A Beautiful Deep Dive Into Our Worldwide Arts + Culture
DUCK DUCK SHED RETURNS! The Neon Museum's Celebration of Design, Architecture, and Vintage
Las Vegas!
by Gordy Grundy
My life in our arts and culture, as an artist and arts columnist, allows me to confess with certainty that the creative world can be rather, well, snooty.
It doesn't have to be! And I am blown away by the line-up for the 2025 Duck Duck Shed, a presentation of the Neon Museum. It is academic, educational and, most importantly, fun!
I have been texting my snooty colleagues to take a look. Duck Duck Shed is the model to emulate. The program is so smart that the Las Vegas chapter of the prestigious American Institute of Architects is offering course credits for most of the events!
Oftentimes, creation and destruction go hand in hand. Every artist knows the value of this conundrum; sometimes you have to destroy in order to create. Why not make art out of the destruction?
Steve Crupi is one such artist or journalist or thrillseeker. He is known as 'The Implosion Guy.' Witnessing and documenting the destruction of every Vegas hotel, he takes us inside the 'blast zone' with an uncanny and creative series of videos. It's amazing what they can do with well-timed explosives! Sign me up!
The Covid lockdowns were very unkind to Cirque du Soliel. Their worldwide kingdom was shaken to its very core. And as we say, "That's show biz!" This incredible institution deserves our support as it rebuilds itself.
On stage, order and ease are scripted. Backstage is where it gets messy and the real stories emerge. At the City of Las Vegas Grand Gallery, in conjunction with the Neon Museum, a current exhibition of props, costumes and artifacts is devoted to the many Las Vegas Cirque du Soliel productions.
As part of the Neon Museum’s annual design celebration, Duck Duck Shed invites us to tour this exhibition with the curator Sarah Hulme. Here, we will get the inside scoop on this incredible company of artists, performers, craftsmen and producers. "Curator’s Tour: Stories from Backstage: Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas" is a showstopper.
We love our sport teams. In every crowded stadium, there are a few in the stands who turn their attention away from the playing field to the arena itself. "Ya know, if the roof line were arched, the sun and the prevailing winds would..." "Where do we put the restrooms and do the women need more stalls?"
Form follows function. Every creation presents problems to be solved. That's what they thought about, nearly 2,000 years ago, when building the Colosseum in Rome. "Where do we park the chariots?"
Frankie Sharpe is that dynamic guy who ponders such dilemmas. He is the Director of Sports Architecture at the international firm of the Bjarke Ingels Group.
With an insider's knowledge, Sharpe will detail the design considerations of the A's ballpark in Vegas. We will look at our upcoming stadium in a whole new way.
Have ya ever sat in a sport's arena and daydreamed, "If my kid grows up to be a sports stadium architect, I could get free season tickets!"
The Neon Museum and their Duck Duck Shed offer the way. Their Saturday family-friendly STEAM event will inspire your tyke to greater things. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Hands-on activities! Idea and cause to effect! Ask questions and learn!
Architecture and Design is on the menu, as well as performances and a food truck!
This walkabout offers a history of Vegas that began a century ago.
I do not need to share my excitement for "Surprises and Secrets: A Downtown Walking Tour of Iconic Casinos." The fun and informative daily event, led by Richard Hooker, is nearly sold out!
Don't gamble! Get your tickets now.
Weather-wise, this is the best time of year to visit the Neon Museum in the cool afterglow of a sunset. Unlike anything else on this planet, the must-see museum offers recognizable treasures, loaded with stories.
Offered twice a day throughout Duck Duck Shed, the Neon Museum presents two fun, focused tours, the "Viva Las Vegas Guided Movie Tour" and their "Self-Guided Architecture + Design Boneyard Walk." Don't choose, enjoy both!
Hollywood glamour is a state of mind and the Neon Museum's Duck Duck Shed offers us a slice of the good life. Because we deserve it. This is a once in a lifetime invitation!
After walking the "Viva Las Vegas Guided Movie Tour" at the Neon Museum, I suggest you take in a big screen, world premiere movie, lounging poolside, with a starry, velvet night sky as your backdrop.
You see, Nevadan filmmaker Adam Kilbourn has scripted, produced and directed a new film with so much action, he had to title it "Action! Action!" The film is gorgeously shot throughout Las Vegas.
The action sequences are a jaw-dropping "How did they do that? How could the producer afford that?" Locals may recognize their neighbors who acted in the film.
In true Las Vegas style, the film premiere is held at the Circa Resort's Las Vegas Pool Amphitheater. Sip a beverage, take a swim and be the first to see "Action! Action!" on a 13-story, 14-million megapixel LED screen.
Grab a ticket to the "World Premiere: “Action! Action!” at Circa’s Stadium Swim."
The word 'design' sounds whimsical, but the practice is not. Every element has meaning and purpose.
We may ignore the carpet under our feet, yet the colors can alter our mood and direct our movements within a room.
Two designers, Alice O'Keefe and Terrien Hale, will break the practice down with "Form & Function: Carpeting a Casino."
You may look at your living room in a whole new way!
Many of the finest hotels and casinos in Las Vegas have impressive art collections. Here are four reasons why I wish to attend Duck Duck Shed's "Public Art in Las Vegas: A Curator’s Tour of the Aria Fine Art Collection."
a) The Aria has the most stunning public art display in the city.
b) The artists are all of the bluest chip and the chosen works are exceptional. I personally want to see Nancy Rubins' "Big Edge" (2009); imagine a tornado of many, many, colorful canoes suspended pell mell in the air.
c) This tour is only offered twice over Duck Duck Shed and limited to an intimate group of 15.
d) Leading the lucky few is native Nevadan Michele C. Quinn, the most influential art advisor in the southwest. Her impressive resume, project experiences and sharp eye promise a very educational and inspiring tour.
The skillset of an art advisor requires finesse, impeccable taste, an eye for the appropriate, and a temerity to direct a construction crew.
How else do you transport and carefully place a three-ton, Roman Travertine Marble, Henry Moore sculpture into the Aria? Just ask Michele.
How do you build a volcano? The elementary school kids raise their hands and shout, "Paper mache and baking soda!" After rolling my eyes, I shake my head and ask the adults, "No, a real erupting volcano, like in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip!"
35 years ago, an architect and group of engineers, designers and landscapers received a most unusual and preposterous assignment, which are always the best kind of challenge. On a four and a half acre plot, fronting the old Mirage Hotel and Casino, they were tasked to build a volcano attraction, unlike anything the world had ever seen.
The Mirage and her iconic volcano may be gone, but the epic story of its creation will remain forever. The creators, Jonathan Sparer, Desmond Stevens, Andrew Kreft and Brett Ewing will tell their tale to the Neon Museum's Duck Duck Shed audience.
Every creator knows that it is easier to design from scratch, yet every assignment has considerations, elements that must be honored and incorporated into the effort.
Some are small, like 'use the blue of my wife's eyes in the lobby carpets.' Others are gargantuan, like: a) Faithfully honor one of the greatest architects in modern times, and b) Take the breezy and open hotel architecture from a warm and humid climate, and repurpose it into a contained casino in a blistering hot and dry environment.
The prized panel for "Fontainebleau Reimagined: Honoring Morris Lapidus in Las Vegas" will share their journey and insights into such a campaign. John Rawlins, a Fontainebleau design executive will lead the group of international architects and designers with Stefano Giussani, Wei Jien and Tim Rooney.
The Fontainebleau in Las Vegas is a beaut! Our recent economic turbulence has not been kind to its long construction and debut. We predict this hotel and casino will emerge as the prime Vegas destination.
As every living creature knows: Things change quickly in the desert!
One cannot discuss the history of Las Vegas without detailing the life of Jay Sarno.
The word 'titan' is wholly appropriate. He is the founder of Caesars Palace, a groundbreaking megaplex devoted to luxury and sartorial pleasures. Then he did it again, with a mad idea of a casino that was family friendly. Against every odd, Circus Circus was another success.
Sarno had connections to Jimmy Hoffa and the Teamsters Pension Fund. With friends like that, no wonder Sarno liked to gamble.
His son, Jay Sarno, Jr. is the author of "Two Sides of Jay Sarno," and, with David Schwartz, will lead the presentation at his Dad's iconic Bacchanal Buffet at Caesars Palace.
Admission includes brunch at The Bacchanal, as well as further insights into the birth and evolution of this remarkable city.
I believe one of the most interesting and thoughtful presentations will be made by Dayvid Figler, on Thursday, as a grand kickstart to the Neon Museum's Duck Duck Shed. His topic on Las Vegas is historical and far-reaching.
Figler is an award-winning host and podcaster on the national City Cast network, which is backed by the publishing empire of the Graham Holdings Company. Alongside his co-hosts, his near-daily, wide-ranging show "Hey Las Vegas" offers everything from topical local news, to public policy, to food reviews and more.
Las Vegas has never been a planned community. It grew chaotically with a cowboy's bravado of 'Let's just do it!' How else can you get an Eiffel Tower, an Egyptian pyramid and King Arthur's castle in the same neighborhood?
The presentation "Still Learning from Las Vegas with Dayvid Figler" will speak of the lessons lost in urban planning, architecture and design. He asks 'What of the future?'
Presented by The Neon Museum, Duck Duck Shed invites locals and visitors alike to rediscover Las Vegas through its design, architecture, and creative history. View the full schedule and reserve your spot at DuckDuckShed.com, just Click Here!
a) The Aria has the most stunning public art display in the city. 
