BLVDS LV 56 "Culture" July/Sept 2016

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THE Cul ture ISSUE COMMUNITY DISCOVERY Children’s Museum celebrates its 25th anniversary.

ARTS BLVDS presents your goto guide for the best in this season’s cultural events.

LIFESTYLE Lamar Marchese experiences Peru on land and river — 600 miles of the Amazon!

FLAVOR Chef Sam Marvin offers up his thoughts on what inspires him to cook.

EXPLORING DOWNTOWN LAS VEGAS

The ADVENTURIST GUIDE aims to bring out the explorer in you. Get to know the individuals, businesses, entrepreneurs who have “bet it all” on downtown to create an incomparable urban experience for everyone. A complete map to look up restaurants that satisfy your culinary cravings.

Shop the stores that offer novel fashions paired with great customer service.

Experience the unique nightlife. Beautify your environment with art that amuses and delights. Be an adventurist!

Print and web advertising opportunities contact Jan@BLVDSLV.com | 702.386.6065

TO FIND A ADVERTURIST GUIDE PICK UP LOCATION GO TO ADVENTURISTGUIDE.COM

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PUBLISHER’S LETTER will help drive additional revenues and help create more interest in the arts by bringing residents and attracting visitors to our city to be part of this new industry. The list goes on and on. How unbelievably exciting this is, and could you have imagined this 10 years ago.

I was talking with a friend a few months ago who was very frustrated with where Las Vegas was on its cultural path. He was upset that our city didn’t yet have an art museum of record and at how the arts district was struggling.

I listened patiently then quietly asked, “Can you remember what Las Vegas was like culturally 10 years ago?”

I heard that heavy sigh of recall followed by the lightbulb going off in his head as he remembered what 10 years meant and did in this little/big town. Las Vegas is moving forward at a fast pace, and keeping that perspective in mind will get you ready for what’s to come!

On top of all of the cultural and intellectual growth (The Smith Center, five colleges, three medical schools, one law school, one dental school, and so on), we have also had the recent addition of Faraday and Hyperloop in North Las Vegas which will be a portal to bring more high tech into our valley.

Our city is on the verge of another milestone—having our own professional hockey team, and we have the growing possibility of being home to our very own NFL team. These sports franchises Copyright 2016 by BLVDS, Inc., all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission from BLVDS, Inc. Every effort was made to ensure the accuracy of the information

This issue of BLVDS, our annual Cultural Guide, is full of great stories about the 2016-2017 season. Included in this issue are the Season Calendar of events for the upcoming year (including everything from The Smith Center to The Nevada School of the Arts and more). You will find so much to do in our little town.

That said, all of us get frustrated occasionally because of how we want our town to be… a world class cultural city with the best of everything. But, if the last 10 years are an indicator of what we can become and accomplish, the world better watch out. Here we come!

Enjoy!

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Jan Craddock | President & Publisher Chris Cutler | Managing Editor Temple Kinyon | Editorial Assistant Victoria Hart | Creative Director Lorri Payton | Director of Sales ShaRhonda Ramos | Account Executive Danielle Matera | Web Design Cube Ruiz | Circulation Editorial Board Brian Paco Alvarez Mauricia Baca Ron Comings Jennifer Cornet Kendall Hardin Charlene Herst Nancy Higgins LuAnn Kutch

Rob McCoy Julie Murray Willie Robinson Jason Roth Sydni Sayles Kimberly Trueba Stephanie Youngblood

Contributing Writers Jan Craddock Chris Cutler Laura Henkel Temple Kinyon Lea Lumba Lamar Marchese Jeanette Schneider Brianna Soloski Contributing Photographers Chris Cutler Victoria Hart Lamar Marchese Barbie Schwartz Analyst and Archivist Nancy Lee Craddock

The Cover

Members of the Las Vegas Philharmonic make music in the Boneyard at the Neon Museum. Photo courtesy of the Las Vegas Philharmonic Orchestra. in this publication, however, BLVDS, Inc. assumes no responsibility for errors, changes, or omissions. BLVDS, Inc. accepts editorial and photography submissions. Send all submissions to: editor@blvdslv.com.

BLVDS fans: Let us know what you think! facebook.com/blvdslv email editor@blvdslv.com call 702.386.6065 twitter.com/blvdslv go to blvdslv.com pinterest.com/blvdslv

mail 840 S. Rancho Drive Las Vegas, NV 89106

@blvdslv blvdslv.tumblr.com

The Culture Issue | July - September 2016 | 3

CONTRIBUTORS

“Don’t think.

Jan Craddock is a native Las Vegan and a graduate of UNLV. In addition to serving as president and CEO of BLVDS Magazine, Jan balances life as a wife, mother, daughter, and sister. When she finds time to breathe, she enjoys spending time on a beach or taking long walks.

Temple Kinyon moved to Las Vegas 13 years ago after enjoying life in rural Idaho. Embracing the diverse setting Las Vegas offered, she has settled into her freelance writing life, pursuing both fiction and non-fiction.

When she’s not writing, Temple creates with paper, paint, fabric and ink, and adores adventures with her husband and her ferociously funny bulldog.

Brianna Soloski works in communications at the University of Nevada, Reno and owns a freelance writing business. An avid reader and writer, she’s self-published on Amazon.

When she’s not working, you’ll find her with a book in hand. While she’s got her sights set on the fundraising/PR/marketing industry, for now she enjoys doing a little bit of everything.

Lamar Marchese is a 44 year resident of Las Vegas and the founder and retired general manager of Nevada Public Radio.

Since retirement, he has turned from the ear to the eye as a travel and street photographer. He and Pat are now Florivadans, spending half the year at their beach house and the other half in Las Vegas. They just completed a around the world cruise celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

Thinking is

the enemy of creativity.

It’s self-

conscious, and anything

self-conscious is lousy.

You can’t try to do Laura Henkel believes that arts and culture are essential to creating an even greater community and improving our quality of life. She is the founder of ArtCulture PR, Sin City Gallery, and 12 Inches of Sin. Her background consists of foundation and corporate leadership experience in varied settings, content specialties, and she has traveled around the globe.

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Chris Cutler Chris Cutler holds an MFA in creative writing from Murray State University (KY). She belongs to several national and international writers’ associations, edits, teaches memoir and grammar, writes, keeps her husband and dog in line, and travels to Italy as often as she can. Follow her on coldpastaandredwine.com and @coldpastaredwine.

Lea Lumba is a copywriter in constant search for any form of creativity that life has to offer. She enjoys museums, wine tastings, crafts, and she is a selfdescribed fashionista and gastronome who subscribes to the motto “Never stop learning.”

Jeanette Schneider loves to write and negotiate with her very busy four-year old when not concentrating on her career in finance. Active in the community, she enjoys opportunities to marry her passion for Las Vegas with her love for the art of storytelling. She also blogs and has included “sell manuscript” to her Top Ten Things To Do Before I Die list.

things. You

simply must do things” – Ray

B radbury

C O N T E N T S | BLVDS LAS VEGAS | NO. 56 | July - September 2016

THE Culture ISSUE COMMUNITY

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Lacing Up Her Pointe Shoes A child ballerina grows up to head the Nevada Ballet Theatre.

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SPOTLIGHT: From Banking to Broadway Tim Hanlon, former Wells Fargo Bank executive, steps in as Vice President of Development and Sponsorships at the Smith Center.

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Diversity in the Arts Donato Cabrera discusses connecting underrepresented communities to the arts.

Cultural Collaboration The Utah Shakespeare Festival gets a new theater that will improve both the actor and patron experience.

LIFESTYLE

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Celebrating Children The DISCOVERY Children’s Museum celebrates its 25th year of educating area students.

Amazon to Andes to Amazing Las Vegans find that Macchu Picchu is beautiful, but Peru offers so much more.

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Dia de Muertos We’re planning a special issue to celebrate this very special October day.

ARTS

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Nexus of Creativity From vintage neon to a contemporary constellation, James Stanford forms Photomontages from colorful photographs.

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Idaho!

The new musical with Las Vegas ties gives Las Vegans the chance to see Idaho! before it heads to Broadway.

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15 Years and Still Reading The 15th Annual Vegas Valley Book Festival welcomes notable authors of all genres.

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The BLVDS B-List Let us introduce you to places and products you have to try this summer.

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FLAVOR

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Fusing Flavors: An Interview With Chef Sam Marvin The creative force behind Echo & Rig talks to us about food.

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IMHO Culture Shine in Las Vegas Rob McCoy, the new CEO of the Neon Museum, is excited about the cultural growth of Las Vegas.

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Expanding Your Tastebuds Experience different cultures through their foods by checking out these 10 area restaurants.

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2016 Season of the Arts Event Calendar

The Culture Issue | July - September 2016 | 5

Community

Nevada Ballet Theatre Finale of the 2016 Future Dance

COMMUNITY

LACING UP HER

POINTE SHOES N

evada Ballet Theatre has been bringing the wonder and beauty of ballet to Las Vegas for almost 45 years. Leading the charge for the last 10 has been Executive Director and CEO Beth Barbre.

Beth started dancing at age three and almost immediately discovered her passion for the field. After obtaining her undergraduate degree at University of the South, she went on to NYU for a Masters in Performance Management, which led

2014 A Choreographers’ Showcase. Photo by Virginia Trudeau

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From childhood ballerina to CEO of Nevada Ballet Theatre Written by Brianna Soloski

to a job at Lincoln Center. She believes landing at Nevada Ballet, whose Summerlin offices and teaching space are named after Donald W. Reynolds, was fate. While at Lincoln Center, Beth worked with Nancy Reynolds, who danced with the NYC Ballet and created the George Balanchine Foundation. When Beth arrived at her new job in Las Vegas, she saw the Reynolds’s name on the building and wondered if there was a connection.

A quick call to her former boss Barbara Hogan, founding trustee of the George Balanchine Trust, confirmed Nancy was Donald’s

daughter. “I took this as a sign joining Nevada Ballet Theatre was definitely in the stars.”

As leader of the organization, Beth believes the entire company is strong for four important reasons: artistic excellence, audience development, education, and financial stability. A major turning point in improving the ballet’s artistic excellence came when The Smith Center opened in 2012 and it became a resident company. The ballet performs their shows in Reynolds Hall, “…a space that allows us to achieve the full potential of our art form,” said Beth.

Audience development and education are two important pillars of the Theatre’s foundation. The Theatre has a thriving academy that has engaged more than 400 children in the art of ballet and other dance forms. The Theatre and Beth, in particular, are passionate about bringing “…the joy of dance into young people’s lives and have invested heavily in dance education.”

Their highly regarded Education and Outreach Program, Future Dance, provides more than 20,000 Clark County students with access to the arts each year. “I am particularly proud of our impact on young people in our community. There is a huge need for what we have to offer and I would like to double our reach in the coming years.”

it happen in such a beautiful environment. “We made history together. The production marked the very first and only time this magnificent work has been performed by three different ballet companies on one stage. It was one of the highlights of my career, and I’m extremely proud of our role producing this extraordinary performance.”

She’s pleased with where the arts and culture scene is headed in Las Vegas and believes The Smith Center will be an important stimulus. “I expect the ballet and the philharmonic to thrive, and I hope we will see more investment in local dramatic theatre and opera. With our strong visual arts and music scene, Las Vegas has the potential to be an international center of creativity.”

For Beth, overseeing the Nevada Ballet Theatre is truly a dream come true, and she can’t imagine doing anything else in any other city.

It’s not only students they’re trying to reach. It’s as important to have audience and community members feel a sense of engagement with the Theatre’s programs. The ballet collaborates with Cirque du Soleil to put on A Choreographer’s Showcase annually, and they want to add more programs in the future.

Financial stability for any arts program can be trying, especially during rough economic times when arts are generally the first thing to get cut. While it’s difficult to discuss the financial aspects of such a huge undertaking, Beth says, “The goal is to support our artistic and educational mission while ensuring we have a sustainable financial model. So, it is a creative and business challenge, which I enjoy.”

Beth’s proudest moment was collaborating with Ballet West and Pacific Northwest Ballet to perform George Balanchine’s Jewels for the company’s opening season at The Smith Center. Doing so had long been a dream of hers, and she’s thrilled to have seen

The Culture Issue | July - September 2016 | 9

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

FROM BANKING TO BROADWAY Tim Hanlon steps into new role at The Smith Center

Written by Brianna Soloski

im Hanlon, The Smith Center’s Vice President of Development and Sponsorships, didn’t dream of a career in theater; instead he started out as a typist at Wells Fargo in 1980. After 35 years with the company, he retired in 2015 as President of the Wells Fargo Foundation and Executive Vice President of the bank. He ended up in Las Vegas via Ohio and California, after the glitz and glamour of San Francisco and Los Angeles.

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He’d been retired for a year, “and it was great fun,” Tim said, when Myron Martin, The Smith Center’s President and CEO called to offer him his dream job—heading up Development. “It was just too much for me to resist. I couldn’t be happier here.”

Tim and his team make sure programs, education, and outreach at The Smith Center are fully funded. “There’s a gap of about 25 percent between ticket sales and the funds we need each year— my team helps fill that gap,” he said.

While the work can be fun, it’s not always easy. Tim’s job is making sure The Smith Center will be around for future generations by focusing on its current patrons. “I want to be sure students walk through the doors to see a matinee or participate in a production on stage themselves. I want to do everything I can to help ensure in-school programs continue to thrive, to help make sure our patrons’ future experiences here are the first class experiences they enjoy today.”

Nothing beats the arts and culture scene in Tim’s new hometown, despite the fact that he lived in LA and San Francisco—cities that are home to some amazing Broadway productions themselves. According to Tim, Vegas has any sort of production a person could want, from big splashy shows to traditional and experimental theater.

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Although the job might seem routine, Tim says it’s far from it.

Each day he finds something new and exciting that inspires and motivates him to preserve The Smith Center’s vibrant environment.

He loves when students come from schools around the Valley to see a matinee. He loves welcoming the excited, eager kids, but his favorite time is before the doors open for a performance. “I often stand on the mezzanine level, overlooking the lobby. The quiet lobby, empty except for ushers heading to their stations, comes alive with a low murmur and then excited voices, laughter, and conversation. Watching The Smith Center come alive is deeply inspiring for me.”

For Tim, Las Vegas feels like home. After visiting in 2013, he promptly made plans to move and hasn’t looked back once, nor can he imagine living anywhere else. “Las Vegas is a jewel, unlike any other metropolitan area. It’s all right here.”

“SPARKLING, FRESH AND LIVELY.” – Los Angeles Times

Grace. Strength. Artistry.

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SEASON

COMMUNITY

CELEBRATING

CHILDREN

The DISCOVERY Children’s Museum Written by Jeanette Schneider

celebrates 25 years of educating our valley’s children.

as Vegas’s community gems shine bright, and in its 25th year, The DISCOVERY Children’s Museum is wellsuited for a silver celebration. The museum is a gorgeous site within Symphony Park and adjacent to The Smith Center, and CEO Tifferney White has made the education of Las Vegas’s children her top priority.

Aside from interactive exhibits, most impressive is the reach the museum has into the community.

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Youth Works, a program within the museum, annually serves between 200-250 high school students from neighboring Title I Schools by offering teens their first jobs in a place where they are prepared for their second job and the wide world that awaits them.

Students are matched to museum positions that best suit their educational needs, and they can take advantage of peer and staff tutoring, training, and mentorship. To date, students within the Youth Works program boast a 99% graduation rate.

The museum’s Education Team works closely with each Clark County School

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Youth Works provides students with job readiness and life skills training, homework support, mentoring, and on-the-floor work experiences.

District elementary school to determine the focus of every field trip, with galleries focusing on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), as well as arts, culture, and traveling exhibits.

With 25,000 students annually visiting through field trips that have been well-matched to their core learning, the impact on Las Vegas’s kids is significant.

To make learning more accessible, the museum also launched Discovery On Wheels House Calls, a program that takes the museum on the road and into the classroom. Curriculum was created within Nevada State standards and covers health, science and our bodies. The course offers children the opportunity to learn about the human body through the eyes of a specializing doctor. While studying the ins-and-

outs of a pulmonary specialist through an interactive learning environment, the children have the opportunity to see how both positive and negative behaviors and lifestyles affect the vascular system. The focus is dependent on grade level, and between 15,000 and 18,000 kids participate in the program each year.

If you ask The DISCOVERY Children’s Museum staff what the next 25 years holds for them, they are very earnest to share their desire to collaborate with other organizations in bringing top-notch and “very real” learning experiences to our valley. An example of their very inventive collaborations include a performance at The Smith Center with the Las Vegas Philharmonic. Aspects of the musical performance were highlighted throughout exhibits, including “Young at Art,” an

Discovery on Wheels targets Kindergarten – 5th grade students providing hands-on and interactive health sciences programs brought directly to the classroom.

The Culture Issue | July - September 2016 | 13

COMMUNITY activity that encouraged children to paint to the tempo of music. They later explored the science of sound waves.

The museum’s Water World exhibit was adjusted so that the flow of the water was related to a part of the performance.

The next time you visit, take it from this writer and parent — take a stroll through the galleries and watch the faces of the children in the throes of learning. Undoubtedly you will recognize the importance of this community asset as you see the little minds whir and click. With the DISCOVERY Children’s Museum’s longstanding history, it is highly likely the next generation of Nevadans will be as touched by it as you have.

Water World exhibit

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Vegas PBS Keeps Kids Learning All Summer Vegas PBS FREE family engagement workshops combine storybooks and hands-on activities that build on the curriculum-based content of PBS KIDS programs.

Math Activities with Peg + Cat (Ages PreK-K)

Families use math to help Peg + Cat solve A REALLY BIG PROBLEM!

STEM Activities with Odd Squad (Ages 5-8)

Families become Odd Squad agents who use math and creativity solve bizarre mysteries and thwart oddball mischief makers.

Martha Speaks Vocabulary-Building Workshops (Grades K-3) Families learn four “special words” from Martha Speaks and enhance their vocabulary skills as they share books, talk, and do fun activities together.

Visit VegasPBS.org/rtl/events for dates, times and locations or call 702.799.1010

May 28 - Sept. 11

Join Clifford and his friends for “paws-on fun” at the Museum!

DiscoveryKidsLV.org

TM

Media Sponsor:

Adventures with Clifford The Big Red Dog was created by Minnesota Children’s Museum together with Scholastic Entertainment. (c) 2010 Scholastic Entertainment Inc. SCHOLASTIC and logos are trademarks of Scholastic Inc. CLIFORD, CLIFORD THE BIG RED DOG, BE BIG and logos are trademarks of Norman Bridwell. All rights reserved.

COMMUNITY

15 YEARS AND STILL READING Vegas Valley Book Festival is a celebration of the written, spoken, and illustrated word for all ages and interests.

Written by Lea Lumba

owntown Las Vegas has become well known for its eclectic art galleries, live music scene, and unique community events. One event not to be missed is the 15th Annual Vegas Valley Book Festival, the largest literary event in Nevada. The Festival takes place Saturday, October 15, 2016, on the grounds of the Historic 5th Street School.

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This year’s schedule features Pulitzer Prize winners, New York Times Bestselling authors, a Latin Grammy Award winner, an acclaimed comic strip creator, panel discussions, author presentations, book signings, performances, workshops, anime, manga, surprise guests, bookmaking, and more. The 100th anniversaries of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Park Service will also be commemorated.

A few of this year’s notable authors and happenings include: Craig Johnson, whose Walt Longmire mystery series became the basis for the popular Longmire TV drama.

Stacy Schiff, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Cleopatra: A Life, Vera (Mrs. Vladimir Nabokov) and most recently, The Witches: Salem, 1692.

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Where’s Walrus, named a best book of the year

by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and others.

Stephan Pastis, creator of Pearls Before Swine, the acclaimed comic strip, and author of Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made.

Megan McDonald, creator of the popular Judy Moody and Stink series, and the Sisters Club stories.

An exhibit featuring breathtaking photos of our 59 National Parks taken by renowned photographer/author QT Luong, as featured in his new book Treasured Lands.

Doug Mishler, a Chautauqua scholar, will bring history to life as Teddy Roosevelt.

Authors and presenters will be discussing a plethora of topics from the genres of adult fiction and non-fiction, romance, children’s, young adult, LGBTQ, mystery, thriller, legacy, crime, suspense, humor, comic/graphic novel, local history, banned books, poetry, and more.

Frank Shankwitz, founder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and co-author of Once Upon A Wish.

Producing Partners of the book festival include City of Las Vegas, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, Las Vegas-Clark County Library District Foundation, AIGA Las Vegas Chapter, Las Vegas Review-Journal, Nevada Humanities, Beverly Rogers Carol C. Harter Black Mountain Institute, and Vegas PBS.

Stephen Savage, acclaimed author and illustrator of many children’s books, including

Free and open to the public. Public parking is available across the street from the event. For more information, visit: vegasvalleybookfestival.org

Craig Johnson author of the Walt Longmire book series the basis for the hit TV series Longmire

Mr. G, the 2015 Latin GRAMMY Award winner for Best Children’s Album and one of the “Best Live Acts for Kids and Families”

Stacy Schiff Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Véra, Cleopatra and The Witches: Salem, 1692

The Culture Issue | July - September 2016 | 17

COMMUNITY

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DÍA DE

MUERTOS Written by Jan Craddock Illustration by Adolfo R. Gonzalez

e speak quietly about the dead and plan for a special day to remember and value them. So much to do as we plan for their arrival into our memories and consider the impact they have on our lives.

We talk about what they would like to have for their return to Earth for two special days every year (November 1 and 2nd).

That is when the party begins. Welcome to Día de Muertos — Day of the Dead.

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This age old holiday has been celebrated for more than 3,000 years by many different cultures, but it is mostly a Mexican tradition. Celebrated widely in the United States, it has become very popular in Las Vegas, and two of the larger festivals take place at the Clark County Winchester Cultural Center and The Springs Preserve.

Día de Muertos brings the community together to commemorate the lives of the departed through strong cultural beliefs, family ties and traditions. These include colorful art, traditional foods, poetry (Calaveras) for the loved one, and lots of spirituality. The signature painted skull faces, paper mache skeletons, and colorful paper flowers are just a few of the important characteristics of the day. Family members create altars (ofrendas) covered with a collection of favorite items, toys, food, flowers, letters, and photos to honor their loved ones’ lives on Earth.

Other traditions include the pan de muerte (bread of the dead) sugar skulls, tamales, and atole.

This year, BLVDS LV will publish a Special Edition to pay tribute to this beautiful holiday by exploring all of the facets of the tradition and recognizing the contributions of generations for the last 3,000 years. We hope it will help you to stop and fondly remember those who have passed on yet remain in your memories.

Look for it at the beginning of October where ever you find your BLVDS LV Magazine.

The Culture Issue | July - September 2016 | 19

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on

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Nicholas J. Horn Theatre

BackStage Theatre

stay tuned ...

art

Where the arts begin! theatre Experience ... Explore ... Expand!

Music

702-651-LIVE (5483) www.csn.edu/pac

dance

3200 E Cheyenne Ave N. Las Vegas NV 89030

CSN is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action institution. For More information visit: www.csn.edu/nondiscrimination.

Caesar’s Palace James Stanford is interested in the visual traditions and parables of Zen Buddhism. This digitally produced pattern function is beautifully printed on silk and serves as a joyful modern mandala. Based on photographs of the neon signs of the iconic Caesar’s Palace, the abstract designs refract and evoke shadow and light, to create a beautiful moment of contemplation and complexity.

Arts

ARTS

NEXUS OF

CREATIVITY Written by Laura Henkel

hile Las Vegas is often only remembered for its casinos and an exoticized sense of intrigue if not infamy, there is so much more to this iconic place. An important American cultural inheritance includes not only a vibrant contemporary artistic community but, also, formal historic inspirations like the immensely popular vintage neon signage, and landmarks such as the canonical designs of Betty Willis’ Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign and YESCO’s Vegas Vic. Other treasures include the Neon Museum’s collection of historic signage and the National Scenic Byway of Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip), one of only three urban byways in the country, filled with an endless array of artistic inspiration. The role of these neon signs is significant, and the genre serves as an internationally recognized resource for cultural and architectural historians, artists, illustrators, architects, industrial designers, textile, and interior designers among many others.

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A particularly interesting case is the work of Las Vegas artist James Stanford. As a contemporary master of the digital photomontage, the artist achieves his imagery by reworking photographs of neon signs into constellations that form abstract patterned color laid out into sparklingly beautiful labyrinths. Stanford is a long-term teacher, supporter of the arts, and gallerist, and he strikes an interesting figure—a combination of modesty, creativity, influence of local culture,

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James Stanford transforms vintage neon to contemporary constellations through photomontage.

and innovation. A childhood spent in the region means the artist’s oeuvre is inflected by not only images of popular culture but also the modernist paradigms of Las Vegas design. His imaginative visual work has a special process to it; he begins with conventional photographs of the iconic vintage signs of Las Vegas. The well-known series Indra’s Jewels allows the dynamic process of fragmenting and recomposing the elements into infinite patterning and lattice works of bright, intricate tableaux. In addition to the beautiful photographic prints, Stanford recently transformed his compositions into silk scarves, a type of remarkable wearable art.

Today, we can think of Stanford’s series as mandalas meant to evoke the Buddhist parable of Indra’s Jeweled Net, a metaphor of the concept of the infinitely interrelated universe. As imaginative objects of contemplation, Stanford’s art, whether printed on paper or silk, reflects the significance of midcentury American design in Nevada and, in particular, the imprint of the canons of classic neon signage—even as the imagery is marked by new global understanding and influences and finally transformed, distilled, and reinterpreted in new and contemporary ways. His work is on display at the Neon Museum, as well as in worldwide collections and exhibitions.

Fong’s Garden The sign for this restaurant once stood tall along the cityscape of Las Vegas.

For James, this place brings back fond memories; it was here his mother taught the restaurant’s owner English and formed a fast friendship. This remarkable image is stunningly printed on silk to form an ornate and nostalgic remembrance of old Las Vegas. The intricate design takes us back and displays the way in which memory is transformed by time.

Fin Fins A

Fong’s Garden The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 23

ARTS

EAST MEETS WEST Written by Temple Kinyon

uddy Sheffield conceived Idaho! The Comedy Musical in an east coast-to-west coast creative brainstorming drive. Mash Sheffield’s hot idea with the musical talent of Keith Thompson (Las Vegas’s own Jersey Boys music director), and you have the makings of a blockbuster musical. Produced by The Smith Center and performed in Reynolds Hall, the musical comedy features three couples on the frontier and the comedy that ensues. Mixing in laughs, songs, romance—and even potatoes— the production provides audiences with the chance to see it in its development stages before it goes to Broadway. Idaho! The Comedy Musical runs July 6-17. Tickets are available at thesmithcenter.com

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June 27 – October 22 Much Ado about Nothing Henry V The Three Musketeers The Cocoanuts

Mary Poppins Julius Caesar Murder for Two The Odd Couple

The Greater Escape.

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Visual Parody: !

A work of art that imitates an iconic image or the characteristic style of ! a famous artist for comic effect.

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S Q U A R E!

GRIESGRABER

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C O L O R S!

Las Vegas artist Michael Griesgraber’s paintings inspired this 132 page full color book of wonderfully amusing images.

Introductory essay and commentary by Jeffrey Gryny PhD. More than one hundred tongue-in-check paintings are paired with historical background on each parody.

“Griesgraber’s acrylic paintings definitely ! pack a punch that is unforgettable. They are wonderful upbeat works with the polychromatic palette with geometric abstraction formation.”

Laurence Bradshaw Curator, Professor of Art University of Nebraska

OPENS AUG 5!

LOCATED IN SOUTHERN UTAH 90 MINUTES NORTH OF LAS VEGAS

(866) 321-5063 | TUACAHN.ORG

A exhibition of the artist’s square paintings inspired this book.

Calling upon the variable perception of any color in relation to others the artist orchestrates ever shifting groupings and spatial readings. The color components have the capacity to advance or recede resulting in dynamic configurations that perpetually realign. One hundred of the artists vibrant works are paired with quotes on color in this full color hardcover 158 page book available from Two Harbors Press.

Available from Amazon.com Barnesandnoble.com selected Museum book shops

Season ARTS

2016

of the

Arts

EVENT CALENDAR LAS VEGAS PHILHARMONIC Visit lvphil.org September 10, 2016 Opening Night: Cabrera Conducts Mahler Reynolds Hall The Smith Center September 22, 2016 Las Vegas Philharmonic Spotlight Concert Troesh Studio Theater The Smith Center

October 8 & 9, 2016 Symphonic Spectacular Reynolds Hall November 5, 2016 Cabrera Conducts the Classics Reynolds Hall The Smith Center December 3 & 4, 2016 Home for the Holidays with Rita Moreno Reynolds Hall The Smith Center January 14, 2017 Cabrera Conducts Beethoven & Mozart Reynolds Hall The Smith Center February 4, 2017 Cabrera Conducts Dvorak Reynolds Hall The Smith Center February 16, 2017 Las Vegas Philharmonic Spotlight Concert Troesh Studio Theater The Smith Center

March 4 & 5, 2017 Cabrera Conducts the Music of John Williams; Star Wars & Beyond Reynolds Hall The Smith Center

April 1, 2017 Cabrera Conducts Brahms Reynolds Hall The Smith Center May 4, 2017 Las Vegas Philharmonic Spotlight Concert Troesh Studio Theater The Smith Center May 27, 2017 Cabrera Conducts Bruckner Reynolds Hall The Smith Center BROADWAY SERIES Visit thesmithcenter.com August 2-14, 2016 The Sound of Music Reynolds Hall The Smith Center

January 3-8, 2017 Fun Home Reynolds Hall The Smith Center January 17-22, 2017 Motown The Musical Reynolds Hall The Smith Center February 14-19, 2017 Finding Neverland Reynolds Hall The Smith Center

March 14-19, 2017 Matilda the Musical Reynolds Hall The Smith Center April 11-16, 2017 An American in Paris Reynolds Hall The Smith Center May 31-June 11, 2017 The Phantom of the Opera Reynolds Hall The Smith Center BROADWAY IN THE HOOD Visit thesmithcenter.com

Sept. 20-Oct. 2, 2016 BEAUTIFUL – The Carole King Musical Reynolds Hall The Smith Center November 22-27, 2016 Irving Berlin’s White Christmas Reynolds Hall The Smith Center The Smith Center 26 | blvdslv.com

September 2-3, 2016 The Wiz Reynolds Hall The Smith Center November 18-20, 2016 Steel Magnolias Troesh Studio Theater The Smith Center

January 13-15, 2017 The Mountaintop Troesch Studio Theater The Smith Center February 3-5, 2017 Ain’t Misbehavin’ Cabaret Jazz Theater The Smith Center March 24-26, 2017 Writer’s Block Troesh Studio Theater The Smith Center NEVADA BALLET Visit nevadaballet.org

October 22 & 23, 2016 The Sleeping Beauty Reynolds Hall The Smith Center November 13, 19 & 20, 2016 A Choreographers’ Showcase Mystere Theater at The Mirage December 10-24, 2016 The Nutcracker Reynolds Hall The Smith Center February 25 & 26, 2017 Swan Lake Reynolds Hall The Smith Center

March 30–April 2, 2017 The Studio Series NBT’s Summerlin Studios

May 13 & 14, 2017 Peter Pan Reynolds Hall CABARET JAZZ Visit thesmithcenter.com

June 24, 2016 Jane Monheit - The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center July 8, 2016 David Perrico: Pop Evolution & Pop Strings Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center

July 22, 2016 Serpentine Fire: Earth, Wind & Fire Tribute Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center July 23, 2016 Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center July 24, 2016 The Ronnie Foster Trio: The Reboot Project Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center July 29 & 30, 2016 HAPA Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center August 5 & 6, 2016 Oleta Adams Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center

July 11, 2016 Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center July 15 & 16, 2016 Cheyenne Jackson: Music of the Mad Men Era Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center July 17, 2016 Heather Michele Potter Performs the Music of Carole King Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center

August 10, 2016 The Composers Showcase of Las Vegas Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center August 18, 2016 Dave Damiani & Renee Olstead Bending the Standard Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center

August 20, 2016 Chadwick Johnson: Remember Love Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center

September 2, 2016 Music of the Classic Horn Bands with the Lon Bronson Band Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center

September 3, 2016 Soul Men & Lady Soul starring Spectrum & Radiance Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center September 9-10, 2016 Susan Anton: Already Home Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center

October 2, 2016 Michelle Johnson Presents Tapestry Unraveled: The Complete Carole King Album Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center October 12, 2016 Annie Moses Band: The Art of the Love Song Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center October 26, 2016 “Songs, Music & Memories” featuring Everlita RiveraDavid and Relly Coloma Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center April 21 & 22, 2017 Lucy Woodward Cabaret Jazz The Smith Center

The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 27

ARTS Aug. 12-13, Aug. 26, 2016 One Big Union Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theater

REYNOLDS HALL SPECIAL EVENTS Visit thesmithcenter.com July 31, 2016 Brian McKnight

Aug. 19-20, Aug. 27, 2016 How to Fight Loneliness Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theater

September 16, 2016 An Evening with Paul Anka

Sept. 14-Oct. 22, 2016 The Odd Couple Randall Theater

September 17, 2016 Wild Kratts Live!

June 29-Sept. 9, 2016 The Three Musketeers Engelstad Shakespeare Theater

October 14, 2016 Jethro Tull - Written and Performed by Ian Anderson

October 22, 2016 Charles Vanda Master Series Mozart Orchestra of New York

July 2-Sept. 3, 2016 Mary Poppins Randall Theater

November 1, 2016 UNLV Chamber Music Series Boston Brass May 27-October 14, 2016 Peter Pan June 3-October 12, 2016 Tarzan

November 7, 2016 Celtic Thunder: Legacy

July 29-October 15, 2016 The Hunchback of Notre Dame

UTAH SHAKESPEAREAN FESTIVAL

October 21-29, 2016 Thriller

Visit bard.org

June 28-Sept. 10, 2016 Henry V Engelstad Shakespeare Theater

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October 15, 2016 Allegro Guitar Series at UNLV | Ana Vidovic

July 1-October 15, 2016 The Cocoanuts Randall Theater

October 15, 2016 Straight No Chaser: I’ll Have Another…20th Anniversary World Tour

June 27-Sept. 8, 2016 Much Ado About Nothing Engelstad Shakespeare Theater

TUACAHN CENTER FOR THE ARTS O.C. Tanner Amphitheater Visit tuacahn.org

September 29, 2016 UNLV Chamber Music Series Opening Concert

July 29-October 2, 2016 Julius Caesar Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theater Aug. 4-Oct. 22, 2016 Murder for Two Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theater

November 12, 2016 Hiromi: The Trio Project Performing Arts Center Series December 4, 2016 Special Event Home Free January 24, 2017 Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo Performing Arts Center Series

November 3-5, 2016 David Archuleta UNLV CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS Performing Arts Center Visit pac.unlv.edu September 21, 2016 Barrick Lecture Series Captain Scott Kelly

February 9, 2017 UNLV Chamber Music Series Hungarian Masterworks

February 17, 2017 Allegro Guitar Series at UNLV | David Russell

October 8, 2016 NSA Suzuki Strings Summerlin Arts Festival

February 18, 2017 Charles Vanda Master Series Simply Three

December 3, 2016 Pre-Las Vegas Philharmonic Concert The Smith Center Lobby

March 11, 2017 Sons of Serendip Performing Arts Center Series March 25, 2017 Charles Vanda Master Series Piano Battle: Andreas Kern vs. Paul Cibis

May 20–Sept. 10, 2016 Five—Deborah Aschheim, Erin Cosgrove, Lucky DeBellevue, Ash Ferlito, and David Gilbert Barrick Museum

March 30, 2017 Allegro Guitar Series at UNLV | Ben Verdery

August 22-Sept. 30, 2016 KUSO Donna Beam Gallery

April 6, 2017 UNLV Chamber Music Series Ying Quartet UNLV MUSEUM Visit unlv.edu/ donnabeamgallery and unlv.edu/barrickmuseum Current - March 2017 In Transition Female Figurines from the Michael C. and Mannetta Braunstein Collection Barrick Museum July 24-August 8, 2016 Disconnected: The Creation of An American Phenomenon Donna Beam Gallery

December 11, 2016 NSA Chamber Orchestra Winter Concert, with Guest Artists Historic Fifth Street School Auditorium January 28, 2017 NSA StringFest 2017 Historic Fifth Street School Auditorium

February 17, 2017 Celebrating Our Own! Historic Fifth Street School Auditorium April 22, 2017 Suzuki Talent Education Program Annual Awards Recital Historic Fifth Street School Auditorium May 12, 2017 Mother’s Day Celebration Historic Fifth Street School Auditorium October 15, 2016 Vegas Valley Book Festival Historic Fifth Street School vegasvalleybookfestival.org

October 19, 2016 UNLV Special Event Presidential Debate Thomas & Mack Center NEVADA SCHOOL OF THE ARTS

Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins, Utah.

Visit nsamusic.org September 23, 2016 NSA Company w/ Guest Artist Historic Fifth Street School Auditorium October 8, 2016 NSA Chamber Orchestra, with Guest Violinist Hal Grossman Historic Fifth Street School Auditorium The Marjorie Barrick Museum (the Barrick), formerly the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History, is a well-known venue for engaging exhibitions and events.

The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 29

ARTS

DIVERSITY

IN THE ARTS Written by Donato Cabrera, Music Director of the Las Vegas Philharmonic

s I prepare to speak at the annual conference of the League of American Orchestras in Baltimore, I have been contemplating the topic for which I’ve been asked to speak — connecting underrepresented communities to orchestras through the humanities. It is of particular importance to the Las Vegas Philharmonic, especially if we want to be known as, “Your Symphony Orchestra,” that we begin reaching out to the communities that make up a very large portion of our community but are rarely found in the concert hall. As with the common observation that the concert hall is filled with an audience of ever increasing age, I find myself frequently questioning whether we could do a better job at being more inclusive.

A

Music Unwound, a national consortium of orchestras, music festivals, and institutions of higher education has dynamically linked orchestras to African-American, NativeAmerican, and Mexican-American communities and has been the recipient of over $1 million dollars by the National Endowment of the Humanities. Music Unwound’s thematic, multi-media programs (which are also available to orchestras outside the consortium) match orchestras with high schools, universities, and museums. The themes include immigration, race, and the never-ending quest for American identity. The Las Vegas Philharmonic will proudly join this consortium beginning in the 2017-18 season and will begin receiving a

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The arts need to be more inclusive of underrepresented communities.

rather substantial grant from the NEH, the first performing arts organization in Nevada to do so. It is a great honor for the LVP to be a recipient of this grant and join this national consortium, but it is also a great responsibility.

“...both the Asian-American and Latino-American communities have a deserved place in the concert hall...”

During my tenure as the resident conductor of the San Francisco Symphony, I have witnessed two events, the Día de Los Muertos and the Lunar New Year Concerts, become enormously successful. The very acknowledgement that both the Asian-American and Latino-American communities have a deserved place in the concert hall has been a notable achievement, but these concerts have grown to be far more impactful than just soldout concerts! Both communities take an active role in producing the concerts because it’s not just a concert created for them, but by them. Within the span of a decade, two very substantial communities now have a visceral and real connection to an orchestra and the music it performs.

During the 2017-18 season the Las Vegas Philharmonic will perform a concert titled, Copland in Mexico. Like so many creative artists in the thirties and forties — decades of Depression and world war — Copland became a populist, intent upon reaching the largest possible audience, and committed to social and political change. It was for this “new audience” that he composed such vibrant, tuneful scores as Rodeo, Billy the Kid, and Appalachian Spring. In Copland’s case, the search for a new audience was specifically inspired by a trip to Mexico in 1932. From this visit, El Salon Mexico, was conceived and will be performed on this program. We will use Copland’s discovery of Mexico as a starting point for discovering the master Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas and will perform his symphonic masterpiece, Sensemaya, as

well as screen the seminal film, Redes, with the Las Vegas Philharmonic performing Revueltas’s beautiful score. There will also be ancillary events before and after the concert as well as seminars at UNLV and the Las Vegas Academy of the Arts, both of which have a substantial Hispanic student population.

It is worth noting that Mexico has a much longer and storied connection to classical music than any other country in the Americas. The first opera composed by a Mexican-born composer was performed in Mexico City in 1711 and there were prominent classical music composers as far back as the 16th Century. A rich tradition worth celebrating, indeed!

The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 31

ARTS

CULTURAL

COLLABORATION Written by Temple Kinyon

illiam Shakespeare coined the phrase, “All the world’s a stage.” Taking those words to heart, the Utah Shakespeare Festival (USF) wants to set their new stage for the world. Nestled on Southern Utah University’s campus in Cedar City, the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts (BTSCA) opens for its inaugural season this summer.

W

Beverly Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts creates a cultural mecca in the heart of Southern Utah.

the best possible education that included the arts. The Sorenson Family Foundation made a $7 million gift to help propel the $38 million art center project. “She is ever-present in this project,” said Festival Founder Fred C. Adams. “The Beverley will last for a dozen lifetimes. As long as there are children to come and experience live theater and immerse themselves in the arts, Beverley Taylor Sorenson will live.”

For more information visit bard.org.

A mix of modern and classic architecture, BTSCA houses the new Engelstad Shakespeare Theatre, named after the Englestad Family Foundation of Las Vegas. It boasts an immense open-air setting to encourage a relaxed actor/ audience relationship.

BTSCA is also home to the Eileen and Allen Anes Studio Theatre. This space provides a flexible option for USF programming, allowing production of small, intimate plays in varying genres. The Festival will enjoy new artistic and production facilities, offices, and a new costume shop to round out the Center’s features.

North view rendering of the new Englestad Shakespeare Theatre

Built next to the Randall L. Jones Theatre and Southern Utah Museum of Art, the trio of buildings is the culmination of like-minded cultural aficionados wanting to enhance the artistic landscape of not only Cedar City, but also the surrounding region and beyond. Almost 25% of the Center’s annual audience (over 10,000) are from Southern Nevada.

Beverley Taylor Sorenson led a long and celebrated life. She was well known as a strong advocate for children receiving

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Aerial view during construction of the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts

“It is, without a doubt, the greatest achievement this company has known, and I can’t wait to see the impact it will have on our beautiful region.”

- Brian Vaughn, USF Artistic Director

View of the Southern Utah Museum of Art during construction

Aerial view of the Englestad Shakespeare Theatre during construction

Fred C. Adams, USF Founder Emeritus (left) and Brian Vaughn, USF Artistic Director

The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 33

The Howard Hughes Artwork Legacy

RECORD A SONG

Available for Purchase

CREATE A VIDEO DO A PHOTO SHOOT

Horse Sculpture by artist Deborah Butterfield.

As critic Grace Glueck wrote in The New York Times in 2004, “By now Deborah Butterfield’s skeletal horses, fashioned of found wood, metal and other detritus, are familiar to almost a generation of gallerygoers. Yet they still have a freshness, which comes from the artist’s regard for them as individuals. In fact, training, riding and bonding with horses, as she does at her Montana ranch, she thinks of them as personifications of herself...They seem to express the very spirit of equine existence.”

Many different works Available, contact:

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“IDENTIFY AND YOU

Small town in the Amazon rain forest reflected in the Yanayacu River near Iquitos, Peru. Photo by Jesse Kraft

The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 35

LIFESTYLE

AMAZON TO ANDES

TO AMAZING eru wasn’t high on my “bucket list,” but when the alluring brochure crossed my desk in February 2014 touting “The Great Amazon River Cruise,” I was smitten. I’ve always loved exotic places and all things nautical, so when the opportunity presented itself for small ship cruising on a fabled river, it didn’t take long to sign up.

P

A Peruvian adventure Written by Lamar Marchese Photography by Lamar Marchese

collection of pre-Columbian arts and crafts. Lunch at the museum café introduced us to pisco, the high octane Peruvian brandy.

Sweetening the deal even more was an add-on tour to Machu Picchu immediately following the cruise. The trip also benefitted the non-profit World Wildlife Fund and was operated by Natural Habitat Adventures, an experienced specialist in luxury adventure travel.

I recruited my wife Pat and daughter Julia, signed the documents, and made arrangements. We were off to Peru in June 2014 for the first stop on a 15-day odyssey that traversed the country from the Amazonia north to the Andes in the south with Lima in between.

LIMA After a restful night at the Casa Andina, we were off on a whirlwind city tour of Lima, the capital of Peru. With a New York City-sized population of nine million, Lima is home to one quarter of the country’s entire population. We met our charming Italian-Peruvian head guide, Renzo, and set off for the Love Park, known for its center statue of entwined lovers. You have to appreciate a culture that dedicates a public park to love.

The ornate central cathedral and the adjacent Plaza de Armas, where a local festival was taking place, were our next stops followed by the Museo Larco, which houses an outstanding

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A village man wearing the “chollo”, the knitted hat with earflaps, now very hip in the Pacific Northwest, and a knitted wool poncho that is only worn by men.

Macchu Picchu was built about 600 years ago by men who had to carry—on their backs—all of the building supplies needed to construct this royal retreat.

IQUITOS & THE AMAZON After lunch, we flew to Iquitos, the jumping off port for the cruise. A beat down former rubber boom town, one can reach it only by air or water. It was dark when we boarded the Estrella Amazonica, our floating home for the next eight days. A 143foot cruiser with 15 cabins and a maximum capacity of 30 passengers, the ship has air conditioning everywhere, big cabins, and sliding glass doors for viewing the passing scenery.

We cast off that night on the brown, silty, north-flowing

Amazon heading south against the current, 300 miles away from our final destination, the Pacaya Samiria Reserve.

Daily excursions took us in shallow draft skiffs up close to the river banks for optimal wildlife viewing. Our native-born naturalists, Uciel and Segundo, helped spot wildlife along the shore with numerous sightings of bird life. Three-toed sloths slowly answered their cues as did troops of squirrel monkeys and the aptly named howlers. The river itself is home to abundant marine life—huge catfish, the much over-hyped piranha, and both gray and pink dolphins. Jumping into the river to swim with them was quite a thrill.

The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 37

LIFESTYLE We also visited two small villages, one of them ambitiously named Nuevo York. After the students of its one-room elementary school welcomed us with a song, Uciel organized an impromptu Hokey Pokey lesson for the kids with many of us turistas dancing along in perfect harmony. A second village visit introduced us to a shaman, Maestro Juan, who blessed us with chanted words and tobacco smoke, another of those transcendent travel moments.

After we completed our 600-mile voyage up and down river, we returned to Iquitos and disembarked with raves about the staff, the itinerary, the food, and the fact that everything went off flawlessly.

CUSCO & MACHU PICCHU After a layover in Lima, we were off next morning to Cusco where we met our guide, Francis, and checked into the elegant Hotel Libertador, a restored colonial palace that once was the residence of Spanish Governor Francisco Pizarro.

We spent a day touring Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire. Cusco, which means “navel of the earth� in the indigenous Quechua language, sits at 12,000 feet above sea level. Next morning, the six of us in the tour group, plus Francis and the driver, headed down the Sacred Valley of the Incas, following the same route of the Inca kings.

Llamas roam the grounds at Macchu Picchu, keeping the grounds cropped and fertilized. They also provided the only pack animals the Incas had in the construction of Macchu Picchu.

Our little crew of Amazonian adventurers gather in the rain forest within the roots of a giant fig tree.

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That afternoon we explored Ollantaytambo, and from there we boarded a train next morning for a scenic ninety minute ride along the swift Urubamba River to awaiting buses for the short hop to the Machu Picchu National Park, a World Heritage Site and the most visited destination in South America.

The early morning cloud cover was still hugging the surrounding peaks when we arrived. You’ve probably seen pictures of Machu Picchu, but there is nothing like the majestic reality of actually being there. The setting itself is spectacular with the lower Machu Picchu build site set between two larger peaks. Clinging to the slopes and leading up to the site are row-upon-row of stepped terraces where imported fertile soil once provided fresh food for the court. All the terraces, walls, temples, and houses were made of hewed stone fitted together so precisely that the builders used no mortar.

What a wonderful, exhausting day as we clambered up stone steps—sometimes on hands and knees—to the very top level of Machu Picchu. Francis provided commentary that helped immensely in understanding what we were seeing as we wandered through a mystical city once home to important religious ceremonies that included a winter solstice rite in which priests would tie the sun to a hitching post.

The scarlet Andean Cock of the Rock is the national bird of Peru, and its scarlet plummage matches the red of traditional Andean clothing.

The Inkaterra Machu Picchu Hotel was spectacular, with private casitas nestled in a nature garden. Tiny orchids bloomed, and our guide, Maria, pointed out the Andean Cock of the Rock, the brilliantly crimson national bird of Peru.

We returned next afternoon to Cusco for the farewell dinner and a taste of cuy (coo-ee), the Quechua name for what we call guinea pigs. Many Andean homes keep the little critters running around the kitchen, not as pets, but as an important protein source.

The tours we took were an ideal mash-up of Amazon and Andes, with knowledgeable guides, beautiful and amazing sites, good food, friendly travel mates, and pitch-perfect service.

Recruit some family or friends to share the deep and wonderful experiences that travel provides. For those of us who have reached a “certain age,” my advice is that you don’t put off travel to your dream destination. Do it now, because you never know what tomorrow will bring.

Remember, time flies, but you are the pilot.

Framed by the terraces and clouds, there is a lone tree in the plain at Macchu Picchu. In the early morning, the clouds still cling to the peak before burning off in the late morning.

The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 39

LIFESTYLE B LV D S

B LIST

Our list of cool products, great bites, and hot places you must try now!

HANDEL’S ICE CREAM Founded in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1945, Handel’s Ice Cream is made daily in each location, including the one near Summerlin. Our favorites are the chocolate malt with caramel and banana cream pie. Stop by (especially for TwoBuck Tuesday) 10170 W Tropicana Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89147 handelsicecream.com.

LOLLY ZIP If you travel at all, you’ll want to pick up the Lolly Zip quart-sized bags (filled with bottles and jars) so you can zip through TSA lines.

The company makes bags for both men and women. Check them out at lollyzip.com.

LOLLY ZIP

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CARLO’S BAKERY

DOWNTOWN SUMMERLIN SUMMER MUSIC SERIES Check out this complimentary music series every weekend now through Labor Day. For a complete list of dates and performers, visit downtownsummerlin.com.

SEASONS MARKET, LAKE LAS VEGAS The newly opened Seasons in Monte Lago Village at Lake Las Vegas is offering a bodega experience for area residents.

Included in the store are a bakery, barista station, sandwich counter, and more. For more information, visit lakelasvegas.com.

CARLO’S BAKERY Trade-in boring popsicles and impress your guests with Cake Boss-style goodies from Carlo’s Bakery. You can order everything from cannoli to cookies, cupcakes to cakes, and more online for your Fourth of July parties.

Pre-order your goods at order.carlosbakery.com.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL Five Star Martini

LILA WINES

LILA WINES Lila Wines are premium wines packaged in bright pop-artinspired cans for on-the-go convenience and portability.

They’re perfect for the beach, a picnic, a BBQ, and more.

Find them at lilawines.com.

TAKE A WHIRLWIND TOUR OF WINE & SPIRITS AT MANDARIN ORIENTAL Join Michael LaPenna, Mandarin Oriental’s mixologist, as he teaches you how to make the 12 “cocktails everyone should know.”

Follow that class by joining Master sommelier Will Costello as he gives you tips on understanding and identifying a variety of wines. Each class is $50 per person. Get more information at mandarinoriental.com/lasvegas.

MANDARIN ORIENTAL Taste of Eternity Flight The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 41

Want even more Community & Culture?

Subscribe at www.BLVDSLV.com CASEY SMITH

Have a story idea? Email it to editor@blvdslv.com www.BLVDSLV.com • 702.386.6065

BETH FISHER

JESSICA JANNER

TOGETHER MAKING LAS VEGAS A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE

Courtesy of Neon Museum

Flavor

F L AV O R

FUSING FLAVORS An interview with Chef Sam Marvin Written by Chris Cutler

n the 14 years that my husband and I lived in Nashville before returning to Las Vegas in 2009, the city’s dining scene has matured. Big time. While there always have been great restaurants in town, the number has grown and now includes neighborhood eateries. One of my favorites, Echo & Rig Butcher/Steakhouse in Tivoli Village, is the brainchild of Chef Sam Marvin.

I

What brought you to the kitchen?

Who or what inspired you?

My mother was Moroccan, and my father was Spanish. I grew up loving a variety of foods. When I was five-years old, I would go to my Moroccan grandmother’s everyday, and we would walk to market.

We’d go home, and she’d cook all day.

Everyone came home from work and enjoyed the dinner she’d spent five, six, seven hours cooking.

Where did you study?

When I was 18, I moved to Paris and went to Le Cordon Bleu. That was 33 years ago. There were 17 kids in class.

We had no books. We learned nothing on hygiene. We just learned to cook, to take fish apart, to butcher. I wanted to learn.

I had a love and passion for cooking, so I interned at a butcher shop before class.

After three years, I graduated and interned at a Michelin three-star restaurant in

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France. I got room, board, and meals for working from 8:00 am-3:00 pm and 4:30 pm-12:00. When my internship was over, they offered me a paid position, so I stayed on to learn more. I then went to another internship at a restaurant owned by George Blanc. He was head of the Poulet de France, a farm-to-table movement that existed long before it was cool. That internship led to another paid position. I cooked and traveled and cooked and cooked and cooked.

We know you were chef at Piero’s for years. How did you end up there?

Freddie Glusman used to fly to LA to come to my restaurant about once a week. One day he asked me what he had to do to get me to move to Las Vegas. The next thing I knew, I was cooking at Piero’s.

What are your five favorite ingredients?

1. Lemon. Moroccan food uses lemon in so many ways — to preserve, to make chimichurri, to clean the palate. Lemon adds the final touch of brightness to a dish.

2. Soy sauce 3. Chicken bones. I’ve used chicken bones to make stocks a lot to use it for soups, sauces, poaching, anything to thin out or to add viscosity. I also roast the bones for dark, healthy broth.

4. John Dory is the perfect fish—white,

delicate, fatty, flavorful. I love it.

5. A quality salt What do you like most about being a chef?

I love the creativity and that keeps me so young. I like working on new concepts, new menu items, new techniques. The molecular gastronomy is not for me, but I love that it continues. I love the challenge to innovate. A chain restaurant doesn’t treat food in the same way the French Laundry does. It’s about the culture and philosophy of the culinary arts, about making it better and improve upon it.

What advice to you have for a young chef?

Keep it as simple as possible. A wise chef knows it’s harder to keep it simple than to make it complicated. Try to make everything the same way they make in three-star restaurants. Source as much as possible — produce, seafood, meat.

What would you request for your last meal?

I’d love a whole grilled fish with bones and everything. I’d sit on the beach area and have just lemon on it and pick off the meat. It would be so clean and fresh and help me feel good about it. And, maybe I’d have a beer with it.

The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 45

IMHO

CULTURE SHINES IN LAS VEGAS Written by Rob McCoy CEO, Neon Museum

F

or a Las Vegas kid like me, these are pretty heady days.

Our dusty little railroad stop is growing up. Quickly.

That constant drumbeat of my youth calling Las Vegas a cultural wasteland is nothing more than a faint memory. Frankly, I’m not sure we were ever a wasteland, but I’m thankful my grandkids have available to them all the things we didn’t. Museums. A performing arts center. The Arts District. Professional sports. These were all things I hoped for but thought I would never see in my city during my lifetime.

Yes, our piece of the Mojave Desert has matured. Enough already with the criticism. We’ve arrived. Is there still work to do? Of course. There always will be.

I am both honored and humbled to take on leadership of the Neon Museum. As a native Las Vegan, I grew up alongside most of the signs in our collection. It’s one of the reasons I like to refer to them as members of the family. I’m proud that we have been able to save these senior citizens and allow them to share their history with those who did not have the opportunity to see them glitter and shine when they dressed the city in light and color.

“...our piece of the Mojave Desert has matured.”

As we look to the future, we have a number of ambitious undertakings in the planning stages. Included are a third boneyard, indoor gallery space, and a working neon fabrication area where visitors will see firsthand the art of neon sign making. With supportive members, we will bring even more magic to one of the most magical places in Las Vegas. As we like to say around these parts, it’s time to grow the glow!

There is one thing we as Las Vegans need to change, however — that “Cultural Corridor” title. Come on folks. This is Las Vegas.

We’ve built a valley of more than two million people by selling the sizzle. We can find a better and more exciting name for that area. A much better name.

After all, look what is happening downtown. I’ve now lived long enough to see downtown thrive, die, and revive itself. All in my lifetime. It’s stunning really. So, while some of our neon has dimmed and been replaced by new technology, the future of Las Vegas has never been brighter.

The Culture Guide | July - September 2016 | 47

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cultural delights

EXPANDING YOUR TASTEBUDS Written by Chris Cutler

f you go out to dinner at all, you probably face that age-old question of where to go. If you’re like us, you often go to the same places, and they are most likely of the cuisines (American, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, etc.) with which you are comfortable.

I

Each culture’s cuisine is, in a way, the face of that culture. And even though this issue is our guide to the area’s cultural arts, we’ll give you 10 suggestions on trying out the cuisine — and culture — of a different country simply by going to an area restaurant.

My husband and I haven’t tried most of these yet, but they’re on my list so that when he next asks, “Where do you want to go for dinner,” I’ll have an answer.

GREEK Stephanos Greek & Mediterranean Grill 4632 S. Maryland Parkway #14 Las Vegas, NV 89119 702.795.8444 stephanoslv.com INDIAN Delhi Indian Cuisine Mission Center 4022 S. Maryland Pkwy.

Las Vegas, NV 89119 702.383.4900 delhiindiancuisinelv.com KOREAN Q Bistro 3400 S. Jones Blvd., Suite 12 Las Vegas, NV 89146 702.685.9876 | qkaraokebistro.com

ARGENTINE Rincon de Buenos Aires 5300 Spring Mountain Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89146 702.257.3331

PERU Peru Chicken 3886 W. Sahara Avenue Las Vegas, NV 89102 702 982-0073

ETHIOPIAN Abyssinia 4780 W. Tropicana Ave, Ste 108 Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.220.5304 abyssinialasvegas.com

RUSSIAN Café Mayakovsky 1775 E. Tropicana Ave., Ste 30 Las Vegas, NV 89119 702.848.1775 cafemayakovsky.com

48 | blvdslv.com

SPANISH Barcelona Tapas 10690 Southern Highlands Pkwy.

Ste 100-A Las Vegas, NV 89141 702.483.5764 barcelonatapasvegas.com THAI Arawan Thai 953 E. Sahara Ave., Suite E-14 Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.734.7799 arawanthaibistro.com VIETNAMESE Viet Noodle Bar 5288 Spring Mountain Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89146 702.750.9898 vietnoodlebarlv.com

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Join us for opening night, as we usher in a year of musical discovery.

THE 2016-2017 SEASON

OCT. 8&9, 2016

FEB. 4, 2017

NOV. 5, 2016

MAR. 4&5, 2017

DEC. 3&4, 2016

APR. 1, 2017

JAN. 14, 2017

MAY 27, 2017

SINGLE TICKETS AND SUBSCRIPTIONS NOW ON SALE Tickets available at The Smith Center Box Office at 702.749.2000 or at lvphil.org