Gallery in North Las Vegas City Hall becoming a bastion for emerging artists
Since North Las Vegas began experiencing an economic rebirth a few years ago, City Councilman Isaac Barron began to ask himself, “What is a city without art?”
As a teacher at Rancho High School, he’s seen the way art inspires and educates students. To bring more culture to a city that often gets overshadowed by Las Vegas, he opened Stone Soup Gallery inside the foyer of North Las Vegas City Hall, 2250 Las Vegas Blvd. North, in the spring of 2014.
“We have received some well-deserved criticism in the past about the city’s lack of amenities and services,” Barron said. “One thing that I thought we needed to address was the absence of arts and culture in our city. We’re looking to revitalize the downtown area and give pride to our city. It is, after all, a new era of economic diversity and prosperity. It makes sense to invest a bit in the arts.”
The gallery primarily showcases works from local and emerging artists. In the past, it has hosted several high school and middle school art shows.
“The great thing about the space is that it is viewable from the outside, so the artwork can be seen any time, night or day, inside or out,” said gallery curator Jessica Kennedy.
Currently on display is the “Joy of Summer” exhibit, planned during regular City Hall hours until Aug. 15. The exhibit features all mediums of artwork that express joy, jubilation, happiness and warmth associated with summer activities.
Local and out-of-state artists will be featured and may have art pieces for sale, according to Kennedy.
Typically, the gallery hosts fall, winter, spring and summer art shows with 20 to 30 pieces of work on display.
“A great feature we decided to incorporate into the gallery is that it is purely nonprofit, which means that if an artist sells artwork, they keep 100 percent of their sales, unlike a typical art gallery that has a 60/40 split with the artists,” Kennedy said.
Artists who have been featured recently have included Nathalie Beck, Sandie Swierzynski, Lily Adamczyk and Roberto Rico.
Having a place to display artwork also offers artists professional criticism and more confidence.
“Showcasing student artwork impacts students favorably and shows many of them what it is like to be an actual working artist,” Kennedy said. “There is a lot of criticism that an artist has to take — both good and bad, and learning this as students, I believe, helps to prepare them for life and taking criticism in other facets of their present and future lives, making them both better artists and better people.”
“For students who don’t have access to this type of platform, it makes all the difference in the world,” Barron added. “It gives them an opportunity to be seen and let people know who they are and let them see a bit of how they see the world through their eyes. It’s also good for our seniors. Many of our seniors are retired and just discovering that they have artistic talents.”
The Stone Soup Gallery gets its name from a story called “Stone Soup,” about two hungry men who were denied food from the nearby villages. They began boiling water and two stones, which caused curiosity among villagers. When the town’s residents heard they were making stone soup, the residents began sharing ingredients until they had a viable crock of soup.
“That is the mission of the Stone Soup Gallery — to have contributions of just a little from all who are able to make North Las Vegas an even better place to live, work and play,” Kennedy said.
In the future, Barron plans to create a community center allocated specifically for the arts inside the historic Washington School building.
“As an educator, you buy into the fact that we are all lifelong learners, and the Stone Soup Gallery is a perfect example of that,” Barron said. “It’s a place for everyone.”
Admission to the gallery is free and open to the public.
“Art enriches people who view it, reminding them of portions of their own lives, and every person will take away something personal and unique from merely observing the art shows we provide,” Kennedy said.
Call 702-633-1012.
To reach North View reporter Sandy Lopez, email slopez@viewnews.com or call 702-383-4686. Find her on Twitter: @JournalismSandy.
Stone Soup Gallery
Address: Inside North Las Vegas City Hall, 2250 Las Vegas Blvd. North.
Currently on display is the “Joy of Summer” exhibit, planned during regular City Hall hours until Aug. 15.
The exhibit features all mediums of artwork that express joy, jubilation, happiness and warmth associated with summer activities.
Call 702-633-1012.
