Patrons relax and converse at the Art Bar at 1511 S. Main St. The bar's walls are lined with artwork from local artists, who are allowed to show their work for free in the hope of gaining an audience. Photo by Jeff Scheid. Elvis impersonator Jesse Garon opened the Art Bar in May at the edge of the city's growing arts district downtown. Photo by Craig L. Moran. Art Bar owner Jesse Garon strikes a pose near his 1955 pink Cadillac. He moved to Las Vegas 14 years ago and immediately embarked on a career as an Elvis impersonator. Photo by Craig L. Moran. Visitors drop in at the Art Bar during recent First Friday actvities downtown. Photo by Jeff Scheid.

The lime green building downtown provides a refreshing spot of color on an otherwise average-looking Main Street, while the name, Art Bar, serves as a reminder that you can't spell party without A-R-T.

At least that's what bar owner Jesse Garon says, explaining the success his business has had in such a short period of time. That's because the bar, which opened in May at the edge of the valley's burgeoning downtown arts district, has become a trendy spot among residents who are plugged into the art scene and with those who just want to hang out in a cool bar without going into a Strip casino.

"This is the part of town to keep an eye on," Garon says, citing the recent growth and

construction in the area surrounding Charleston Boulevard and Main Street.

The party has yet to start on a recent Wednesday, an off-day for any bar, Garon notes. The only patron in the late afternoon is a man who came in for a bottle of beer and a long conversation with himself. But by 5 p.m., the after-work crowd is trickling in. At 10 p.m., the place is full of an eclectic group of customers, old and young, drinking, talking and taking in the live DJ performances. It isn't a typical evening, says bartender Becki Harrison, which is typical for the Art Bar.

People like it because it's different from other local places and has a down-home feel to it, says Harrison, who liked Art Bar so much as a customer that she decided to get a job there.

The bar is a throwback to a bygone era. Inside, a spacious room is anchored by a large bar in the center and cozy vinyl booths on the edges. The worn living room furniture of someone's cool grandmother invites people to sit in comfort and never get up again, while two pool tables beckon timid billiards fans to play for free. Some other little touches, such as the jukebox and paintbrushes on the tables, round the place out, giving it a hip, retro feel.

Perhaps the raison d'?tre for Art Bar is the artwork. Funky paintings and other pieces by local artists line the entire north wall. The idea, as the name suggests, centers on providing local artists a free venue to exhibit their works, whether they're painters, performers, writers or musicians, Garon says.

It's a symbiotic relationship, says local artist Johno O'Brien, giving unknown artists a place to show their work for free. The artists, in turn, bring in friends and fans who become customers.

"It basically gives you a venue of wonderful exposure," says O'Brien, whose artwork is on display through November.

But it also stands as a physical manifestation of Garon's life and personality: Colorful, eclectic, retro and 100 percent Vegas. Garon is an Elvis impersonator who found his niche early when he first came to Las Vegas from Dallas 14 years ago. He connected with the owner of several wedding chapels and ferried brides and grooms around town in his 1955 pink Cadillac.

Since then, he has performed countless weddings as Elvis, played parties, posed for Playgirl and appeared on an MTV reality show where he had his face surgically enhanced to look more like the King. Within the next year, he'll have an A&E reality show about his life and those in it: his best friend, the drag queen and Diana Ross impersonator; his little sister; his mother; the Dallas cop; and his two pugs, Little Richard and Spanky.

A good portion of the show takes place in the bar, because it originally started out to be about opening a bar, Garon says, but was broadened to encompass his whole life.

He's excited about the television show airing, but Garon seems most enthusiastic about the impact it will have on Art Bar and on the artists and musicians who perform there.

"Artists don't have a lot of gallery space to exhibit their work in town," he says. "I like helping them out. I wanted to give something back to the city that's done so much for me."

Though he likes the funky little place he has made, Garon considers the Art Bar a work in progress. He's already making plans to build a wedding chapel next to it. The doors will be big enough to drive his pink Caddy through, he says, to deliver the bride and groom to the altar.

And what could be more colorful?