A Man’s Artist

I’m not going to start this column off whining and complaining, as I usually do, about the casinos or the heat, even though I truly believe that the temperature will never ever drop down to a frigid 100 again. I’m irritable and grumpy and would love to be anywhere but here sitting at my computer wondering what the hell I’m going to tell you that’s happening in our town. But if I want to get the measly check I’m issued every two weeks, I guess I better come up with something. Hope you get something out of it. If not, don’t complain to me as I have a very thin skin at times and my emotional state can be very fragile.

I first met artist LeRoy Neiman about 27 years ago. It was at Caesars Palace for the fight between Muhammad Ali and Larry Holmes. He had painted almost all of the major sports events and many of his paintings hung on the walls of the resort. He was also there to paint a new tattoo Cher, who was performing at Caesars, had done. We were sitting out at the pool talking sports, art and of course, about the upcoming fight. Great guy and one who I was fortunate to see often over the next 20 years.

I tell you this as a lead into my first item. If you’re a fan of his work or just an art lover, make sure you drop into Centaur Art Galleries in the Fashion Show mall which is hosting a 50-year retrospective exhibition of Neiman’s art, featuring works from every year between 1957 and 2007. The exhibit will run through Aug. 26.

More than 450 works of art — from charcoal drawings to paintings — will be on display, including 100 originals. The core of the exhibit is a collection of 26 paintings commissioned by an anonymous individual during the past 30 years. The collection consists of paintings of sports figures who represent the ideal athlete, such as Mary Lou Retton, Jackie Robinson and Peyton Manning. The core collection is appraised at more than $5 million.

Though he has painted a variety of subjects, including animals, famous locations and man’s leisure life, Neiman probably is most known for his sports-themed works. Depicting popular subjects in his art is probably the root of his appeal, says artist Thomas Holder, the chairman of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas art department.

"He’s a guy artist," says S2 Art gallery founder and owner Jack Solomon, Neiman’s longtime friend and former publisher. "Most of LeRoy’s stuff is male-oriented, sports, the good life from a male point of view. He’s sort of a man’s man." His work also is readily identifiable, which makes it more accessible to the public, Solomon says. "When you look at something he paints you know immediately it’s a Neiman, you don’t have to look at the signature," he says. "It’s colorful, and it’s usually happy."

RUDNER EXTENDED

Here’s some very good news. Rita Rudner, without doubt one of the funniest, if not the funniest female comedians in the world, has signed an agreement to extend her stay as headliner at Harrah’s until January 2010. "I love working here," said Rudner. "I love all the people at Harrah’s, the theater is beautiful and the audiences have been fantastic. When they say I’ve been extended, does that mean I’m taller?"

This extension means Rudner will pass the one million tickets sold mark some time next year. Her Las Vegas Strip run began six years ago. In addition, Rudner introduced a $20 Locals’ Appreciation ticket for July and August. A limited number of tickets will be available to Las Vegas residents on a first-come-first-served basis.

Rudner is also continuing down the literary path with her fifth book; a collection of essays about being in your fifties entitled "I Can’t Believe I’m Filthy." The book will be published later this year. She is also working on two television projects, in one of which she and comedian Jon Lovitz will play a brother and a sister, forced to live together in middle-age.

I talked to her just a few minutes ago, asking her about the project, but she said, "I don’t want to say too much as it’s still in the very early stages. But I will say that we have some of the finest writers in television working on it and we’re very excited." On a sad note, Rudner told me that Bonkers, her pet dog of 15 years, had passed away last month. "It was very difficult. I don’t know yet if or when I’ll get another one. I’m not just ready yet."

LOSING BIG

Wonder where our casinos get all that money to build even bigger casinos? Ponder no longer. In the latest figures from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Nevada casinos recorded the highest-ever one-month gaming win total during May. Which means that you and I lost even more money than usual.

Nevada casinos won $1.143 billion from gamblers in May, eclipsing by $2 million the previous $1.141 billion record set in January 2006. Casinos won $134 million from blackjack players, up 5.1 percent from last year; $40.9 million from craps, a 19.8 percent increase; and $37.2 million from roulette, a 15.1 percent climb. Table games accounted for $367.5 million of the gaming win, while slot machines took in $762 million, which was an all-time record. Gamblers wagered $2.9 billion on table games in May, an increase of 6.1 percent from a year ago, and $11.8 billion in slot machines, off just less than 1 percent. And you thought the oil companies were the only ones emptying our pockets.

Good luck and I’ll see you on the Strip. And don’t forget to check out www.valleyblogs.com.

If you have a question or a Las Vegas experience you would like to share with my readers, please e-mail me at lennylv@cox.net. Please include your full name and the city or town where you live.