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EDITORIAL
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Contributing Writers KYLE CHOUINARD, GRACE DA ROCHA,HILLARY DAVIS, HAAJRAH GILANI, MIKE GRIMALA, KATIE ANN MCCARVER, AYDEN RUNNELS, JACK WILLIAMS, ILANA WILLIAMS
Contributing Editors RAY BREWER, JUSTIN HAGER, CASE KEEFER, DAVE MONDT
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Publisher of Digital Media KATIE HORTON
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ADVERTISING & MARKETING
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Events Manager HANNAH ANTER
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SUPERGUIDE
Las
Spragg
Photograph by Christopher DeVargas/ Photo Illustration
Neon bender Oscar Gonzalez at YESCO (Wade Vandervort/Sta )
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY NOV 14 FRIDAY NOV 15
BARRY MANILOW
Thru 11/16, 7 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com
KALAN.FRFR & P-LO
9 p.m., the A-Lot at Area15, area15.com
THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS
6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com
UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. OMAHA
7 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com
UNLV HOCKEY VS. UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
11:59 p.m., (& 11/15, 8:30 p.m.), City National Arena, rebelhockey.com
MUSTARD 10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com
LEVITY
With Sol, Edwin Kugler, 10 p.m., We All Scream, seetickets.us
DO IT ALL
ILIZA SHLESINGER
8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com
USHER
8 p.m., & 11/16, T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
ADELE
8 p.m., & 11/16, the Colosseum, ticketmaster.com
LIONEL RICHIE
8 p.m., & 11/16, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com
THE B-52S
8:30 p.m., & 11/16, Venetian Theatre, ticketmaster.com
REX ORANGE COUNTY
(AP Photo)
8:30 p.m., BleauLive Theater, ticketmaster.com
PRISCILLA PRESLEY Thru 11/17, 7:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster. com
BOB THE DRAG QUEEN
8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com
UNLV WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. STONEHILL
6:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, unlvtickets.com
HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS VS. TUCSON ROADRUNNERS
7 p.m. (& 11/16, 6 p.m.), Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com.
GEORGE LOPEZ
8 p.m., & 11/16, Pearl Concert Theater, ticketmaster.com
PAUL REISER
8 p.m., Red Rock Ballroom, ticketmaster.com
Since 1999, The
have gained notoriety for a modern yet experimental sound. It oozes with the fuzziness of garage, mind-bending stylization of psych rock and youthful spirit of punk. And while the group has seen a few lineup changes over the years, its consistent core of vocalist and guitarist Cole Alexander and bassist Jared Swilley have stayed true to their chaotic music style while evolving their production to a more polished version. The band’s live gigs are unpredictable and incorporate on-stage antics like fire-breathing, nudity and direct audience engagement. This set is sure to be a bag of tricks that’ll go beyond music, making this worth your money and time. 8 p.m., $25+, Backstage Bar & Billiards, seetickets.us. –Gabriela Rodriguez
THE HOUSE ON WATCH HILL
7 p.m. (& 11/17, 5 p.m.), Vegas Theatre Company, theatre.vegas
ARCOSTRUM
7:30 p.m., Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, unlv.edu
BIG SEAN
10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com
DIPLO With Vavo, 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com.
THE BLACK LIPS
Black Lips
SATURDAY NOV 16
LAS
VEGAS PIZZA FEST
We can’t think of a dish as universally loved and hotly defended as pizza. From flatbread to deep dish and thin crust, this historic bite has seen its share of styles over the years, depending on the region from which it hails. People double down on their favorite doughs, and at the Las Vegas Pizza Fest, all will be celebrated. The one-day event will gather some of the best local pizzerias in one place, with pie lovers enjoying unlimited samples of everything from Detroit-style to Sicilian and New York pizza. Good Pie’s Vincent Rotolo, Pizza Rock’s Tony Gemignani and Metro Pizza’s John Arena represent just some of the master pizzaiolos who will be in attendance, alongside chefs from Evel Pie, Signora Pizza, Yukon Pizza and many more. No matter how you slice it, it’s going to be tasty. 1 p.m., $85+, Industrial Event Space, vegaspizzafest.com. –Amber Sampson
MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA & THRICE
With Lunar Vacation, 7 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com
KEN CARSON
7:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
THE DRUMS
7 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com
JADE CICADA
With Yheti, Kursa, SloanWolf & J.Handel, 8 p.m., the A-Lot at Area15, area15.com
GREYLOTUS & LUCRECIA
With Kos, Euphoric Dysphoria, Tragic Dreams, 6 p.m., Eagle Aerie Hall, dice.fm
UNLV FOOTBALL VS. SAN DIEGO STATE
7:30 p.m., Allegiant Stadium, unlvtickets.com
AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER IN CONCERT
2 & 7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, thesmithcenter.com
POSITIVELY ARTS GET LAUNCHED FINALE SHOW
3 p.m., Notoriety, notorietylive.com
SHAMELESS PLUG ARTS FESTIVAL
5 p.m., Fergusons Downtown (& 11/17, noon, UnCommons), eccentricartists. space
DANIEL TOSH
8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com
LIL YACHTY
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
FLIPPER’S ROLLER
BOOGIE PALACE GRAND OPENING WITH USHER
10 p.m., Tao Beach Dayclub, taogroup.com
PLAYBOI CARTI
10:30 p.m., Hakkasan Nightclub, taogroup.com
THE CHAINSMOKERS
With Disco Lines, 10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
JERMAINE DUPRI
10:30 p.m., Jewel Nightclub, taogroup.com
GUNNA
10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com
NICK CARTER 8:30 p.m., & 11/17, Summit Showroom, ticketmaster.com.
LESBIAN VAMPIRES FROM OUTER SPACE
7:30 p.m., Sinwave, sinwavevegas.com
LAROSE ROYCE
9 p.m., Ghostbar, palms.com
(Courtesy)
SUPERGUIDE
SUNDAY NOV 17
MONDAY NOV 18
TRAVIS SCOTT
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com.
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. WASHINGTON CAPITALS
5 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
JCC FESTIVAL OF ARTS
Noon, Tivoli Village, tivolivillagelv.com
YO YOLIE
11 a.m., Marquee Dayclub, taogroup.com
SEVEN KINGDOMS
With Striker, Lutharo, 7 p.m., Sinwave, dice.fm
(Coutresy/Zouk Group)
LAS VEGAS SINFONIETTA & VEGAS CITY OPERA: THE FAIRY QUEEN
The Las Vegas Sinfonietta is teaming up with the always innovative Vegas City Opera to present Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen. Based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the semi-opera is filled with magical music and spellbinding performances. Fairies and sprites will take the stage to bring the rarely performed Baroque masterpiece to life. Vibrant harmonies and delicate orchestrations will be beautifully complemented by the Sinfonietta’s exceptional musicianship. Having collaborated last year on Mozart’s Abduction from the Seraglio, the Sinfonietta and Vegas City Opera groups know what it means to add dynamic, theatrical dimension to classical works, while making them accessible to modern audiences. 3 p.m., $40, Clark County Library Theater, lasvegassinfonietta.com. –Shannon Miller
UNLV BRASS ENSEMBLE
5:30 p.m., Dr. Arturo Rando-Grillot Recital Hall, unlv.edu
SHARON K. SCHAFER: CIRCLE OF ANIMAL Thru 11/26, times vary, Nevada Humanities Program Gallery, nevadahumanities.org
MONDAYS DARK 8 p.m., the Space, mondaysdark.com
KIRBY GALBRAITH & FRIENDS 8 p.m., Fat Cat Lounge, fatcatlv.com
SWAYZE & FRIENDS 10 p.m., Sand Dollar Lounge, thesanddollarlv.com
SUPERGUIDE
TUESDAY NOV 19
UNLV WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. SAN DIEGO
6:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, unlvtickets.com
BLACK MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE PRESENTS: TEJU COLE
7 p.m., Beverly Theater, thebeverlytheater.com
PORTAL
Thru 11/23, Tue.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, unlv.edu
UNLV CHORAL ENSEMBLES: WINTER CHORAL CONCERT
7:30 p.m., Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, unlv.edu
BRUCE HARPER & NAOMI MAURO
7 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com
MIKEY FRANCIS 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. PEPPERDINE
7 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com.
HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS VS. ONTARIO REIGN
7 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com
DAVID STANLEY: MY BROTHER ELVIS
5 p.m., Westgate International Theater, ticketmaster.com
XAVIER WULF
7 p.m., the Portal at Area15, area15.com
SONIDERO LATIN PARTY 10 p.m., Oddellows, oddfellowslv.com
voulez vous dine avec moi
You are cordially invited to brunch and dinner a la rooftop. Serving sensational fountain views with every delightful dish.
Ooh la yum.
SELF–CARE & LEISURE LIFE MASSAGE
RELAXING THE
Which massage is right for you?
Shutterstock/Photo Illustration
BODY
CRANIOSACRAL THERAPY
+ Acupressure mats (see page 18)
BY DIANA EDELMAN
Massages aren’t just an extravagance. They are perhaps one of the most important forms of self-care you can give to yourself.
“Every person deserves to get a massage. … It’s not just a hoity-toity indulgence,” says Morgan Blackwell, LMT, a massage therapy lead instructor at Northwest Career College. “Massage is beneficial to everyone of all ages.”
A therapist for almost a decade, he suggests getting a minimum of one massage a month, and encourages people to get them every two to three weeks if they can.
There is an abundance of massage modalities, so which one is right for you? You’ve probably heard of the Swedish massage; it’s the most common and is designed to be relaxing and to aid in alleviating pain. But there are so many more.
For people who have knots (thank you, desk job), Blackwell recommends deep tissue or trigger point therapy. It’s more rigorous than Swedish massage, which only tackles superficial tissues and structures closer to the skin. Deep tissue and trigger point therapy massages target muscles, which are layered on top of each other.
Deep tissue massages really dig in, thanks to ample pressure from the therapist.
“When working on knots, it can almost feel uncomfortable, [like a kind of] hurts-so-good massage,” he says.
Another popular option is a hot stone massage, which helps to relax muscles and improve circulation. This method uses flat stones heated
to 100 to 145 degrees, which the therapist places on points around the body. The therapist then gently moves the stones over the muscles, kneading them.
According to Blackwell, hot stones can melt adhesions and “sometimes structures in our body act like butter, so the more heat applied, the more malleable.”
If you’re looking for a more intense experience, try a Thai massage. It’s a full-body treatment that entails your therapist pulling, stretching and compressing your body (likely in positions you’ve never imagined and can only do with the help of an experienced therapist).
“It’s great for circulation and feels like you’ve been run through the wringer,” explains Blackwell.
“But, after you feel taller and like you didn’t know your neck could move that way.”
Blackwell’s favorite type of massage is craniosacral therapy.
For this, the therapist applies a very light pressure along the spinal column and moves softly and gently, guiding the body to where it wants to be. This type of massage is beneficial for people who suffer from headaches, and for those who want to promote deep relaxation in their spine or full body.
There are also sports massages, prenatal massages, oncology massages, stretching, reflexology and more.
For those looking for an inexpensive massage, many massage schools offer student clinics that are overseen by licensed therapists. Those professionals can help recommend a massage type that is right for you.
TORTURE DEVICE OR THERAPY? INTRODUCING ACUPRESSURE MATS
Increasingly popular acupressure mats—thin mats with rows of small plastic spikes jutting out—are designed to target pressure points in your neck and back.
Inexpensive compared to alternative solutions like massage, non-invasive compared to acupuncture and easy to use (you simply lay down on the mat), acupressure mats can help alleviate neck and back pain. They can also improve circulation and energy, help you to relax and aid in getting deeper sleep. According to a study published by the National Institutes of Health, the mats can even help relieve chronic pain.
For rst-timers, be sure to wear a lightweight shirt or place a thin sheet between you and the mat, because you will feel those spikes. After your body is used to it, you can remove the shirt or sheet.
You’ll want to maneuver onto the mat slowly and
distribute your weight evenly across it because of the spikes, and take slow, deep breaths, using the mat for 5-10 minutes if you’re a beginner or 20-30 minutes a day for more experienced users. Relax, but don’t allow yourself to fall asleep.
When it comes to choosing a mat, it’s all about personal preference.
Mats typically are made from a foam cushion and the outer layers can be made from things like cotton, linen and more. If you want to travel with a mat, you’ll want one that is light (which most of them are). You’ll also want to make sure it ts the length of your back. Be sure to check the spikes, as not all are created the same and some are more intense than others. Finally, some mats include magnet therapy or infrared heat to reduce pain.
—Diana Edelman
BEST BUDGET MAT
ProsourceFit
Acupressure Mat and Pillow Set
$29.99
BEST OVERALL ACCORDING TO REVIEWERS
Shakti Premium Acupressure Mat
$94
BEST LUXURY ACUPRESSURE MAT
HigherDose Infrared PEMF Go Mat
$699
(Shuttterstock)
Our philosophy is centered around personalized care that addresses the unique needs of each patient.
SERVICES INCLUDE:
On-site lab, X-Ray, ultrasound, dietitian, hearing tests, minor surgeries, skin services, CDL and immigration physicals
MOST MAJOR INSURANCE PLANS ACCEPTED.
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osteopathicmedical@embarqmail.com 5410 West Sahara Avenue,Las Vegas, NV 89146
MEDICAL STAFF
Peter J. Licata, D.O.
George Gabriel Toldness, APRN-C Charmaine Coronado, APRN-C Donna Gould, M.S., R.D., L.D.
Las Vegas craftspeople are keeping the tradition of their vocations alive
BY AMBER SAMPSON
As the temperature climbs in the wood- red furnace in front of him, Las Vegas glass blower Larry Domsky wipes the sweat o his forehead. “This is brutal,” he says, referencing the heat inside the workshop of Domsky Glass. It’s taxing enough to have to work with such a fragile medium, let alone in these conditions. But in a surprising twist, Domsky turns to me and admits, “I’m never gonna give this up.”
For hundreds, if not thousands of years, people have dedicated themselves to using old-world methods and techniques in transforming materials into art and objects for practical purposes. From the neon benders who light up the city to the blacksmiths who design set pieces for our Strip shows, these are the local craftspeople who use their trades to handcraft Las Vegas’ identity.
Enzo Cinquegrana, blacksmith at LV Iron & Steel
Enzo Cinquegrana has swung his share of hammers. As we tour the outdoor forge of LV Iron & Steel, we pause at a huge rack of them.
“If you go into a forge in Europe, this would take up an entire wall,” he says, motioning to the collection of tools. “We have a lot to work up to, but this has gotten me through 20 years of forging on my own.”
Cinquegrana, with his barrel chest and black overalls, looks the part of a craftsman you’d entrust your weapons to in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim The self-proclaimed video game nerd knows it well. But in Cinquegrana’s mind, why play as the blacksmith, when you could become him?
That’s precisely what he did after discovering his love for sculpture and three-dimensional mediums. Cinquegrana grew up in New Jersey as the son of Italian immigrants. His relatives in Italy were stonemasons, so the urge to create by hand was “always around me.” Initially he tried to become a graphic designer, but desk life took a toll.
“After being miserable there, what I ended up doing was taking blacksmithing classes,” he says. “I was always kind of a nerd—blacksmiths, swords and all that stu was interesting to me. So I would drive two hours into South Jersey, three days a week after work, and just learn from these
old guys in a bar.”
He soon started working for the Les Métalliers Champenois, a French rm that redid the Statue of Liberty’s famed torch in 1986. Cinquegrana says he also had a hand in restoring parts of Lady Liberty and owes much of his work to the French and the craftsmanship that machines simply can’t replicate.
Moving to Las Vegas after his wife, burlesque performer Raquel Reed, landed a role in Absinthe, Cinquegrana broadened his architectural work, creating the show’s iconic Green Fairy Garden gate and sets for Reed’s Sin City Burlesque Festival. At LV Iron & Steel, he teaches skilled metal workers and aspiring blacksmiths about the craft and the culture attached.
“One of the cool things is culture didn’t get eradicated from globalization; it just got passed down. So you can be like, ‘A French guy made that. A Portuguese guy made that. I know the girl who made that, she’s from Spain.’ You can literally see the technique and the culture in the work itself. It breathes,” Cinquegrana says. “It’s this hard, di cult material that ghts you and kicks and screams and it’s cold, and at the end, it’s organic. That traditional work, it’s held at a high standard, because it’s been polished by hundreds, if not thousands, of years.”
Mike Martin , head of productions, construction and special projects at Spiegelworld
Mike Martin is a maker in the most literal sense. His workshop is a portrait of power tools and planks of wood, books on 3D printing and an LED Christmas cactus that he says his homeowners association hates.
“I like the medium that mixes them all together,” says Martin. “I’m not nearly as good at any particular skill set as I want to be. But the one thing I have going for me is I’m not necessarily limited to woodworking or to metal fabrication or to resin or to CNC [computer numerical control]. I will throw it all together.”
Martin joined Spiegelworld 13 years ago as a production manager for Absinthe. He’s since bounced between projects across the whole company. Some of his most whimsical works can be seen at Absinthe, where he helped design the Green Fairy Garden, its electric oak tree and Pier 17 Yacht Club. He’s also behind smaller details like the s’mores cutting boards at Ski Lodge at the Cosmopolitan.
“We get paid to do weird s**t,” Martin says. “Absinthe called a year ago and was like, ‘So, I got a sword swallower, and there needs to be these tables that she can put the things on,
but they need to go up to the thing, but then they need to collapse when we don’t use them, you know?’ And it’s like, okay, I’ll make a thing.”
Prior to creating for Spiegelworld, Martin toured with MythBusters and The Illusionists as a production manager. He moved to Las Vegas in 2006 to work on the Planet Hollywood production of Stomp Out Loud.
“I spent 10 years doing Stomp all over the world, and kept thinking I’m never gonna have a professional experience like this again, where I get to be part of a family like this. … I was very lucky to find Spiegelworld,” he says.
PIER 17 YACHT CLUB
ELECTRIC OAK TREE AT THE GREEN FAIRY GARDEN
Oscar Gonzalez , neon bender at YESCO
Oscar Gonzalez looks very comfortable over an open flame. When we meet the neon bender of 30 years in his YESCO workshop, he seems wholly within his element. He rotates a piece of glass tubing between his fingers, the flame catching and licking at it until the glass begins to yield like rubber. Gonzalez blows into a hose connected to the tubing to keep it from collapsing. The material dances under the heat, becoming so pliable Gonzalez has to move with it to keep it level. When he’s ready, he bends it into its desired shape.
“Definitely, it’s an art,” Gonzalez says of his trade. “Art is something that gives you that kind of peace of mind.”
The neon bender started working at a neon shop in Guadalajara, Mexico at 14. Enamored by the flames and the neon lights, he’d collect pieces of discarded glass and practice. His first sign spelled out the word “vino.” It took him eight hours to make.
At YESCO, a sign and lighting
company that’s helped illuminate Las Vegas for more than 100 years, and his previous role at Hartlauer Signs, Gonzalez has been essential to restoring historic signage like the 24-foot sign for the Debbie Reynolds Hollywood Hotel and one from the Moulin Rouge. A father of three, Gonzalez says his kids are equally as interested in his craft, to the point where “now, they think I make all the signs in Las Vegas!” he laughs.
Gonzalez hopes to pass on his knowledge, as many of the old guard have either retired or died. And with more energy-efficient LED starting to replace traditional neon, Gonzalez admits he has reservations about the future of his craft. “Is this thing really gonna die? I’ve been hearing that since I started. … I don’t know what’s gonna happen in 10 years,” he says.
Whatever may come, he says there’s always a place for neon in this city and in his heart.
RESTORED MOULIN ROUGE SIGN 2020
(Photos by Wade Vandervort/Staff)
Luis Varela-Rico’s work is as pronounced as it is public. From the 4,000-pound, metallic-plated heads adorning the roadway median near the 215 Beltway and Eastern Avenue, to the 15-foottall solar sculpture of a hand gripping a baseball at Desert Diamonds Baseball Complex, his artistic touch can be detected across the Valley.
The Guadalajara-born metal master seeks to amplify the identity of Las Vegas, much in the same way Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud Gate” shaped Chicago and Robert Graham’s “The Fist” defined Detroit. Having amassed a reputation here, at Burning Man and on shows like Netflix’s Metal Shop Masters, Varela-Rico is well on his way to achieving that ambitious goal.
“There’s a responsibility for a public artist to meet the population in the middle,” Varela-Rico says. “I want to make something for you guys, for us, that helps identify the city, or helps us say, ‘We’re proud of our city, because look how banging our art is.’”
When it comes to his art, Varela-Rico draws from a rich base of culture—his Mexican heritage, the voices of Indigenous people, the resilient Black community—to celebrate all people. For instance, Varela-Rico dedicated the design of his Arts District installation, “Radial Symmetry,” to the Southern Paiutes and their intricate style of basket-weaving. “Peso Neto,” a tremendous and highly symbolic work of steel and bronze from Burning Man, also tells the story of his Mexican heritage, touching on colonialism and religion.
Today, his practices have evolved. He employs computer-aided design software to sketch out 3D designs that he processes through his machines, so he can cut the pieces out and reassemble them.
Varela-Rico developed an affinity for metal due to his love for cars. In his North Las Vegas studio, a vintage Volkswagen sits in the driveway, an old VW Beetle rests on a lift, bicycles dangle from the ceiling and a motorbike is parked in his office. It’s all very industrial, gritty and, dare we say … metal?
“I think people look at metal workers and they have all these stereotypes. But it’s too much to be heavy metal all the time and be dealing with heavy metal. I burn incense and I like to chill the f**k out,” he laughs.
Luis Varela-Rico , metal artist
(Chrisotpher DeVargas/Staff)
“PESO NETO” BY LUIS VARELA-RICO
(Chrisotpher
Barbara
and Larry Domsky , owners of Domsky Glass
Barbara and Larry Domsky have been partners in life and artistry for so long that every piece they create feels like a concerted effort.
“We’ll just kind of determine who has the strongest idea, and from there, we design and develop it,” says Barbara. “Always at the end of it, you never really remember who’s right.”
“We’re a team,” Larry adds. “We’re moving forward to create the best art.”
The couple met through mutual friends, bonding over artistic backgrounds which couldn’t have been more different. Larry was a stagehand and metal worker, while Barbara was a scenic artist and a designer for a glass studio.
“She was pretty feisty, pretty confident,” Larry says. “And I was drawn to her, even though she looked at me like, ‘There’s no way.’”
When Barbara’s colleague offered to show them how to fuse glass—a technique that layers sheets of glass so they can be fired in a kiln and melted into a single, solid piece—they jumped at the chance. It didn’t take long for their love for glass and their love for each other to deepen.
The Domskys opened their first studio in 1994, during a time when Larry says Vegas wasn’t an art town. Still, properties like Wynn and Mandalay Bay took a chance, representing and selling their glass works. They’ve sold and shipped art pieces in 18 countries now, with many being completed for Strip hotels, private residences, Symphony Park and for Harry Reid International
Airport, where “Cloud 9” and “Sunset Mirage,” their largest installations, took five years to fabricate and install.
“No matter how good you get at the technique of working glass, it’s still going to do what it wants,” Barbara says. “If you’re placing paint on a canvas, you pretty much know where the paint is ready to go and how it’s going to dry. When you’re working with glass, it’s a mystery up until the very end.”
Barbara works with fused glass to create wall art and sculpture, while Larry works with hot glass to create hand-blown light sculptures, awards and home decor.
When blowing glass, he starts by taking a “gather” of molten glass, the consistency almost like orange glowing taffy— except it can scorch at the touch. The glass can then be shaped directly or by blowing air through a piece of pipe to form a bubble that’s manipulated into various shapes and sizes, Barbara says.
“There’s tons of techniques, but the way we learned is we would buy [Dale] Chihuly tapes and watch Dale blow glass. … Nobody was teaching,” Larry says.
But the Domskys are willing to teach. The couple regularly host workshops and open houses where they give glass blowing demonstrations.
“It takes at least two years to become decent,” Larry says. “It takes five years to become really good. It takes a lifetime, and you’re always learning.”
(Wade Vandervort/Staff)
BY AMBER SAMPSON
keeps local restaurants in handcrafted tableware
“Made at Clay Arts Vegas” isn’t an imprint you’d expect to find engraved on the bottom of the dishes at Esther’s Kitchen, but the pottery studio has been in the business of supporting local restaurants and bars with handcrafted server ware for years.
“When James [Trees] was planning the opening of Esther’s Kitchen, he reached out to the community and said, ‘I’m looking for someone: I want locally-made plates that complement the food that I’m making.’ Lots of folks pointed him in our direction, and we’re kind of crazy foodies as well,” says Peter Jakubowski, co-owner of Clay Arts Vegas. “We met with James, and next thing you know, we were making hundreds and hundreds and hundreds [of plates].”
Clay Arts Vegas already had some experience doing this with Backwards Distilling Company in Wyoming. But working with the wildly popular Esther’s Kitchen was another beast entirely. Jakubowski made all the bowls and plates, and Clay Arts Vegas co-owner Thomas Bumblauskas glazed them and also created Esther’s water pitchers.
“We would close the studio at nine o’clock at night and then glaze until one o’clock in the morning, and then start up again [a few hours later],” Bumblauskas says. “It was a learning experience and insane and fun.”
On top of workshops, classes, managing the 200 students they currently have and showing pieces in galleries, Clay Arts Vegas has also created products for Ada’s Food + Wine, CC Speakeasy, Main St. Provisions and the former Valencian Gold. Bumblauskas and Jakubowski both hail from theater backgrounds but their love for ceramics will always run deep. “My entire life has been as a maker,” Bumblauskas says. “As a theater kid growing up, I was always making props or building a set. Coming into clay … after a professional life designing for theater and film, suddenly I got to really be in control of the whole product.”
“For me, a lot of it ties into the historic nature of it … and the fact that we know so much about past cultures solely from their ceramics,” Jakubowski says. “Fabric and paintings wear away just from being exposed to the environment, but something that we make out of clay today will still be on this planet thousands of years from now, and it’ll still be clay. We still do processes that are exactly the same that someone did 4,000 years ago.”
CLAY ARTS VEGAS
1353 Arville St., 702-375-4147, clayartsvegas.com Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sunday, noon-3 p.m.
Co-owners Peter Jakubowski, left, and Thomas Bumblauskas
Clay Arts Vegas’ Esther’s Kitchen collection
(Photographs by Steve Marcus/Staff)
A man works at a potter’s wheel during independent studio time at Clay Arts Vegas.
IN THE NEWS
“Trump’s reelection follows years of anti-LGBTQ+ attacks from right-wing politicians and extremists, and tens of millions of dollars spent on false, anti-trans ads designed to fuel hatred and division.”
- Silver State Equality State Director André Wade on the reelection of Donald Trump
HOT SHOT
Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., gives a victory speech November 9 at the Teamsters Local 631 meeting hall in Las Vegas. Rosen won her reelection against Republican challenger Sam Brown. (Steve Marcus/Sta )
1 GOODBYE, ‘OAKLAND’
YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED
The Athletics dropped the “Oakland” from their name as the team prepares to move its games to Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento. The A’s announced in April that they would play at the park for MLB seasons 20252027 before moving to Las Vegas in 2028.
The Golden Knights host the Washington Capitals on November
ENVIRONMENT
Federal funding for local park makeovers
The Department of the Interior awarded Clark County over $43 million to develop and enhance the Mountain’s Edge Regional Park. The project will develop 55 acres of the park, adding a soccer complex, pickleball complex and a community botanical garden. Clark County was also awarded over $19 million to develop and enhance within the Wetlands Park. The proposed project will improve around 8.5 acres within the 2,900-acre park and will include pedestrian bridges, an area for bird and pond viewing and enhanced security. Another $4 million for the Multi-Species Habitat Conservation Plan will be used to increase the Mojave desert tortoise and other species’ connectivity across the county, implement wildlife and habitat protective measures, and fund surveys and health assessments to determine the population size and health of the Mojave desert tortoise. –Ilana Williams
BY THE NUMBERS
$315K
That’s the median sales price for condos and townhomes sold in October, a 14.3% increase since 2023. Las Vegas Realtors said that’s a record high. And at $475,531, the median price of a single-family home is also up since last year.
ELECTION VOTER ID PASSES ROUND ONE
The election brought close results up and down the ballot. But one race, somewhat surprisingly, was determined by a landslide: Ballot Question 7.
The initiative, which would mandate presenting photo identification before voting in person or providing a Social Security or driver’s license number if voting by mail, passed with support from about 73% of voters.
The Nevada GOP is championing the initiative, claiming it would bolster trust among voters disillusioned by the electoral process. It must be approved again by voters in 2026 to amend the Nevada Constitution to require voter ID.
The GOP’s election cynicism rose when then-President
Donald Trump lost in 2020 to President Joe Biden, narrowly coming up short in a handful of battleground states. He lost here by 33,596 votes. The GOP’s assault on election integrity included multiple legal challenges disputing the results. No widespread fraud was found and Nevada’s secretary of state at the time, Republican Barbara Cegavske, certified the results.
Former Clark County GOP chair David Gibbs filed the ballot initiative petition through his organization, Repair the Vote PAC, which was created for the initiative.
“A lot of the sentiment I was getting from people was like, ‘What do you mean, we don’t need an ID? It’s common sense,’” Gibbs said.
2 3 FREE ADMISSION AT MOB MUSEUM
The Mob Museum celebrates Kefauver Day, which commemorates the 1950 U.S. Senate investigative committee hearing on organized crime, by offering free admission for Nevada residents and buy-one, get-one admission for non-residents on November 15.
The case against the proposal is that requiring an ID to vote would create more barriers to accessibility and discourage voters. You already need to show identification when registering to vote; signatures are verified when casting a ballot.
Opponents to the question, Battle Born Progress and Nevada Voter Freedom Alliance, cited the state’s 28 federally recognized tribal communities that don’t have a uniform ID and rural areas where the nearest DMV may be distant as examples of people who could face harm.
If enacted, the requirement would accept tribal identification cards, as well as IDs for college students and military members, Gibbs said.
–Haajrah Gilani
LED TRANSFORMATION
Henderson is upgrading nearly 31,000 public streetlights to energy-efficient LEDs. The city says the project will enhance public safety for commuters and make operations more efficient by adding remote-controlled lighting and outage monitoring.
LABOR Union strikes at Virgin
SECOND SUCH ACTION FOR CULINARY AT RESORT
Culinary Union Local 226 will go on strike at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas starting November 15, the union announced.
The union organized a strike for the same location in May, protesting outside the resort for a weekend after its contract expired in June 2023. This time, it is planning around-the-clock picket lines. Ted Pappageorge, the union’s secretary-treasurer, urged locals and tourists not to cross the lines.
Pappageorge said in a statement that Virgin Hotels has offered no wage increases for the next three years. The union requested a bargaining session for next week, but no meetings have been scheduled, Pappageorge said.
Virgin Hotels Las Vegas wrote in a statement that the union didn’t allow employees to vote on a June proposal and that the company has been awaiting responses to a number of offers put forward since July. The resort alleged the union didn’t reach out until the day the strike was announced “regarding a return to the table or any other potentially constructive steps toward resolution.”
The union and hotel chain have had a contentious year. Along with Culinary’s demonstration in May, Virgin Hotels filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board alleging the union wasn’t acting in good faith. In August, nearly two dozen union members were arrested outside the hotel while protesting.
–Kyle Chouinard
‘REIGN OF TERROR’ IMMIGRANT ADVOCATES IN NEVADA PREPARE FOR IN SECOND TRUMP PRESIDENCY
BY SHANNON MILLER
With Donald Trump in line to be the next president of the United States, immigrant communities across Nevada and the nation are bracing for his promise to carry out the “largest deportation in the history of our country,” removing millions of immigrants in mass roundups and raids. Among the most immediate effects of such a move would be to tear Nevada families apart, experts predict.
Leo Murrieta, executive director of Make the Road Nevada, an immigrant advocacy organization with about 39,000 members statewide, said in a statement on behalf of members that the community was “deeply disheartened and alarmed” by the outcome of the election, adding that the upcoming Trump administration poses a “grave threat” to marginalized communities.
“His campaign has relied on lies and fear-mongering immigrants to divide and weaken our nation. … We … will not sit by as their rights and dignity are under attack,” Murrieta
said in a partial statement.
Michael Kagan, director of the UNLV Immigration Clinic—which provides pro bono legal services for immigrants facing deportation— says Trump’s promised mass deportation would be “an attack on the family and the social and economic fabric of our community.”
“That is where we will see family separations in large numbers, because undocumented immigrants do not live separately from citizens and other immigrants. Undocumented immigrants in Las Vegas mostly live in mixed families, where under one roof you have people of all different statuses—citizens, undocumented, lawful residents—all living together, all in one family … going to work and school and coming home to the same house every day,” Kagan says.
According to a study by Pew Research Center released this summer, Nevada is the state with the highest share of households that include an unauthorized immigrant—9% of Nevada households are mixed status.
Across the U.S. about 4.4 million
U.S.-born children under 18 live with an unauthorized immigrant parent, accounting for 84% of all minor children living with an unauthorized immigrant parent. What Trump has promised is to separate these families.
To do it, the incoming president has said he will employ the National Guard or military and local law enforcement, pointing to the Eisenhower administration’s deadly “Operation Wetback” in 1954—in which Border Patrol used military-style tactics to round up hundreds of thousands of Mexicans suspected of being in the country illegally, including legal citizens—as a model for the mass deportation he has promised to initiate “on day one.”
“I worry about the involvement of the National Guard … because that could be part of a true reign of terror in our community. I don’t think people, when they hear the phrase ‘mass deportation,’ really understand what this could mean, because almost no one alive today has experienced anything like it,” Kagan says.
It is still unclear how Trump will deliver on his mass deportation promises amid many operational, legal and political challenges. For one, it would be expensive. According to estimates from the American Immigration Council, an immigrant advocacy group, deporting 13 million immigrants in the U.S. illegally would cost an estimated $968 billion over a little more than a decade.
As for specific policies, Kagan says it’s likely Trump will resort to using what is called expedited removal, a procedure created in 1996 by Congress that allows Border Patrol officers to rapidly deport undocumented immigrants without a hearing. Congress in 2004 required that the process only apply to noncitizens that have been picked up within 14 days of arrival in the U.S. and within 100 miles of a U.S. land border. But Trump in 2019 expanded expedited removal, allowing it to be applied to individuals anywhere in the United States who had been in the country for up to two years. Various approaches to expedited
removal feature prominently in Trump world’s Project 2025 and Trump alluded to those plans on the campaign trail.
“[It] would allow ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] to pick up people and deport them without taking them to a judge. And that is something that they already took steps to do during the first Trump administration in 2019. We [just] didn’t really see the full scale of it, because COVID interrupted its implementation,” Kagan says.
Trump also is likely to revisit his attempt to rescind Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), the 2012 law that prevents people who came to the U.S. at a young age from being deported. The Supreme Court in 2020 decided that Trump’s attempt to end the program, which covers more than 11,000 Nevadans, was flawed, but said that he could try it again if certain administrative flaws were remedied.
DACA is “before the firing squad,” Kagan says, as Trump is likely to attempt to rescind the program again, spurring possible legal challenges that would end up with a Supreme Court that, since the 2020 DACA decision, gained one Trump appointee and a conservative majority.
Thousands in Nevada with Temporary Protected Status, another form of legal immigration, are also “in the cross hairs” of Trump’s immigration policy changes, Kagan says. Project 2025 has called for the repeal of the program, which allows the Department of Homeland Security to offer temporary deportation protections and work permits to migrants who come from countries where it is difficult or unsafe for them to return.
“One of the things we know from the first Trump administra-
tion is that they didn’t just attack people who were in the country without legal authorization. They also blocked and slowed down all legal pathways that included the processing of legal applications for people trying to do it through the existing laws,” Kagan says. “There’s a very significant population of people with temporary protected status who work in Las Vegas, many with good union jobs and raising families and paying mortgages. And I’ve met people
in this situation, really anchors of communities [for whom] this threat is definitely very real.”
Trump has said “there is no price tag” for his mass deportation plan. But experts and scholars would disagree. The economic impacts of mass deportation would be massive, says John Tuman, professor of political science at UNLV. It would devastate the workforce in Vegas’ hospitality and leisure industry and lead to worker shortages that could drive housing prices up.
“More than two-thirds of the foreign-born population here in
A member of the Texas delegation holds a sign during the Republican National Convention on July 17 in Milwaukee.
(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Nevada and in Southern Nevada are people who were born in Mexico … and they make very important contributions in hospitality and leisure. Overall, about 30% of Latinos who are employed are employed in leisure and hospitality,” Tuman says.
Undocumented immigrants also make up 23% of the U.S. construction laborers workforce, according to a 2021 report from the Center for American Progress.
“If you make it more difficult to hire immigrant workers, you’re going to see labor shortages there— which against the backdrop of other ongoing issues, sometimes with supply chains, is not going to help to bring prices down. Quite the opposite,” Tuman says.
President Joe Biden could help curb the potential impacts of Trump’s mass deportation by expediting applications of people who are entitled to legal status but are just waiting for applications to be read, Kagan says.
“There’s a constant backlog, and … one of the things Biden can do in his remaining months is make sure they move as fast as possible for anyone who has an application for a green card or citizenship or an employment authorization.”
As for guidance for immigrants and their allies, Kagan says the UNLV Immigration Clinic is working with community partners on crafting messaging to release to the community.
“I think it’s important for everyone in the community to know that this is a very real threat to people that we all know and interact with every day. … And I think as this transpires, people need to have their eyes open about what’s happening and be ready to speak up and to stand by their neighbors,” Kagan says.
“We will see family separations in large numbers, because undocumented immigrants do not live separately from citizens and other immigrants. Undocumented immigrants in Las Vegas mostly live in mixed families, where under one roof you have people of all different statuses—citizens, undocumented, lawful residents—all living together, all in one family.”
—Michael Kagan, director, UNLV Immigration Clinic
AQUA
A fine-dining experience helmed by Michelin-starred chef Shaun Hergatt, Aqua Seafood & Caviar Restaurant transports any diner to the coast with that first bite of Atlantic Salmon or Alaskan Black Cod. The warm restaurant guarantees a luxurious experience to all who visit.
BAR ZAZU
A vibrant, chic and intimate café that showcases the spirit and flavors of Europe in a festive and stylish atmosphere, including to the tune of live music, Bar Zazu serves guests European tapas, brews, wine and cocktails, and more by chef Nicole Brisson.
BREZZA
Once awarded Eater’s “Restaurant of the Year,” Brezza is also led by Executive Chef Nicole Brisson, and embraces the traditions of Italian cuisine. Brisson brings an authentic yet modern approach to coastal Italian dishes, informed by her extensive training under renowned chefs in Italy.
CARVERSTEAK
This exclusive restaurant, with a luxe dining room, a bar and lounge, and a terrace with Las Vegas Strip views, reimagines the classic steakhouse experience and offers something for everyone—from dry-aged American and Japanese-certified Wagyu steaks to an array of playful vegan selections.
CROSSROADS KITCHEN
Previously listed among the “Top 10 Italian Restaurants” by the Los Angeles Times, Crossroads Kitchen is a unique gem on the Las Vegas Strip for its fully plant-based menu coupled with a finedining experience. Featured dishes include Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms and Impossible Cigars, curated by celebrity chef Tal Ronnen and Executive Chef Paul Zlatos.
FUHU
Whether you’re there for brunch, happy hour or dinner, FUHU Las Vegas is ready for you. This high-energy venue features a vibrant and multidimensional design that incorporates retro touches and modern, Chinese-inspired details to create a beautiful backdrop for your already delightful dining experience.
GENTING PALACE
Indulge in authentic Cantonese cuisine at Forbes four-star-rated Genting Palace. Executive Chef Billy Cheng captures the essence of Southern China through fresh seafood creations and masterfully crafted dishes at this restaurant, including rice and noodles.
KUSA NORI
This modern Japanese restaurant serves both classic and innovative dishes, and also offers guests an impressive selection of sake. Menu highlights include oysters, specialty rolls, sashimi and nigiri, robata meats and seafood, to name a few. The restaurant’s exclusive happy hour each day from 4-5:30 p.m. promises a menu of signature bites, cocktails and more at specialty prices.
Great food is the heart of every gathering—and Resorts World Las Vegas knows that. The hotel-casino offers guests a diverse range of restaurants and lounges sure to satiate any culinary craving, with flavors from around the world—such as Cantonese cuisine, Latin cooking, steakhouses, vegan options and more. In addition to inimitable menus, restaurants at Resorts World also offer guests an event space perfect for any occasion, whether that be an intimate get-together or a grand celebration. This list of just a handful of Resorts World’s highly rated and lavish culinary destinations can help you find where to spend your next dinner date or grab a bite before a show. But if somehow these don’t make your foodie heart sing, or you’re not looking for the fine-dining experience, then be sure to check out more of Resorts World’s casual-dining spaces, or “Famous Foods Street Eats.” The latter, a food hall just off the casino floor that emulates the markets of Southeast Asia, offers affordable vendors like Burger Barn, Googgleman and Yaya’s that give patrons a taste of the whole world.
¡VIVA!
A celebration of chef Ray Garcia’s distinct culinary perspective and fresh take on Latin cooking, ¡VIVA! gives patrons an opportunity to enjoy handmade corn masa tortillas and freshly prepared ceviches, guacamoles and salsas. The menu offers bright and bold flavors typical of Mexican food, with an array of small plates, appetizers and shareable entrees.
WALLY’S
Get a taste of Southern California’s iconic wine and dining at the first location of Wally’s Wine & Spirits’ first location outside of the Golden State. Wally’s functions as a trifecta restaurant, wine bar and specialty gourmet market, creating a one-stop-shop experience for visitors. Menu highlights include salads, deluxe and hand-crafted charcuterie boards, pizza and steaks. Nearly 2,000 labels of wine, spirits, beer and more are also available.
ROLLIN’ ON THE STRIP
Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace opens a winter skating residency at Tao Beach Dayclub
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
The Las Vegas roller skating scene just keeps getting bigger and better. Just a few months ago we shined a light on our Valley’s active and growing local skate culture—talking to Sin City Roller Derby, curating a skate playlist and even lacing up our own quads to take a spin around Skate Rock City. But this winter, for the first time, wheels are turning on the Strip, thanks to a partnership between skate lifestyle brand Flipper’s World, the Venetian, Tao Hospitality Group and R&B superstar Usher.
”Our mission at Flipper’s is to spread the gospel of roller skating,” says Liberty Ross, founder and creative director of Flipper’s World. “Skating is very special because it unites everybody on the floor.”
That mission is taking center stage as Flipper’s converts Tao Beach Dayclub’s outdoor pool area into an all-ages, skate-and-hang paradise.
“We at Flipper’s love to flip spaces, excuse the pun,” adds Ross. “We’ve flipped all kinds of landscapes ... we have become experts in building rinks anywhere.” Some of the brand’s flips include an outdoor summer rink at Rockefeller Center, a London-based indoor skate space and a 4/20 pop-up party at the Hollywood Palladium.
Flipper’s isn’t just another rink, but an experience rooted in skate history. In the late ‘70s, Ross’ father Ian “Flipper” Ross launched the original Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace in West Hollywood, uniting music, culture, and celebrities for a one-of-a-kind night out. It was a cultural melting pot, where punk met disco and Prince brought his Dirty Mind tour before he achieved superstardom. Liberty’s version of Flipper’s stays true to that legacy while adding her own spin, blending modern fashion, music, sport and art.
Enter Usher, whose recent Super Bowl halftime show featured Flipper’s skate squad and drew attention
to the ever-vibrant skate community.
“I was introduced to Usher through a mutual friend of ours about three years ago, and we had this shared passion to nurture rink culture,” says Ross.
That spark led to this partnership, one that aims to revive roller skating for a new generation.
“Many rinks were kind of these tired, low ceiling, bad soundsystem spaces, and we just really wanted to create something much more immersive for today’s environment,” explains Ross.
FLIPPER’S ROLLER BOOGIE PALACE November 16-February 2, noon-8 p.m., $20+, all ages. Tao Beach Dayclub, tickets. taogroup.com.
And as a mother of teens, Ross adds an emphasis on creating a “less scroll, more roll” environment. Whether you’re a roller derby-level athlete on a set of inlines or just beginning to find your balance on a pair of quads, skating demands a conscious effort to avoid smacking down on the floor.
“One thing about roller skating is that it’s pretty hard to do while filming yourself,” Ross says.
After a while, many find the disconnection from cell phones that Flipper’s requires reminds them of the old days.
“Everybody who comes to our rink, they say, ‘Wow, this is what parties used to feel like,’” Ross says.
Picture roller skaters gliding under neon lights, basslines pumping through the Vegas air and a skate floor that doubles as a runway. Flipper’s Roller Boogie Palace channels the vibrant energy of the original West Hollywood hot spot and the energy of our childhoods. With passionate individuals like Usher and Ross steering the ship, this residency is set to make on-Strip skating less of a throwback and more of a union of skate parties past and present.
Flipper’s Skate Squad (Courtesy)
(Rendering Courtesy)
CHARLIE WILSON
SATURDAY | NOV 23
SARAH BRIGHTMAN
FRIDAY | DEC 6
SOFIA NINO DE RIVERA
SATURDAY | DEC 7
JEFF FOXWORTHY
FRIDAY & SATURDAY | DEC 13 & 14
ART TAKING UP SPACE
Left of Center Gallery’s I Need Space To Roam is a bold showcase of new voices from the arts community
BY GABRIELA RODRIGUEZ
Art has a subtle way of re ecting who we are. Memories, identities and dreams stare back at us from a canvas, sculpture or screen. In these rare moments of re ection, we realize that what’s around us, the places we pass by, the people we share our streets with are all part of us in ways we might not realize day to day. The I Need Space to Roam exhibit at Left of Center Gallery unintentionally grabs onto that notion while tearing down the walls of commercialization and getting to the heart of Las Vegas’ art scene.
Curated by Haide Calle—a UNLV student and mixed media artist deeply invested in honoring her Otomi Indigenous and immigrant roots—I Need Space to Roam is a gathering of 24 femme, women and gender-nonconforming voices from Vegas’ ever-burgeoning art community, with personal stories spilling through sculptures, paintings, video and experimental installations that unapologetically claim space.
She explains that her work had caught the attention of Left of Center Gallery from a previous exhibit. The gallery o ered her a solo show, but Calle had a di erent vision. “I wasn’t ready for it, but I had another idea,” she says, explaining that
her goal was to create a collaborative showcase for voices often marginalized.
Beyond the stories, Calle wanted the exhibit to explore the limits of material and form, to test how di erent mediums could pull viewers deeper into each narrative, while also coming from a playful approach.
“I know that a lot of art has this more conceptual side that people are like, ‘I don’t get it’,” says Calle. “But people can be as impacted just seeing the piece and being like, ‘Oh, this is really cool’.”
That spirit of accessibility runs through the entire show. There’s no art-world pretension here; just work that speaks openly to those willing to engage.
The layout of the gallery keeps you on your toes, guiding you from piece to piece as if by some invisible thread. Upon entering, your eyes are directly met by a moon-perched puppet, with a cigarette hanging from the corner of its mouth and a star-shaped clock above reading 3:20 a.m. The piece, by mixed media artist LuvRiot, is called “Afterhours” and it immediately brings to mind the countless construction workers who drag themselves out of bed at the crack of dawn to
I NEED SPACE TO ROAM Thru December 7; Wednesday-Friday, noon-4 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m; free. Left of Center Gallery, leftofcenterart.org.
get their work day started.
Immediately to the right is “I Don’t Think I Have a Big Enough Shoe For This Problem,” by AerynClare Gaddy—a massive spider sculpture piece made from styrofoam, chicken wire, duct tape and more. Its collage of printed tape makes it hard to decipher where it begins and ends, and its size can’t be ignored.
“I love when sculptures are almost bigger than you, they have this sort of intimidation … that’s what I wanted to bring to this show,” Calle says.
Behind the rst wall is “74 Darts,” a photo print piece with colorful darts piercing the image of a man—and in an accompanying video projection, artist Iulia Filipov-Serediuc aims and throws the darts.
Each turn o ers a new revelation, a new angle to explore—and each piece becomes a portal into the artist’s world, inviting viewers to crane their necks, to see it from every angle.
What’s clear throughout I Need Space to Roam is that art doesn’t have to t a mold. The exhibition is a celebration of voices, materials and narratives that break traditional boundaries and make us excited to see what’s to come from these creators.
“74 Darts” by Iulia Filipov-Serediuc
“The Bull” by Bailey Anderson
(Photos Courtesy of Gabriela Rodriguez)
SMOKE SIGNALS
Summerlin takeout spot Wild Fig BBQ’s reputation is growing
BY BROCK RADKE
Barbecue joints aren’t like other restaurants. This food is made to be enjoyed together in large groups, possibly at home and preferably in your own backyard—that’s why “dining rooms” at barbecue restaurants feel so homey.
Those familiar expectations have allowed Summerlin-area eatery Wild Fig to flourish, even though it’s not a full-service restaurant. It’s primarily a takeout spot, though there’s a comfy patio with a few tables. But while the menu is stacked with favorites
like beef brisket, pulled pork, spareribs, mac and cheese and coleslaw, this quiet-but-mighty kitchen also serves up specialties like housecured and smoked pastrami, poblano chili and cheese sausage, Mexican corn salad and daily specials that’ll make your head spin.
“Tomorrow is burger day, and we’re doing so many briskets now, we have a lot of trim, so we grind it up for hamburgers. We do kind of a smashburger, Oklahoma-style with grilled onions,” owner Steve Cook
says. “Another [burger] we do is fried in beef tallow. We keep increasing the amount of burgers, and we keep selling out.”
So that’s how a barbecue joint becomes a burger joint, at least on certain days. Others, you might find an authentic shepherd’s pie—“That’s a big one for Thanksgiving,” Cook says—or an Asian-style crispy pork belly, or maybe a brisket melt sandwich with horseradish cream or Filipino lumpia. The specials come from all over
because Cook has been in the industry for 45 years. He started what became Wild Fig at this location in 2017, essentially operating a commissary kitchen for the food truck version of beloved local chicken joint Farm Basket. When the extreme heat of Vegas summer dampened appetites for fried chicken, he threw some briskets on the smoker and charted a new course, creating a catering operation that expanded and will likely need an actual dining room in the coming
Wild Fig’s Pit Boss with mac and cheese and pulled pork; Salmon Plate with collard greens and coleslaw; Three Meat Combo with turkey breast, sausage and brisket, mac and cheese, green chili, “meaty beans,” Brussels sprouts, poblano cheddar morn mu ns and cantaloupe agua fresca. (Wade Vandervort/Sta )
WILD
9555 Del Webb Blvd., 702-575-9515, wildfigcatering.com.
Wednesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
FOOD & DRINK
THREE NEW OPTIONS TURN CAESARS’ COURT INTO CELEBRITY FOOD HALL
We’re not sure why it took so long to get legendary Chicago chef, cookbook author and TV personality Rick Bayless to open something on the Las Vegas Strip. (Actually, Bayless was a consultant of sorts at the former Diego at MGM Grand, now the site of the Jonas Brothers’ restaurant Nellie’s Southern Kitchen.) But it’s happened, and it’s worth fighting your way into the renamed Celebrity Food Hall at Caesars Palace to eat a crispy chicken torta, his version of a Cuban sandwich with bacon and avocado, or a carne asada and mushroom quesadilla. This newly opened fast-casual joint is called Tortazo, and the flavors are big and bright—very necessary to stand out in a casino food hall these days.
If you’ve discovered his hidden gem Buddy’s Jersey Eats across the Strip at the Linq, you already know this stu is gonna be good. –Brock Radke months or years.
“We all feel it,” Cook says of his team, partners Daniel Schneider and Erica Joyce. “We could better serve a lot more people, and I don’t think we’ll be able to pull that o in this location. It comes down to where we can put it. I’ve got realtors calling me [with locations] but with our smokers, you have to be careful where you place this thing. You don’t want to make bad neighbors.”
Speaking of being neighborly, Wild Fig and its customers have
been lending some needed help to Cook’s former neighborhood.
Throughout October and likely continuing until Thanksgiving, the business is donating its pro ts to victims of Hurricane Helene through the Polk County Community Foundation. Cook lived in Greenville, South Carolina before moving to Las Vegas and regularly bicycled through some of the areas hardest hit by the record storm in September.
“We’ve had dozens of customers come in just to donate,” he says.
And it’s not the only new addition to the eating emporium just across from the Colosseum. New York star chef Esther Choi has opened Mokbar, serving her high-energy interpretation of traditional and modern Korean dishes, including her famous spicy and sour gochujang chicken and pan-fried vegan dumplings. And “Cake Boss” Buddy Valastro brings another casual Italian o ering to the Strip with Buddy V’s Pizzeria, serving sausage, egg and cheese or hot roast beef sandwiches, and square slices of “Boss Pizza.”
Bulgogi Bowl at Mokbar
(Courtesy)
FIG BBQ
Marle Spragg
refl ects on a decade in professional poker and looks ahead to what’s next
BY CASE KEEFER
Poker is having a moment.
Tournament entries are up across the board, headlined by last summer’s World Series of Poker breaking all records, including drawing a staggering 10,112 players into the $10,000 Main Event.
One major factor in the latest boom—more than 20 years after the biggest one where the game turned into a ratings hit on ESPN—is the emergence of a new generation of players adept at more than just gambling. Poker might have reached a whole new audience with the popularity of YouTube vloggers reviewing and commenting on their sessions.
Count Marle Spragg among that group. And the 33-year New York native did it with an old-fashioned twist.
Unlike many players who log millions of hands online, Spragg moved to Las Vegas and learned how to play live in some of the most famous poker rooms in the world. Spragg’s introduction to the game came from her father, who brought her to play in a few cash games at the Bellagio when she was just getting started.
Cash games turned into an obsession, and Spragg eventually tapped into her theatrical and comedic background to make dry-humored sketches and shorts that spread widely in poker circles.
She’s since moved to the United Kingdom, become an ambassador for the world’s largest poker site, PokerStars, and a staple at the biggest tournaments in the world.
We caught up with Spragg when she was back in town for PokerStars’ North American Poker Tour stop at Resorts World to talk about her rise, spending 10 years as a local professional and her goals going forward.
POKER
(Courtesy/Manuel Kovsca
STAR
What initially brought you to Las Vegas?
I played poker recreationally and was looking to do something di erent after college. I went to school in New York and I just loved Vegas. I lived on the Strip for ve years in various places and, when I rst moved here, I lived in a poker house with a bunch of British guys and just grinded day and night. There are just so many good memories in Vegas of playing all day and all night, walking home as the sun is coming up and doing it all the next day.
What are your best memories from back then?
We just loved the game. It wasn’t about anything else. Now there are so many di erent things, whether it’s trying to make good content, trying to have a tournament score to have glory or something. But back then, there was nothing better than grinding with your
friends and then going to a diner and talking about hands for three hours and then going home and talking about hands at home. Nothing else mattered. I’ll always look back on those times as the absolute best because it was so simple.
What made you take the jump from playing recreationally to professionally?
I did have a job at rst. I had a job waiting tables. I would play when I wasn’t working, then I quit the job. What made the jump for me was my ex-boyfriend was a pro, and his friend coached me and staked me and I was like, OK, now I have this in place. He is who really made me a winning player. He made me good and with that encouragement and support, it was like, all right, let’s try it.
What caused the realization that you had a lane to make
unique content out of your experiences?
I had an acting background so I just wanted to do something a bit creative that was a good outlet from grinding all the time. It does get momentous. I was good friends with (well-known poker vloggers) Brad Owen and Andrew Neeme. They were like, “You should do this. You’re a female. You can do it like we do it.” They planted the seed. I just started doing di erent things and it kind of blew up.
What’s the balance now between playing and producing content?
I kind of toggle back and forth. Since I moved to the U.K. and I have the access to play online, I was inspired to actually try to get good at poker. I have a long way to go, so I have been enjoying actually studying and playing more right now, but inevitably I’ll go on a downswing. That’s kind of how it works. When I’m on a downswing and less incentivized to play, less wanting to play, it’s like, I’ll go make some videos now. I’ll do something else and take a break.
How many of your video ideas come to you at the table? It happens all the time. But when I’m in content brain, it’s di erent than when I’m in regular brain. When I’m focused on making content, I’m constantly looking for things. A lot of my videos happen when I’m at the table and say something and people respond to it—this is something people are interested in. So I’ll make a video about it.
How important is it to you to help expand the game for women?
I want to do whatever I can, especially for women and especially for a new generation of players.
Your poker odyssey teaches you a lot of great life lessons—long-term thinking, bankroll management, not being results-oriented. These kinds of things are really key life skills, so the more people we can teach those things, especially ladies, it’s a huge win.
How much growth have you seen in that area, more than a decade into playing?
A lot. The rst day I was here, I had ve ladies at my table. You used to never see that.
What role did your dad play in making you pursue poker full-time?
He’s always been really supportive. He loves poker so obviously he understands it very well. He’s supportive and he said, “I will do whatever it is to make you more comfortable. If you want to do this, I’ll support you.” I’m really lucky. He was key because without him I would have been so nervous to sit down for the rst time and second time.
What does he make of your career now?
He loves it. He was here playing a few days and we got him a hoodie, he had a patch on. He’s grinding. He’s a huge supporter.
How much would it mean to you to win a major tournament or a World Series of Poker bracelet?
Bracelets are still highly sought after, and I got 11th place this year in the WSOP Ladies Event, so I was close. I just wanted to (mimics screaming in frustration) bubbling the nal table. I would love to have those achievements, but more so, I just want to understand the game on a deep level. You focus on the process and making good decisions, then that will all come. It’s inevitable it will come one day.
(Courtesy/Danny Maxwell Rational Intellectual Holdings Limited)
When we started, it was just the beginning of COVID, and a lot of the hotels had shut down. So the team that we grew came from hospitality, so they were used to working on a team.”
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER
VEGAS INC STAFF
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, LVK—a ful llment division of parent company and warehouse management system ShipHero—opened a third-party logistics warehouse in North Las Vegas spanning 200,000 square feet. It now operates ve warehouses across the U.S. and two in Canada. Vegas Inc sat down with Maggie Barnett, CEO of LVK, to hear more about the company’s presence in Las Vegas, the future of the warehouse industry and more.
Can you tell me a little bit about LVK’s presence in Las Vegas?
When COVID hit, we knew we had to get in the warehouse ourselves. We had the technology, we had the knowhow, and we just said, “We really need to be more hands-on.” And the West Coast is so important, obviously, because between the Northeast and the West Coast, that’s really where all the orders are. That’s where all the people are ordering things in large amounts. And we knew Vegas was so important because, one, there’s a very strong workforce. Just with hospitality in general—that strong workforce drew us to Las Vegas, and the fact that it’s only ve hours from the port of [Los Angeles].
Q+A: MAGGIE BARNETT
Geography, workforce position Southern Nevada perfectly to thrive in warehouse sector
So a lot of our customers truck their things into the port and then truck them, or we help them get trucked to Las Vegas. So all those orders come in via ocean freight (and then) get trucked to Vegas within ve hours.
How does Las Vegas’ business landscape and even its location make it a good destination for warehouses like LVK’s?
Ten years ago, [then-North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee] saw that there was a huge de cit of $150 million in North Las Vegas. And it was like, well, we can tax people more, we can tax our current businesses, or we can create a new tax base. And [that led to] creating new businesses that were outside of hospitality, that needed space, that needed people to work them and were in close proximity to end users.
How do you see the warehouse industry growing in Las Vegas?
I see this sector growing because people want stu for consumers in the U.S., where there’s a few things that we consume. There’s things that are made in other places that will get dropped into Las Vegas, then will end up with end consumers. … Vegas is so interesting because the old “what happens here, stays here” marketing campaign, they ipped that on its head. The di erent things that are happening in Vegas are very family-oriented, and it’s not just for people
to come visit anymore, but to live. People want to live in Vegas. There’s no state income tax, and there’s such viable job creation there, because it kind of is this beautiful ywheel of, there’s space, there’s people that can go earn and really enjoy community.
What kind of jobs does the warehouse sector produce for an economy like that of Las Vegas?
LVK is almost 60% women. So a lot of times when people think of warehousing, they might just think it’s a whole bunch of guys on forklifts. But in warehousing, especially in fulllment and high-touch ful llment, there’s a lot of work toward the end of that packout. It’s for people who are detail-oriented. When we started, it was just the beginning of COVID, and a lot of the hotels had shut down. So the team that we grew came from hospitality, so they were used to working on a team. They were used to paying attention to detail. Working in hospitality is long hours, it’s attention to detail, it’s teamwork. Those are all things we need in the warehouse.
How else, if at all, have you seen the pandemic a ect LVK and warehousing overall?
During the pandemic, tons of venture capital money and private equity money ew into logistics— into setting up warehouses, into technologies—and it was just like a boom. It was like this gold rush. And
so many people overbuilt, overspent and got over-leveraged. And (the CEO of ShipHero) and myself, we always said, “Let’s be rational, let’s really only bite o what we can chew.” … Any package that goes out the door needs to be pro table. We can’t do this for free. And two-and-a-half to three years later, you start to see— wow, thank goodness we did that, because LVK set itself up to always be pro table and to get sustainable business in ve, 10, 15-year chunks.
Is there anything you want to add?
Las Vegas does have this hospitality DNA, which is so important to LVK’s business, because it’s that merging of operation and customer service and customer satisfaction that has been transmuted into our other facilities, and I’m just so glad I was on the grounds during COVID. For the rst three months, I lived out of (a resort). I relocated with a bag in my hand. I was supposed to go out there for a weekend—for basically four days to help get the warehouse set up and get everyone settled in. And I stayed there for three months. That was so important to LVK’s journey, because I got to learn rsthand on the ground from these hospitality folks what it meant to get good service—even if the person’s not in front of you, but they’re gonna be opening a box later. Putting good service into that box was really such an imperative for us to be who we are today.
Nevada’s State Energy Office has access to federal funds from the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) for energy efficiency programs. We want to help them get this money into your hands as fast and easily as possible.
This is a transformational opportunity that could give Nevadans the money they need to replace costly and energy intensive equipment in their homes and enable businesses to reduce operating costs by upgrading to modern, energy efficient equipment.
Our local team of 44 people based in Reno and Las Vegas is ready. We’ve already helped Nevada’s utilities implement and evaluate energy efficiency programs that have delivered 18.2 million kWh in lighting savings. In the last five years alone, DNV has delivered 42 projects saving nearly (a combined) 7 million kWh of energy.
At the end of the day, it comes down to trust. DNV knows Nevada and the state’s entire energy system.
Raise your voice! Share on X and Facebook that you’re ready for Nevada’s State Energy Office and DNV to deliver energy efficiency programs that bring you real, lasting benefits.
Girisgen & Kopolow needs a Managing Optometrist in Las Vegas, NV to conduct comprehensive eye examinations to assess visual acuity & detect vision prob. Req: Doctor of Optometry (foreign ed equiv accepted). Optometrist, DEA, CS license & TPA cert required. Salary: $75/hr; Salary range: $60-$75/hr. CV to j.cohan@lasvegaseyedocs.com
SPONSORED BY LEWIS ROCA
Q+A: KEN VAN WINKLE
Managing partner of Lewis Roca law
talks merger with Womble Bond Dickinson (US)
Las Vegas is home to one of Lewis Roca’s eight law o ces. On Jan. 1, 2025, the rm will close on a blockbuster merger with Womble Bond Dickinson (US), creating a powerhouse rm with more than 1,300 attorneys in 37 o ces across the U.S. and U.K. Ken Van Winkle, managing partner of Lewis Roca, spoke with VEGAS INC to discuss the local impact of the merger.
Why did Lewis Roca decide to join forces with Womble Bond Dickinson (US)?
Our two rms just t together in a number of di erent ways, one being our mutual focus on markets that are growing fast and driving innovation. Las Vegas is certainly one of those.
How will the merger impact your Las Vegas o ce?
The biggest change will be the extended resources available to our clients and lawyers alike. Our clients will be able to draw on the insights of lawyers across the full spectrum of practice areas, from IP to real estate to nancial services and beyond, both for transactional and litigation matters. The merger will also deepen our capabilities in certain areas like gaming, a practice
of particular importance to our Las Vegas client base.
With the scale that we gain, we also plan to build more e cient solutions for clients for routine matters to ensure quality service at the value our clients expect.
While the name on the door will be changing to Womble Bond Dickinson (US), our commitment to our clients remains unwavering; this change will enhance our ability to provide even greater depth and breadth in support of business needs, again with the value proposition our clients expect.
How do the firms’ cultures complement each other?
There is real cultural compatibility between our two rms, which stems from the value we both place on long-term client relationships. Professionalism in all we do is at the forefront of the way both rms practice law. That drives a lot of behavior at both rms, including being open and respectful with clients, understanding clients’ goals and objectives, crafting creative and ethical solutions and respecting each other. It’s truly refreshing to nd such a like-minded partnership.
For more information on the merger, visit lewisroca.com.
VEGAS INC NOTES
Spotlighting the best in business
Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada announced the advancement of Nathan Lloyd from vice chair to chairman of its board of directors. Lloyd, who is chief of sta and general counsel at ImagineCo, will lead the nonprofit organization as it continues to expand its vital financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and workforce development programs for local K-12 students and young adults. Other new appointments to the executive committee include: Samantha Rayburn, vice chairwoman, assistant vice president of hospitality at Formula 1 Las Vega Grand Prix; Mark Briggs, treasurer, chief financial o cer at Penta Building Group; Danielle Strong, secretary, executive director of catering and events at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. In addition, committee chairs include: Vandana Bhalla of Signature Real Estate Group, marking; Robert Yoder of City National Bank, funding; Brett Valdez of PNC Bank, finance and risk; Rick Arpin of KPMG and Rayburn, governance.
SVN the Equity Group, a commercial real estate firm, appointed Heather Lambert as senior director of property management. Lambert, who has 18 years of experience in the field, will oversee the management of the firm’s portfolio, encompassing over 12 million square feet of commercial assets.
Molina Healthcare of Nevada has partnered with Women’s Health Associates of Southern Nevada to provide a $250,000 grant to expand access to obstetrics and gynecology services for women in Las Vegas. The partnership supports the recruitment of new physicians and advanced prac-
tice providers that will enhance access to high-quality OB/GYN care and improve outcomes for fetal and maternal health amid a severe shortage of the specialty care statewide.
In recognition of their e orts to solve cold cases and provide answers to families across the Las Vegas Valley, Vegas Justice League was honored with a Key to the Las Vegas Strip by Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft. Vegas Justice League has helped close nine cold cases. Through DNA technology and community-driven support, it has become a beacon of hope for families a ected by unsolved crimes.
Bailey Kennedy hired Giacomo “Jack” Silvestri as an associate attorney. He recently passed the Nevada bar exam and previously served as a law clerk at Bailey Kennedy. As an attorney, his responsibilities include client interaction and legal representation, as well as drafting letters, motions and oppositions for clients in litigation, ethics and health care matters.
Marker Trax hired Jennifer Galloway to the team as its vice president and deputy counsel. She will help guide the company’s financial compliance and legal strategies, increasingly critical areas of focus as the digital innovator expands into more markets nationwide. Galloway has more than 15 years of experience in consumer financial law, regulatory compliance and business law, with a focus on the financial services sector. She served as assistant general counsel at Elevate, overseeing compliance for the company’s consumer lending products.
