Howdy, Sports Lovers...
Did you know that one of the fastest-growing art collector groups is pro athletes? Pro-basketballers got that ball rolling a decade ago...
My name is Gordy Grundy.
Two years and two months ago, we all read for the very first time that Elaine Wynn was gifting our city with a spectacular world class art museum.
One month after reading that, I moved my world to Las Vegas.
And we have been a very active part of our arts community since.
From experience, I hesitate to confess that I have spent my entire adult life as a busy, exhibiting artist, primarily a painter, in Los Angeles.
I have over a hundred credits, producing and marketing live theater in L.A.
Success in the nightclub business allowed me to paint for a decade.
Twice I have been a first-read columnist, while writing for art magazines, the Huffington Post and the Los Angeles Times.
Always active in the community, I have held leadership and founding positions in several arts organizations.
I know that I have just lost most of you—But wait,
(Laughing) Hoping to regain my credibility, I have to tell you,
that I had the best day job an artist could ever have.
I worked in marketing and promotion, with most film studios.
Managing projects.
They would ask me for clever ways to market a major motion picture.
Then I would fulfill that campaign, nationally.
I am most proud of my decades-long work, alongside the Walt Disney Studios. They are an absolutely unforgiving client.... And my track record was flawless.
(strong pause)
The arts + culture tourism demographic, is
the most sought after audience, in the world.
Why?
Yes, they spend money. They travel.
The economic value, to cities and states, is well-studied and highly documented.
But the real gold is their influence.
In marketing, we call it the "halo effect."
This demographic has the greatest influence, in our world.
On everything. The fashions we wear. To the sneakers on our feet. The foods we eat. The beer we drink. The movies we watch...
And, the places we travel.
This is far more than just my opinion.
The Ipsos (ip-sows) Global Influentials Report and the Art Basel and UBS Art Market Report, are my evidence. And yours.
Let us honor our new museum, the Las Vegas Museum of Art... And create a fertile arts + culture landscape, here, in our home town.
Let us create a series of new, and exciting attractions,
to bring the arts and culture heads, to our resort beds.
To the present,
Las Vegas was recently considered as a location by Art Basel,
the most prestigious art fair in the world.
That would be fantastic.
Now, Let me ask the obvious question:
Should Vegas get an art fair---What do we do with the remaining 51 weeks in a year?
Las Vegas is too big of a city, for just one audience.
What demographic, would complement, the Greatest Sports Town in America?
Let's invite the Arts, this valuable demographic, to our home, Las Vegas.
How shall we do that?
Well, of course, I have a plan...
I was born and raised at the beach, in Southern California.
Everything there, we go-go faster, louder and higher. In great style.
Walt Disney would be proud of such a comprehensive, hospitality plan.
I aim to share it with you. Thank you for your attention.
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Artist and writer GORDY GRUNDY is the Editor-in-Chief of Art Report Today
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