Reception at Big Springs Gallery honors artists
Big Springs Gallery, located within the Springs Preserve, had a reception June 25 in honor of their latest exhibit "Unnatural History."
It was an evening of conversation, canapes and cocktails with the artists, Richard Barnes and Don Simon. The Liberace String Quartet played background music for the enjoyment of Spring Preserve's members, supporters and guests.
Among the guests touring the gallery's exhibit were Debra and Mitch Kahn, Nancy Deaner, Ruth and Jack Lillis, Carolyn Sparks, Marilyn Gillespie, John Good, Joanne Vuillemot, Jerry Schefcik, Kathryne Gillett, Sallie Becker and Tim Sussman, Briana Tiberti, Tarissa Tiberti, Marc Griffith, Mary Warner, Jeff Roberts and Timothy Yarger of Timothy Yarger Fine Art in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The displayed works have a theme concerning mankind's use and misuse of the environment. Barnes, originally from Beacon, N.Y., is a photographer who has spent years photographing artifacts and dioramas in museums. This has inspired him to photograph natural history museum dioramas to which he has added a surreal quality to the scenes he captures on film.
Simon, of Philadelphia, uses colored pencils and a surrealistic style to show conflict between nature and industry, in particular global warming. Simon's works show the constant shrinking of natural spaces.
Elizabeth Herridge, managing director of Springs Preserve, welcomed everyone to this fourth exhibition in the Spring Preserve's new series of fine art programming.
Mike Spiewak, curator, invited all into the gallery's theater, where he introduced Barnes and Simon and spoke about their commissioned work, projects and lectures given at museums and colleges. Barnes and Simon spoke about their careers and presented slides explaining their work, which was followed by a question and answer period.
Event sponsors were Wolfgang Puck, Contemporary Arts Center, Bellagio Fine Arts Modern Council, Las Vegas Natural History Museum, and the Las Vegas Valley Water District. The "Unnatural History" exhibit will be on display until Sept. 12.
