Emerald City Comicon in Seattle – and unlike the nearly $1000 trip to Seattle, the table at First Friday cost me nothing. Not sure what that portends, but there it is.

It helped that the weather was absolutely perfect – a rare day without wind – and the crowds were phat. I’m actually a little sad I missed cruising the art walk that night, but I did get a chance to preview most (but definitely not all) of the new shows that opened this week on Thursday night, including new works by Gina Quaranto and Peter Mengert at Place Gallery, and a mind-blowing exhibit by Philip Denker at Trifecta Gallery.

I may do the First Friday vendor thing again, though not until the fall. But stay tuned for upcoming First Friday appearances that may be more … wall-worthy.

*A number of people have inquired about obtaining the prints offered during First Friday, specifically “The Best at What He Does (Knitting Wolverine)” and “Giant Robot.” If you’re interested in either, just drop me an e-mail and we’ll work it out.