Local artists featured on trippy Las Vegas billboards
Ten new billboards in the Las Vegas Valley are not trying to sell you anything.
Rather, they’re aiming to get you to think.
The public art project powered by Meow Wolf Las Vegas and SaveArtSpace is displaying original art by ten Nevada-based artists who created works related to the theme of “Pathways and Portals.”
In 2015, Travis Rix, a co-founder of SaveArtSpace, was inspired to protect public art when he observed the murals in his neighborhood of Bushwick, New York were being covered up by advertisements.
“We were like, ‘this is where art is, this is what people are here for,” says Rix. “Then the ads showed up.”
Since starting the non-profit, SaveArtSpace has put up 600 to 700 billboards with local art in more than 30 cities.
“I hope people will drive around and be like ‘oh, there’s art!” says Rix. “If they say ‘what is this,’ that’s good enough for me. They’re already questioning and opening their minds. That’s my goal with SaveArtSpace.”
Participating artists include Sameer Asnani, whose billboard features a bold image of a canyon, Q’Shaundra James, who created two dreamy portraits, Gem Jaxx, who depicted UFOs and Joshua S. Levin, who created a meticulously detailed lifeboat.
“Knowing that billboards are seen by so many people, it’s a great way to showcase my art and the message behind it,” says Joseph Watson, who digitally illustrated a bicycle that conceals the word “life” within the frame.
His “Cycle of Life” bicycle bears two flat tires as it proceeds uphill, which Watson hopes passersby will interpret as motivation to continue the ride, even when the journey is a struggle.
The ten billboards can be found here:
Contact Janna Karel at jkarel@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jannainprogress on Twitter.