UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones May 2016 The Birth of an Arts Scene William Goldberg University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Sociology Commons Repository Citation Goldberg, William, "The Birth of an Arts Scene" (2016). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 2673. http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/9112071 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by Digital Scholarship@UNLV with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/or on the work itself. 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THE BIRTH OF AN ARTS SCENE By William Edward Goldberg Bachelor of Art in History California State University, Long Beach 1971 Masters of Social Work University of California Los Angeles 1980 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy—Sociology Department of Sociology College of Liberal Arts The Graduate School University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 2015 Dissertation Approval The Graduate College The University of Nevada, Las Vegas November 30, 2015 This dissertation prepared by William Goldberg entitled The Birth of an Arts Scene is approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy – Sociology Department of Sociology Robert Futrell, Ph.D. Kathryn Hausbeck Korgan, Ph.D. Examination Committee Chair Graduate College Interim Dean David Dickens, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Barb Brents, Ph.D. Examination Committee Member Gene Moehring, Ph.D. Graduate College Faculty Representative ii ABSTRACT Scenes, created and defined by particular social settings offer a central activity that help to focus community interaction, a sense of purpose and of being in the right place. This dissertation is about the grassroots development of an art scene in the most unlikely of places – Las Vegas, a city sociologists have often described as having an isolating character with an outward focus on tourism, a weak civic culture and social fragmentation, resulting in an individually-focused and socially isolated population. Using the multiple techniques of ethnographic research, this work comes out of: (1) conversations with early visionaries, (2) participant observation and (3) a wide assortment of secondary data, both local and national. My ethnographic account of the development of the Las Vegas art scene highlights the efforts of early visionaries, internal conflicts over its design and implementation (gallery walk or festive block party) of the monthly city-wide First Friday event and activities within the Arts District, the impact of a corporate revitalization of the Entertainment District in the old downtown area (Downtown Project), and the sudden purchase of the non-profit First Friday trademark by the managing conglomerate connected to the Downtown Project. This study has four key findings. First, I found support for the idea that the Las Vegas art scene can be interpreted as a response to the isolating, and individualizing character of Las Vegas. With a monthly gathering of massive crowds within the 18 blocks of the Arts District, also called the ―18b,‖ First Friday has become a type of temporary community focused upon an organized focal experience for a wide variety of artistic styles through authenticating cultural and aesthetic activities and experiences. Second, the burgeoning arts culture of Las Vegas has formed a loosely organized social iii world for participants to share meaning and interests and at times conflict, such as the polarization around a long standing internal conflict regarding the implementation of First Friday (arts walk vs. street festival). Third, the Las Vegas arts community is an important repository for social capital, especially if more social venues are developed where friends" and acquaintances can meet, talk and relax (Oldenberg 2001). At the same time, while third places, such as The Arts Factory or The Funk House will be necessary to maintaining the 18b, it is unclear if the Arts Distinct, in and of itself can ever become a ‗big third place‖ (Borer 2008) like that of the Entertainment District in old downtown. As long as resources are directed primarily to the Downtown Project and the downtown area is marketed as a ―to be seen‖ tourist destination, the 18b will not rise to the level of a city-wide destination. Fourth, the promotion of Las Vegas as a center for the arts is premised on the idea that the commodification of art has the power to engage and transform [cities]. However any ―meaning‖ construed from the consumption of art must depend upon the life history and/or experience of the consumer, and while art has a strong influence on those who create art and for some who see it, art also marks hierarchies and social distancing. Art (gallery, public street murals etc.) alone, however, cannot change the economic climate when those without social capital have to live at a basic survival level. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor Dr. Robert Futrell for the continuous support of my PhD study, genuinely good nature, his patience, intellect and guidance. I would also like to thank the rest of my thesis committee: Dr. Eugene Moehring, Dr. Barbara Brents, and especially Dr. David Dickens for thought provoking suggestions and insightful comments that added depth to this work. I would also like to thank Dr. Dawn Neuman for her unwavering support and an occasional dinner throughout the writing of this thesis. Thank You. v TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. v CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 Las Vegas, Art, and the Question of Community ........................................................... 4 Explosive Growth of the Spectacle City ......................................................................... 5 Rapid Growth and Social Strains .................................................................................. 13 Economic Ups and Downs ............................................................................................ 18 Alienation ...................................................................................................................... 20 Social Change, Art, and Communities .......................................................................... 22 CHAPTER 2 - THEORETICAL APPROACH ................................................................ 26 The Idea of a ―Scene‖ ................................................................................................... 26 Early Sociological Research on Scenes ........................................................................ 27 Post-Irwin Scene Studies .............................................................................................. 31 Scene Types and Dimensions ....................................................................................... 33 Street Life and Scene .................................................................................................... 38 Scenes as Post-Traditional Communities...................................................................... 40 Third Place .................................................................................................................... 42 Labeling the Scene ........................................................................................................ 45 Networks: Outsider-Insider Status ................................................................................ 46 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 47 CHAPTER 3 - RESEARCH METHODS ......................................................................... 49 Interview Format and Data Gathering. ......................................................................... 50 Limitations .................................................................................................................... 54 CHAPTER 4 - THE VISION and the VISIONARIES of a NEW ARTS SCENE, 1996- 2004................................................................................................................................... 55 Wes Myles and the Arts Factory ................................................................................... 56 Julie Brewer and the Enigma Garden Café ................................................................... 61 UNLV‘s Contributions to the Early Arts Scene ........................................................... 65 The City of Las Vegas .................................................................................................. 66 Jack