CAC considers new site prime spot in Arts District

Advertisement

By MARIA PHELAN

VIEW STAFF WRITER

The way Jacie Urquidi-Maynard sees it, the Contemporary Arts Collective's recent relocation is a big step in the right direction.

The Contemporary Arts Collective, whose members include artists, patrons of the arts and community members who just want to be involved with the arts locally, moved from The Arts Factory at 101-109 E. Charleston Blvd. by Main Street to a new space inside The Holsum Lofts at 231 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 110, near Interstate 15.

The two buildings are within walking distance of each other in downtown Las Vegas' burgeoning Arts District, and Urquidi-Maynard, president of the Contemporary Arts Collective's board of directors, said the new home has doubled the collective's gallery space to almost 2,000 square feet and moved the group to a prime spot at the "gateway to the arts district." Though the gallery has yet to celebrate its official grand opening -- that event is set for July 29 -- Urquidi-Maynard recently said the move is still just one step on the Contemporary Arts Collective's path.

For her, there is still a bigger dream.

"Ultimately, the Contemporary Arts Collective wants its own building," she said. "We want someone to endow a building to us so we can really establish roots in the community in this area."

Urquidi-Maynard said she would like to eventually establish the Contemporary Arts Collective in a building with a theater, visual labs and work space for artists in residence, in addition to a gallery.

But in the meantime, she and Brian Paco Alvarez, the vice president of the Contemporary Arts Collective, said they are happy to celebrate the goals the nonprofit organization has already achieved. Among those is membership numbers, the partnerships and various new projects the group has helped usher into the city, along with the growing list of opportunities the collective has been able to offer its artist members.

"Our goal was originally to have 500 members by May 15, 2005," Urquidi-Maynard said. "We made that number before the target date, and we now have more than 700 members."

Urquidi-Maynard and Alvarez said the organization found it important to increase its membership because more members means a stronger community base for local artists.

Urquidi-Maynard also said that in recent years the collective has been able to establish partnerships with businesses, the city of Las Vegas, and private collectors and organizations like the Las Vegas Art Museum and the Guggenheim Young Collectors Council.

"All of these connections are important because this is a collective -- collective is the operative word," she said. "We're a group moving together toward a common goal."

She said one of the biggest perks of membership for Southern Nevada artists is access to the collective's electronic registry. Through the registry, artists can submit slides or CDs of their work, along with biographies.

"If individuals or businesses or cities need artists for murals, art shows or commissions, they can come to the Contemporary Arts Collective and the registry is open to them," she said. "We also publish electronic news with information about our artists, and that information is disseminated all over the U.S. and sometimes into Canada, and for members there are a lot of opportunities. If someone needs an artist, an intern, a gallery director -- it gets artists in touch with those that need art or artists."

Urquidi-Maynard said the group also offers information and curatorial assistance for those starting, or adding to, art collections, as well as seminars and information about art commerce for artists.

"It helps artists put together and price art," she said. "I don't believe all artists should be starving. Once they have finished creating art, they need to know the process involved with getting that art out. It's important for both the artist and the collector to understand art commerce."

Urquidi-Maynard has been president of the collective's board of directors for 2 1/2 years, and said the group is seeking new board members. The positions don't pay, and board members don't pay to be on the board, but Urquidi-Maynard said the board members are extremely important to the collective because they create the group's infrastructure, with occasional help for the collective's advisory council.

Alvarez said he's been a member of the board of directors for almost four years, and said he's impressed with the collective's 17-year history. During that time, many arts collectives have come and gone, including the Radiant City Collective, the independent group Laser Vida and the Nevada Institute of Contemporary Art, Alvarez said.

"Throughout the '90s, a lot of those groups basically voted themselves out of existence because there was not enough public support," he said. "The Contemporary Arts Collective has been a survivor, and they didn't even have a computer four years ago, but they were doing pioneering stuff in the local art world."

Most of the artists involved with the collective are from the Las Vegas Valley, though Urquidi-Maynard and Alvarez said some are from rural areas of Southern Nevada, including Mesquite and Pahrump. Another of the collective's goals is to eventually open satellite locations in those areas.

"I prefer to work with local artists," Alvarez said. "There's a lot of local talent in this community that needs to be exploited."

Memberships are available for about $30 annually, and Urquidi-Maynard said the collective also has a volunteer program if membership fees create a financial burden.

"It's a labor of love -- it's an opportunity to make a difference in the arts community," Alvarez said. "We're helping out emerging artists, and over the last few years, because of the unprecedented growth of First Friday, the growth of the Contemporary Arts Collective has been amazing."

The Contemporary Arts Collective will kick off a grand opening celebration of its new space on July 29 with the juried art show "I'll Drink to That" in celebration of the new gallery space. The show will run through Sept. 2. For more information about the collective, visit www.cac-lasvegas.org.