57°F
weather icon Mostly Cloudy

In these tough times, new art piece a reminder to ‘Keep Going’

BEATTY — Shadows. In 2006 Eames Demetrios designated Rhyolite as the capital of the District of Shadows in his fantasy alternate universe. This bit of information can be found on the plaque he placed at Goldwell Open Air Museum next to the Nevada ghost town.

Now the newest piece at the museum depends on shadows to make its meaning clear to observers. Artist Michelle Graves installed “KEEP GOING” over the weekend of Oct. 14-15.

The sculpture consists of those words spelled out with 4-foot-high upside-down block capital letters. Only by looking at the shadows cast by the letters can the viewer see them in normal orientation.

“The placement/color of the letters in the environment will make it like a mirage from a distance,” Graves said in her proposal for the piece. “Then upon closer look, the sun casting a shadow will also say ‘KEEP GOING’ that looks correct, and this shadow will be continuously in motion throughout every day.”

This camouflage-style sculpture represents the “difficulties to remember what it takes to keep going,” she added.

She added that the temporary installation “will create an immersive and contemplative experience for the viewer that is willing to have the adventure, follow their curiosities and remember to keep going.” After installation was complete, Graves noticed that one of the letters had been installed backward, as can be seen in the accompanying photograph, but this is something hardly noticed by the viewer, as the shadowy message is still instantly readable. At the time of this writing she had not decided whether to return to correct the error or to treat it like what watercolorists refer to as a “happy accident,” since the ability to read the message despite the mistake could be taken to say that it is possible to KEEP GOING despite imperfections.

Richard Stephens is a freelance reporter living in Beatty.

MOST READ
THE LATEST
GALLERY: Homeschoolers come together at Steampunk Soiree dance

Homeschool students of Pahrump and the surrounding areas were invited to celebrate the start of a brand new school year with their very own homecoming dance — the Steampunk Soiree.

GALLERY: See photos from Pahrump’s Purple Heart Day

Military service often comes with sacrifice and National Purple Heart Day is intended to honor those who have suffered wounds or made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives in defense of America.

GALLERY: Helen Keller Days raises $2k for local Federation of the Blind Chapter

The 2nd Annual Helen Keller Days took place with members of the Southern Nye County Chapter of the Federation of the Blind coming together with community supporters for an afternoon of fun and excitement, all in the name of fundraising.

Bang for your buck: Where to buy fireworks

Nye County is known for its many fireworks stores that typically peak around the Fourth of July holiday. If you’re looking to stock up on fireworks check out these local retailers:

  • Alamo Fireworks Megastore, 5360 US-95, Amargosa Valley
  • Area 51 Fireworks, 1381 Highway 372
  • Blackjack Fireworks, 1181 S. Highway 160
  • Phantom Fireworks of Pahrump, 921 S. Highway 160, Suite 501
  • Red Apple Fireworks, 3640 S. Highway 160
  • Outlaw Pyro, 2280 W. Betty Ave.
GALLERY: How Pahrump marked Juneteenth

Several members of the community met at the Black Cow’s open-mic session on Wednesday evening, followed by a candlelight vigil at the corner of Highway 160 and Basin Avenue in the Petrack Park parking lot. Hymns and songs of freedom were sung by the group to mark Juneteenth in Pahrump for the fourth year since President Joe Biden signed the nation’s newest holiday into law in 2021.

95-year-old grand marshal shares the secret to his longevity

More than 40 friends and family celebrated Emil Janssen’s 95th birthday on Saturday, June 8 at the Pahrump Senior Center. The co-founder of Pahrump Family Mortuary will serve as grand marshal for this year’s Fourth of July parade in Pahrump, and says the secret to his longevity is simple.