Las Vegas Arts

          Las Vegas, NV is generally known for the night life and gambling, but the far lesser known part of Las Vegas is its artistic side.  From poetry & dancing to arts and crafts, this glitz and glitter town has a large art community that is worth braving the sweltering summer months for.  Whatever artistic endeavor you may be craving, you'll be able to find it here, in the city of Sin.

         When I first moved to Las Vegas, I thought I knew what I was in for.  Being from Southern California, where you can get involved in any type of art you want, I figured that there wasn't going to be much out here to compete.  I didn't know how wrong I was until I started looking through a very small local newspaper and found an ad for a coffee shop with a poetry night.  To my surprise this one, tiny little coffee shop, filled with art students and poets alike, was not a novelty, but part of a huge art and poetry community.

        Soon, I was searching online for more poetry readings and art galleries, and found a plethora of events, readings, and much more.  Almost every day of the week, you can go to a coffee shop or a restaurant with an open mic poetry reading.  The art galleries and museums range from a tiny 10 x 20 room to large exhibits in the casinos. 

         One of the biggest events is the First Friday Art Festival, aptly named because it happens on the first Friday of every month.  The festival highlights the best of the Vegas Art District, including the open mic for poets and other performing artists.  Started in 2002, this festival has quickly become a staple for locals of Las Vegas.  The city has even started providing bus transports to and from the event.  This is definitely one even that you don't want to miss, and being monthly, you don't have to.

        Voted Best of the City in the Las Vegas Life Magazine, ReJavanate Coffee Lounge is one of the best places to see all sorts of performance artists.  Sundays and Tuesdays they host an open mic poetry night, with some of the most talented poets in the City.  They also host Jazz Nights Thursday and Open Mic Fridays for an assortment of entertainers.  Oh yea, and don't forget their great food and Coffee!

        Craving for something a little more exotic?  You're in luck.  The Las Vegas Belly Dance Intensive is coming in Sept.  From belly dance workshops and shows, to shops and parties with Elvis and his Showgirls, this intensive is amazing!  There are 3 days of workshops for every level of dancer, from children to retirees learning every type of belly dance there is, from the top instructors around the Valley.  This is their sixth year, and probably their biggest year yet.  Whether you're a local or visitor, this is an event you'll remember!

        If you want to find something artistic and more family oriented, then there are a myriad of museums and galleries throughout the valley.  From the smaller exhibits in the local libraries to the larger exhibits in the Tropicana, you could spend a month going through a museum a day, and still not see all of them.  That does not include the small intimate galleries that are in small coffee shops and other stores for their patrons.

         Whoever said that Las Vegas was all glitz and glitter, certainly did not know the deep artistic soul of the city that I have grown to love.  Hopefully, more people will come to enjoy our artistic side, and it will grow and prosper with the Casinos.  Whatever your reason for coming to Las Vegas, don't forget to stop and see the beauty of its artistic side as well.  You certainly won't regret it.

Welcome to Mom's @ Home Times

Our main focus here will be the home and family.  I am a Homeschooling mom of two teenaged sons, I work from home, and spend most of my time at home with my family.  We are not  your average family, but then again who is?

There are several sections to the Moms @ Home Times; Prosperity Tips, Website Spotlight, Politalk, & Vegas Aliens. 

Prosperity Tips - One of the most popular books in this century is "The Secret" by Rhonda Byrne, but there are many other books and teachers that teach the same things that are in that book.  As a society we need to change our thinking about prosperity.  If you want to learn how to incorporate those lessons into your daily life, then this is the section for you!

Website Spotlight - Once a week I will be focusing on a website.  A site that either has some entertainment or educational value to it.  I love surfing the web, and I love sharing the great finds that are out there.  Look for something new each Monday.

Politalk - Being an election year this is going to be one of the most important sections here.  I'm not the average voter, but I have some very strong opinions on issues that my family and home face.  If you want to know more about where the different candidates state this is the place to come.

VegasAliens - We live in Las Vegas, we moved here just last year.  There are a lot of things going on in this town and only some of it has to do with gambling.  From activities for families to the foreclosure epidemic, it'll all be talked about here.

Thank you for visiting Moms @ Home Times.  I hope that you'll come back often to find out what's new, what's interesting and what's going on in the world of Mom's @ Home!