When Raw:natural born artists made its debut in 17 cities around the United States in February, 2011, Las Vegas was not among them. But the success of First Friday showed that there was a substantial arts community here yearning to be set free. Adding Las Vegas to the list of cities was a natural.
And so it was that on June 28th, RAW introduced itself to the city. Since then they have held monthly events which showcased more than 70 different artists of various types: from graphic artists and photographers to jewelry designers; from fashion shows to belly dancers, bands and singers. The most recent show (which completes the 2011 regular season) was held in Tommy Rocker's on October 27th. An additional awards show is scheduled for November 17th, with the regular monthly events scheduled to resume in February.
Because the mission of RAW is to showcase local talent, their shows do things that, for instance, typical fashion shows would not. It's customary for designers to make an appearance on the runway with their models, but at RAW, the makeup artists and hairstylists are brought onstage and introduced too. Sure, the art's the thing, but networking is what these events are all about, and even the behind-the-scenes talent get their moment of exposure.
Anyone who has been to a number of fashion shows in New York knows that they vary widely in their “feel”, from the stolid formality of Bill Blass to the “let's party and show off some clothes” feeling of a Betsey Johnson show. RAW fashion shows are decidedly more Betsey Johnson than Bill Blass. They are held in a night club, and the audience is entertained as much as enlightened by the runway shows.
Participants for the rest of the year are set, but any artists wishing to participate in 2011 events can submit examples of their work online at http://www.rawartists.org/ through the “submit your work” link. Las Vegas local director Amber Cajiao will then review the submission and contact artists she is interested in showcasing and will explain the process and requirements.
Folks in Las Vegas who want just a bit more of the First Friday experience and can't wait until the next one can get some of that same flavor concentrated in one location by attending RAW events. Information is available at http://www.rawartists.org/lasvegas
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