Big Money

Aside from a McGuggenheim franchise, the most prominent artistic achievement in Las Vegas may be the Riviera's bronze showgirl statue, rubbed lusterless by inebriated penny-slot enthusiasts. So it's understandable that a couple of years' exposure to all that excess and neon might skew the palate. This traveling exhibit presents the provocative work of 26 University of Nevada, Las Vegas, graduates accustomed to no last call and indoor smoking. So what better place to vacation than a sleepy beach town? The Laguna Art Museum is, thankfully, a sandy sanctuary from those dark-walled galleries at the bottom of the hill chronicling the finer points of whale life. Its recent presentations, including Rick Griffin's reformed psychedelia last summer, have helped make any of the museum's stirrings worthy of investigation. It all begins officially this Sunday, with an opening the public is welcome to attend. Check it out-but leave your quarters at home.
March 9-June 1, 2008