108 vegasmagazine.com
It was Michele Quinn who oversaw the installation of the
outdoor art of the Strip's CityCenter complex. This
$40 million project includes 15 works by contemporary artists.
Standouts include Nancy Rubins's brightly colored bouquet of
boats,
Big Edge, and the huge stainless steel sculpture by Claes
Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen,
Typewriter Eraser, Scale X.
T
w
o o
f the
site's other pieces lurk indoors, sparkling works by
James Turrell, an artist obsessed with the power of light—
housed, fittingly, in The Shops at Crystals.
Shards of Color is
i
l
l
-served
by its location, more akin to an architectural doodad
than a work by one of the world's top conceptual artists. But
the second piece, Akhob, is a true must-see. This enormous
work sits unmarked on its own f loor inside, and above, the
Louis Vuitton store. Just make an appointment, and when you
arrive, you'll be whisked upstairs. Here Turrell has created
one of his largest works ever, and a true masterpiece: a
womblike installation, f looded with ever-changing light that's
meditative and unsettling at the same time. It's sheltered from
the Strip's hubbub (Bavington calls it "a sorbet to Las Vegas," a
spiritual palate cleanser), and each tour is limited to four
people, so the experience remains intense and private, like
accessing an art-world VIP room.
Cosmopolitan partnered with the New York
–
based Art
Production Fund to create a comprehensive program of
contemporary work, whether it's the eight discofied columns
at check-in, shimmering with color-saturated videos, or the
poppy murals on the concrete walls of the self-park garage.
Called Wallworks, the garage project includes contributions
by Shinique Smith, Kenny Scharf, and Shepard Fairey.
Cosmopolitan's quirkiest art outpost, however, sits on the
mezzanine level among the hotel's high-end restaurants: the
P3 studio. This residency space has hosted artists such as Fab 5
Freddy and Shelter Serra (nephew of Richard), who live and
work there gratis for several weeks. Early this year, the closing
party for local artist Alisha Kerlin seemed like any other glitzy
evening bash on the Strip—at least at first glance. Trays of
In PlaIn SIght:
On the StrIP
