Jenna Dosch/ViewKim Threat, theater manager for the Neon Venus Art Theatre, carries artwork into the facility on Aug. 1.
From front, digital art instructor Tara Bishop, artist Yadira Lopez and Peter Valentino, co-owner of the Neon Venus Art Theatre, put art on display at the facility.Jenna dosch/View
Jenna Dosch/ViewArtist Yadira Lopez unpacks a box of her artwork on Aug. 1, to be hung at the Neon Venus Art Theatre, located at 1404 S. 3rd St.
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By AMANDA LLEWELLYN
VIEW STAFF WRITER
Self-proclaimed underground, Latin pop and rock duo Neon Venus has found a brand of unconventional success in the music industry, being featured on the MTV Tr3s network and releasing albums since 1999, but an inherent need to build something concrete and stationary spurred members Peter Valentino and Lissette Napoleoni to plant artistic roots in Las Vegas, opening the Neon Venus Art Theatre, 1404 S. 3rd St., earlier this summer.
"We wanted our own little place to perform," Napoleoni said. "There's a definite need for a theater of this kind in Las Vegas, but the opening really stems from our need for a place like this."
The venue offers classes and workshops in a variety of subjects, including screenwriting, video storytelling, yoga, Spanish, vocal performance, fiction writing, dance, painting, computer graphics, positive thinking and acting for adults and children.
"We wanted to produce a creative center for those burgeoning artistic souls looking for a place to call home," Valentino said. "We wanted to offer something of substance, at a reasonable cost. There's nothing else like it downtown."
Novice writer Fiona Clauphshone said that her interest in pursuing training in the form of a writing class has perked up since learning about the theater's affordable pricing and close proximity to her residence.
"Writers don't have a lot of money," she said. "I'm not a professional, and part of that is because I haven't had the budget that would let me take classes to improve my writing. I like the way this theater has things set up, though. It's affordable without having to take out a loan or grant or something."
Valentino said that the city's image sometimes sustains the idea that nothing exists beyond the Strip; that nothing outside of that mile-long sliver of real estate is authentic.
"The entire town has this lounge feeling to it, but at the same time, it's an interesting place filled to the brim with artistic and talented people," Valentino said.
With an offering of regional art and hipster-frequented galleries, the downtown area has become the heart of an artistic movement seeking to infuse a semblance of culture into the community.
With the opening of the Neon Venus Art Theatre, Valentino and Napoleoni have made it a personal goal to be an instrumental part of that movement. Along with the classes already being offered at the theater, the pair plans to add an art gallery to the property's attributes, to feature the works of teachers and students. There also are plans in the works to hold film industry premieres at the theater, but Napoleoni said the reality might be a bit far off yet.
"We believe in the Arts District," Napoleoni said. "There are a lot of exciting, young artists kicking around. They often can't find ways to hook up, to produce results from their work. We want to be that for this community."
Classes typically meet once a week and cost between $50 and $150 per four- to eight-week session. For more information, call 787-2481 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, or visit http://neonvenus.com/.
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