Mural project paints the town radiant

Mayor, kids kick off city's centennial celebration

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman called it the most fun he's had since being elected.

Such was the atmosphere at the Oct. 19 launching of the City of 100 Murals project at Lied Discovery Children's Museum.

Goodman, joined by a group of Wynn Elementary fourth-graders, donned a Home Depot apron and started slapping green paint on a large outline of Las Vegas landmarks to kick off the 100-mural program that will help commemorate the city's Centennial next year.

Home Depot donated $23,000 in supplies to help create the murals -- some temporary, some permanent -- that will be placed in schools and community gathering places around the valley.

The museum will house the project's first mural, depicting Spanish explorer Rafael Rivera's early 1820s visit to Las Vegas. UNLV art student Erin Stellmon will design and paint the mural. Other mural themes include the city's historic Helldorado Days rodeo and the Las Vegas Thunderbirds.

"We are so proud that one of the largest, most significant public art initiatives in our community is part of the Centennial celebration," Goodman said. "What better way to commemorate our 100th birthday than to document our history with art?"

Dozens of schools have already volunteered to house murals. So has the Laborers' International Union Local 872, which will display a mural depicting the history of labor in Las Vegas, and the Las Vegas Premium Outlets, which will display a mural of Las Vegas-inspired hats. A publication outlining self-guided tours of murals will be published as part of the program.

Dale Erquiaga, chairman of the Centennial Working Group, agreed that public art is a perfect way to commemorate the Centennial.

"The arts historically have a tradition of capturing and chronicling the cultural events of a community," he said.

The Centennial committee seeks more artists to create murals, as well as business owners willing to house them. Murals can vary in size, be interior or exterior and range from painted, tiled or projected, as long as they reflect a Centennial theme. A workshop is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 13 at 300 E. Charleston Boulevard for those interested in participating in the program.

The Centennial is a yearlong celebration meant to pay tribute to the people, places and events that helped shape Las Vegas history, and will include hundreds of events throughout 2005. The celebration will kick off on New Year's Eve. Other Centennial art initiatives include projects by the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Nevada Ballet Theater and the Rainbow Company. For more information, visit www.lasvegas2005.org.


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