The Mission Las Vegas

by Kristen Peterson, Las Vegas Sun

Downtown offers a lot, but people will still wonder, ‘What if …’

When word spread a few months ago that the Pinball Hall of Fame would be moving to a spot across the street from the Liberace Museum, the responses were similar:

“How perfect. Two American pop culture venues within a reasonable proximity of each other.”

“The Star Trek Experience should move over there.”

“Revive the Elvis museum, plop it down. Clustered together, we’d have synergy, a place where unique local attractions aren’t 20 strip malls apart.”

Why stop there?

Wouldn’t it be something if the city’s contemporary galleries, artist studios and boutique stores were clustered in one area? Add a coffee shop, a book store, maybe a restaurant and, wow, imagine the possibilities. All the elements are there. Just put them in one place and call it an arts district. The city could invest a little money and designate the area, create lamp post banners, invite business and gallery owners into the storefront spaces and work with them on permits.

There’s the Aerial Gallery that runs along Las Vegas Boulevard downtown. Why not move it to Charleston between Main Street and Las Vegas Boulevard?

That would say so much. People would realize that life is stirring within those seemingly dilapidated buildings, that something is going on. Marketing is everything, you know.

But would it work? Hard to say.

Vegas has an arts district, but it is shabby and fragmented. Within its 18 blocks, the district has a cluster of antique shops, a vintage furniture store (Retro Vegas) full of midcentury modern goodies culled mostly from Las Vegas homes, a Mexican restaurant, the Contemporary Arts Center, Trifecta Gallery, a yoga studio, low-rent artist studios and art and design businesses. Paymon’s Mediterranean Bistro opened this week in the Arts Factory, where Valentino’s Zootsuit Connection, which sells glamour vintage clothing, will relocate. Up the street from the Arts Factory is the Fremont Entertainment District, home to Beauty Bar, the Downtown Cocktail Room and the Don’t Tell Mama piano bar. Around the corner from there is Henri & Odette, a gallery and coffee shop, next to a neighborhood grocery store.

On paper, downtown Las Vegas is rich with culture. Galleries open and close, and that will continue. So will the conversations on how to build and keep momentum in the arts, and the battles with the city on permits and codes. There is the endless sputtering of “if only.”

“If only there were a bar in the arts district …”

“If only there were a coffee shop …”

“If only people would leave their homes and not just on the closing night of a gallery or to go to the downtown First Friday festival …”

Unfortunately we lost some great galleries and boutiques in the area. But Paymon’s and Valentino’s should draw some foot traffic.

How perfect.

If only the Onyx Theatre, home to alternative, original and absurdist plays and dance events, could move into the arts district, then things would take off — especially with the Samuel Beckett Festival happening each year in the Mission Building behind the Arts Factory.

If only people knew they could eat lunch on a Saturday at Paymon’s or Casa Don Juan, then walk across the street to Retro Vegas, then to Gypsy Caravan antiques, then walk up Colorado Avenue to the Arts Factory and look at exhibits at Trifecta Gallery and the Contemporary Arts Center. Wouldn’t that be great?

After that they could get in their cars (because that’s what we do best) and drive over to Henri & Odette for coffee or any one of the new local taverns for a drink.

How perfect.

Source: lasvegassun.com