Trifecta Gallery hosts weekly discussions for art lovers

Last summer, Marty Walsh, co-owner and manager of the Trifecta Gallery in The Arts Factory, 107 E. Charleston Blvd., decided to try something a little different. Instead of having people come in and just look at the art, at 7 p.m. Thursdays, the gallery’s One Night Only program welcomes people to talk about art and other topics.

“It just seemed like a thing that needed to be done,” Walsh said. “I’ve had speakers at the gallery over the years, but this formalizes it as a weekly event but with a more informal format.”

At least one speaker a month will be an artist whose work is showing at the gallery, but the program’s format is not set in stone and has included screenings of artistic films created by locals and artists showing at other galleries in the 18b Arts District.

“We started with conversations with the artist,” Walsh said. “Sometimes people come in and they want to do something different and fun, and we love to make that part of One Night Only. It leaves room for people to do things in a different scope and to do some really interesting things.”

Thus far, the events have drawn a relatively small and manageable audience, and Walsh has enjoyed the casual and intimate conversations on a wide range of art-related subjects.

“You really get to have some back-and-forth with the artist and connect on a one-to-one basis,” Walsh said. “That dynamic may change if the event becomes bigger, but I’m confident we’ll still retain much of the intimacy that isn’t possible at a larger or busier event, like First Friday.”

On Nov. 21, One Night Only plans to have speakers expounding on another 18b Arts District program that is not widely known: Late Until Eight.

Late Until Eight is a campaign being handled by ArtsVegas, a website that promotes the arts in the valley. It’s designed to let people know that much of the district is open until at least 8 p.m. Thursdays. Late Until Eight also plans to expand upon the Trifecta Gallery’s One Night Only program, coordinating with other galleries to hold similar events at a different time on Thursday nights.

“We’re starting with Trifecta and Amanda Harris Gallery,” said Molly O’Donnell, co-founder of ArtsVegas. “We hope to expand to include other galleries and eventually other downtown businesses.”

The event is set to begin at 6 p.m. at the Amanda Harris Gallery of Contemporary Art, 900 Las Vegas Blvd. South. The gallery is currently showing “The Trouble is, You Think You Have Time,” works by Benjamin Alejandro.

“I think in general, the events at the different galleries will reflect the gallery owners’ personal tastes,” O’Donnell said. “For instance, I think Amanda Harris is more interested in straightforward artist talks.”

Event participants can stay at the first gallery or follow organizers to the next venue, the Trifecta Gallery, which is showing “Over and Under,” works by Philip Denker, and “Private Faith in a Public Sphere,” works by Dylan Mortimer.

For more information about One Night Only, visit trifectagallery.com. For more information about Late Until Eight, visit artsvegas.com.

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter F. Andrew Taylor at ataylor@viewnews.com or 702-380-4532.