STEVE ANDRASCIK/VIEWTop, singer and songwriter Carson Dieterich performs at the Canvas Cafe, 430 E. Silverado Ranch, on Jan. 25. Acoustic guitar player and singer Mike Weller also performed on Jan. 25.
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The downtown arts district isn't the only corridor in Las Vegas where culture is a part of the menu and budding aficionados strut their stuff.
With weekly live acoustic concerts, open mic sessions, poetry readings, art exhibits and comedy nights, local arts enthusiast Aaron Schropp is attempting to cultivate an expansion of the district through his coffee shop, Canvas Café, 430 E. Silverado Ranch Blvd.
"There's a hunger in this community for the arts," Schropp said. "The arts district is great and it definitely fills a need, but Vegas has become such a metropolitan city. Sometimes, I feel like people just want the sort of experience they could find in New York or the Bay area, where you go to that cool little place down the street for coffee and great entertainment."
Schropp said he doesn't believe that people want to make the drive all the way to downtown Las Vegas just to enjoy live music or poetry readings from local writers.
"As a world-class locale, Vegas should be harnessing the art community, there should be multiple outlets," Schropp said. "I worry that with all of the commercial businesses moving into the arts district, that will soon disappear, too. I'm trying to provide a similar atmosphere where artists can display their work, develop their material before a live audience, and people who are passionate about the arts can relax and enjoy the scene."
One of the café's more popular pastimes has come to be the open mic sessions, where anyone is free to take the stage and participate in this amalgamation of poetry, slamming and philosophizing.
Jayden Hollander grew up in San Francisco, a city known for corner coffee houses and artistic inclinations, and said that she's happy to finally see similar outfits popping up in Las Vegas.
"I live about three miles from here, and it's nice to know that I can stop by on a weekend and be with like-minded people who care about the arts and the promotion of the arts," Hollander said.
The café also has an art gallery featuring the works of three local artists and photographers.
"Everything on display is for sale," Schropp said. "And each artist has his or her own panel so you know who is doing what and people can study the work of each artist."
Schropp said that 75 percent of the sale goes to the artist, with the other 25 percent going back into the promotion of café events.
"Vegas is all hustle and bustle," Schropp said. "I'm not out to make a quick buck. That's not what this is about. I just want to create a cool place where people can come in, have a cup of coffee and an organic salad or artist panini and take in some culture."
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