Las Vegas Weekly
“Walk It Off” by Aaron Cowan
Photo:
Wade Vandervort
In the sound sculpture “Gnaw,” a demented stuffed animal shakes while making weird chewing noises. In “Cradle,” plastic fingers are hot-glued together to form an organic tower that’s equal parts disturbing and comforting. In “Soap,” a rainbow of soap baseballs questions the masculine tradition of sports. And in “Bunting for Babylon II (Coke & Crystals),” a patriotic decoration is reimagined as a critique of runaway capitalism.
These pieces—by John McVay, Emily Sarten, Aaron Cowan and Erin Drew, respectively—are just a selection of the mind-bending art on display in
Local craft beers, an immense amount of murals, and arcade game favorites come together at Emporium Arcade Bar, now open at Area15, the 200,000-square-foot retail and entertainment center west of I-15 with live events and art installations,
The 10,000-square-foot venue spans two floors with room for 450 people when capacity levels are normal. The space comes stuffed with Killer Queen, classic arcade favorites, pool tables, pinball, foosball, basketball, and more. The bar features local beers and cocktails, while live shows, DJs, and game tournaments are on the docket for those ages 21 and older.
Emporium co-founder Daniel Marks tapped local art consultancy Unravel Artistic Consulting to bring on 13 artists, mostly from Las Vegas, to decorate the space with murals. Works feature UNLV students Brian Martinez, Sam Rose, and Sonny Tsoi, as well as UNLV graduate Chris Mempin and adjunct professor Erik Beehn. Other Las Vegas artists include Pasheone, Krie, Cerissa Lopez, Mr. Gums, Bronson Taylor, and JW Caldwell. Two notable non-local artists, Allison Bamcat and Rif Raf Giraffe, also have work at the venue.
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