March '06 Contemporary Arts Collective Column

For the Contemporary Arts Collective, March brings together many artists in the Las Vegas community to participate in the CAC’s 17^th annual juried show. The show opens on March 3^rd at the Contemporary Arts Collective, 101 E. Charleston Boulevard, Suite 101, Las Vegas and will hold a reception and awards presentation from 6:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m. on that evening. Jurors for the show include Jeanne Voltura, Gallery Coordinator, Cultural Affairs Division, City of Las Vegas and Lisa Stamanis, Visual Arts Unit, Cultural Affairs division, City of Las Vegas. If you can’t make it to the opening, the 17^th annual juried show will continue to be on exhibition through April 8at the Contemporary Arts Collective.

Natalia and I would like to introduce two more artists, Terri Ritter and Leslie Rowland, who are members of the Contemporary Arts Collective. Their works represent unique styles in painting and functional art.

Terry Ritter

Terry Ritter has emerged as an artist who captures for the first time the glamour and glitz of the Las Vegas Showgirls. Having performed herself for over 20 years on the very same stages as her subjects, Ritter brings a unique perspective no other artist could bring to the subject. Her keen sense of emotion and knowledge of dance brings to each painting the artistry and the life force experienced by the performer herself. She comments, “When I started in my dance career, many of the dancers who first came to Vegas were still dancing in shows and most of the shows were still running, so it was a current event. Only today can we look back and see the days gone by. This is what I am trying to immortalize in my art. I want to capture for posterity this great era before it is gone.”

When you view her paintings you become part of the dazzling stages as well as the back stage romping and camaraderie. You begin to understand the sense of “family” and the rights and privileges of being included in a circle of friends. In other paintings you begin to experience and understand the arrogance, isolation, and pride of performing.

Terry Ritter has been involved in art almost all of her life however in the last five years she has become serious and focused about her art. Initially her work focused on watercolors and subject matter such as portraits, animals, and fashion design. As time went on however an interest in documenting the showgirl mystique intensified and Ritter began to add acrylics and oils to her collection of painting tools.

Today she uses primarily acrylics and focuses on portraits and her showgirl subjects. When asked how she sees her future work developing, Terry states, “I am continuing to develop my work with more abstract and colorist impressions of the historic production shows which made Las Vegas famous as well as capturing some of the iconic figures of the Strip.”

Terry Ritter’s art will be on display at The New York Art Expo in The Jacob K. Javits Center. To view her art go to www.terryritterart.com.

Leslie Rowland

“I want my art to be off the wall and a part of daily life; something functional; art in unexpected places,” states Leslie Rowland. Her works of art can be seen most often in the living room, hallway, dinning room, or possibly in the bedroom. They are pieces of functional fine art furniture.

Not only are they functional, they are sometimes humorous or sometimes thought provoking in their appearance. The humorous side comes out in such themes as the Gypsy Rose Lea and Mae West chests of drawers which have humorous quotes on the drawers and feather boas hanging out of the drawers.

In another chest of drawers one sees the images of Einstein and phrases of his wisdom etched into the furniture. Rowland states, “Most of my works have very strong statements, whether humorous or serious in nature. These statements are frequently about life lessons and how I see the world. I need to have my art communicate something if for nothing other reason that to get a laugh.”

Rowland chooses pieces of furniture for her art that have a sense of history about them. They need to have a strong sense of history, interesting lines and must be solid wood. She then repairs broken or damages parts of the furniture; sands them down; and paints them using acrylics and oils. As a final step, Rowland adds raised designs by painting in resin. According to Rowland, this gives the work more drama and texture. Before finishing the piece she etches quotes, sayings, and poems, and paints pictures or decoupages photos on the works to communicate the theme and add the element of humor and/or wisdom.

In addition to her furniture art, she also does more traditional two-dimensional paintings on wood. Although she uses many of the same techniques on both her paintings and her furniture, the effect achieved is markedly different. And like her furniture, Rowland’s two-dimensional works communicate strong statements. Leslie Rowland’s works are exhibited locally at the Lynn Peri Collection In the Holsum Lofts at 241 W. Charleston Blvd. Ste.160. Her work is also shown is various other local galleries and nationally. Rowland also is frequently commissioned to do custom pieces. Her work can be viewed online by going to www.habitatdesignstudios.com.

The Contemporary Arts Collective is dedicated to supporting contemporary arts in the Las Vegas community as well as at a regional and national level. We hope that you will attend our juried show during the month of March. If you can’t attend we hope that you will consider joining the Contemporary Arts Collective. For more information about joining the Contemporary Arts Collective you can go to www.cac-lasvegas.org or call Natalia Ortiz at 382-3886. May the luck of the Irish be with you.