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Category: Las Vegas News

Las Vegas, Nevada - As summer draws to a close, Zap 10, the latest in Clark County Parks and Recreation's Public Art Program's popular series in which local artists paint neighborhood utility boxes will be commemorated on Thursday, Aug. 30 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The public is invited to help celebrate the successful and colorful completion of Zap 10 on East Cheyenne Avenue at the Walnut Recreation Center at 3075 North Walnut Road.

 The ten artists – Abbie Paulhus, Angela Johnson, Dan Hernandez, Eleazar Mora, Emily Alley, Henry Morales, Justin Nolan, Lois Esparza, Melanie LaMay and Shalla Art – selected earlier this year, have been creating original works of art on water, power and traffic signal control boxes along East Cheyenne Avenue from the Las Vegas Wash Trail Park to Lamb Boulevard and around Walnut Recreation Center and park & pool complex.

"Some people ask why we pay artists," said County Commissioner Lawrence Weekly, in whose district Zap 10 is located. "They ask, why not just have students paint the boxes as part of their coursework, or have the selected artists simply do the work for free, just for the exposure? The answer is that we not only want art to look at, but we also want to build a strong community of artists here in Clark County. The only way to build that community is to provide work for artists; so that they and their art can thrive here."

"Zap 10 marks a milestone in this user-friendly, recognized and appreciated public art series, initiated in 2005 to help celebrate the Las Vegas Centennial 100 Murals project," said Mickey Sprott, the County's Public Art Program Supervisor.  "It showcases new public art partnerships with both the City of North Las Vegas and the College of Southern Nevada's north campus."

When approached to become a Zap 10 project partner, North Las Vegas Councilman Isaac Barron was enthusiastic. "Supporting and helping to host the Zap 10 project offers North Las Vegas a fantastic opportunity to expand our arts and culture programs into new territory, widening our public/private partnership connections and building on public art as an educational development tool," he said.

The transformation of the boxes will be shown during the free open house at Walnut Recreation Center, and representatives from the Clark County Commission, North Las Vegas City Council and the CSN Fine Arts Program are scheduled to attend. Refreshments will be served and Zap 10 walking map flyers will be handed out to anyone interested in exploring the finished boxes, close-up.

Zap 10 is presented by Clark County Parks & Recreation and Commissioner Lawrence Weekly with essential partners North Las Vegas Councilman Isaac Barron, NV Energy, Clark County Traffic Control, North Las Vegas Utilities, North Las Vegas Neighborhood & Leisure Services, the College of Southern Nevada's Department of Fine Arts, CSN Facilities, CSN Police, the Nevada Department of Transportation, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, North Las Vegas Police, the Las Vegas Valley Water District, Walnut Recreation Center and various local businesses within the Zap 10 footprint.

For more information on about the ZAP! public art program series, please visit http://www.clarkcountynv.gov/parks/Pages/zap-homepage.aspx