Smith Center’s pride and permanence a new act for Las Vegas

There's a dusty adage in my racket that goes something like, "If you can't say something nice about someone ... become a newspaper columnist."

There's a lot of truth in that. Write a literary valentine to a beloved politician, and odds are good he'll be indicted for corruption by week's end. Relate a heart-felt sermon uttered from a Sunday pulpit, and it's better than even money the Rev. Starchcollar will be caught going south with the Widows and Orphans Fund before the ink has dried on your sentimental story.

As an experienced curmudgeon, I know it rarely pays to set aside skepticism and utter a kind word about a building project that combines private dollars and public investment. It's a lot easier to howl in outrage than join the choir.

All that went through my head as I set foot inside The Smith Center for the Performing Arts last week for the media walk-around. In short, I found nothing to howl about and much to admire.

I stepped into the Grand Lobby and had to remind myself I still had my feet planted in downtown Las Vegas. And not in the entrance to a casino megaresort, mind you, but in the lobby of a cathedral of the arts that's meant to stand for generations to come. The lobby sends that message with Italian stone, 19-foot-tall chandeliers and sculptor Benjamin Victor's inspiring bronze "Genius in Flight," echoing the inspiration of Oskar Hansen's "Winged Figures of the Republic" at Hoover Dam.

But you needn't be an art historian to appreciate that this is built to last. There is something weightier than stone here, something greater than the individual efforts over 32 months of 2,600 construction workers who put in 1.5 million man hours: something like a gathering place for our whole diverse community.

From the caliber of the art deco design by David M. Schwarz Architects to the character of its CEO Myron Martin, The Smith Center is telling you it is here for the long haul. For you, for your children and their children. In Las Vegas, that message is nothing short of game-changing.

Yes, the public sector plays a major role in financing the project in the form of an additional car rental fee on tourists and the use of local government's bonding capacity. The city of Las Vegas and its taxpayers are responsible for providing the land, infrastructure development, environmental remediation and parking.

But the private sector has gone all in for The Smith Center. The Donald W. Reynolds Foundation gave $50 million and has pledged $100 million more. Another 57 Southern Nevada corporations, business leaders and foundations set aside their many differences and stepped up as major donors to the
$470 million project, which is meant to be enjoyed by locals first.

Can you believe it?

"This was built for everyone in our city," Martin says.

Adds Executive Committee Chairman Don Snyder: "It's built for those of us that live here."

There's a lot to see even before you see a performance: the world-class, 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall, the Cabaret Jazz room, the Troesh Studio Theater, the extensive children's education center, and on it goes.

The attention to detail is impressive. The deeper meaning of the project is not lost on artists Victor and Tim Bavington. Both speak with pride about seeing their work in a building that has the promise of creating a sense of place for a community whose identity too often has been defined by marketing hucksters and weekend visitors.

Besides all that, "The Smith Center" has a helluva ring to it, don't you think?

At the risk of losing my resident curmudgeon's card and being branded a rank sentimentalist, I think you're going to love it.

John L. Smith's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Email him at Smith@reviewjournal.com or call 702-383-0295. He also blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/smith.