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Cultural Scene and Heard: This Space is the Place – Emergency Arts
By Chad Felix
Ours is an art scene that has habitually taken a back seat to bigger, louder parties. First Friday and a re-vitalized downtown arts district notwithstanding, the Vegas art scene is one more often entirely overlooked than actively participated in. Critics tend to cast it aside; casual patrons ignore it. But now that could be changing. Welcome Emergency Arts, the locally driven art space that turns the spotlight from marquee entertainers and drink specials to some of our biggest dreamers and heaviest thinkers.
Critical Conditions Inspire Big Ambitions
Without question, it is a bold, risky set of endeavors. First, convert an old hospital; Emergency Arts is located in the historic former Fremont Medical Building in downtown Las Vegas. Next, offer spaces to artists, photographers, actors, writers, graphic designers, retailers and more for as low as $200 a month. Finally, do what you can to help the community within those hospital walls survive with a little help from the community outside of them. Ambitious, yes, but it is succeeding, and all within the city of instant gratification. How? Because locals, as we know, want more than just stiff cocktails, loose slots and late nights. We are of a different breed, and this is something that Emergency Arts founders Michael Cornthwaite and Jennifer Harrington have taken into account.
Not Just Another Waiting Room
At the heart of Emergency Arts is The Beat Coffeehouse and Records. This full-menu toting, organic-coffee roasting café and record store is likely the best hospital lobby you’ve ever had the privilege to wait around in; certainly it is the only one in which you’ve browsed through records. With diverse menu offerings such as Greek yogurt and fresh croissants for breakfast; the Slap & Tickle (organic peanut butter, homemade jam and smoked bacon on a pan de mie) for lunch; and a wide selection of coffee, tea, beer and wine, a light meal at The Beat is the perfect start to your night downtown. Just add live jazz every Wednesday at eight or the Human Experience poetry readings every Monday at seven and you have an exciting new weekly outing. But this is just the lobby! After your meal, exploration is essential. Navigate the first and second story hallways of this tastefully restored hospital for a tapestry of artistic endeavors and innovative small businesses.
First Floor Discoveries
July 16th, 2010 marked the grand opening of Emergency Arts and the official opening of spaces on the first floor. Here patrons find both a variety of small businesses and gallery spaces. Bring your bicycle to the Bike Bucket–an independent co-op bike shop–for repair; find a unique new look at FlockFlockFlock Vintage Boutique or Haute Thrift’ture; discover what your blank walls have been missing at Sporadica Designs; or peruse the galleries of Jerry Misko, Mikel Patrik, Bryan Hainer Photography and The Burlesque Hall of Fame. Most importantly, discover some of the most creative minds this town has to offer.
The People Upstairs
Now, with 2011 upon us, Emergency Arts and its vibrant creative community is stepping it up once again with the grand opening of the second story. This floor boasts twenty new tenants with businesses ranging from yoga studios to vintage boutiques, small salons to large event spaces, health oriented nonprofits to mobile communication solution companies. Although fourteen of these spaces are already up and running, the official grand opening is due early in 2011. So join the Emergency Arts group on Facebook, follow them on Twitter or visit their website to be sure you don’t miss out on this big event!
Having a comfortable space of your own is one of the most valuable things for the aspiring artist and entrepreneur. Equally as important is feeling the support of your hometown and its people. With Emergency Arts, we’ve got the space. We’ve got the dreamers and the thinkers working in it. All we need now is for the community to stop by and enjoy it.
For information on upcoming events, specific business info and hours, space inquiries and general information, visit www.emergencyartslv.com.
