I was lucky enough to work on the "Gateways" project with two important friends and artists. Zach Ostrowski and Miguel Rodriguez. These are some of the sketches I did based on the designs we all worked toward. The intent of this project was to create a gateway into the arts district of Las Vegas. Entering the Arts District creates a point of transition into a new space and environment. A shift in scenery, perception and emotion takes place when one enters the Arts District Corridor. Thus, the gateway becomes a means of passing through and invisible barrier, much like the St. Louis Arch or the Emerald City in the Wizard of Oz. An owl symbolizes wisdom, sight and perception. The levels of perception are examined through a watcher or observer's eyes (the owl) and the individual looking at the owl. The owl also symbolizes intellectual, emotional and sensual graduation and announces a coming of age to the rest of the world. The half-arch is a link between the immediate environment and the concept of owl. Whereas the owl can signify the coming of age and change in Las Vegas, the Arch signifies the transition between barriers and experience of a new motif or sense of time and physical space.
We made it to the finals, but sadly the city chose a different artist.
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