PurrView #58 - Raise the Roof

LowBrow Art Gets High

If you have a taste for pop surrealism and divey atmospheres, you’re in luck. Raise the Roof is a “ceiling art gallery” event held every last Friday of the month at Dino’s Lounge. August 31 was the third installment of the art-gallery-meets-dive-bar event.

Phillip Limon—Raise the Roof co-curator and owner of First Friday staple, Cornerstone Gallery—removes four standard drywall tiles from the ceiling of Dino’s every month.  Limon and co-curator, Jayo, select a different local artist to paint-up each tile. Every final Friday of the month, they return the four tiles to the ceiling and reveal one every hour at the unique art event. Wondering what kind of art we're talking here? “We want to support lowbrow art in the city,” Limon said. 

Adding to the overhead repertoire that began with tiles by Jayo and local ink artist, Christian Wiltse, featured artists for August included Mike Hall, Das Frank of Redemption Tattoos and DJ Tambe of Bad Apple. Outside, King Ruck of Slum Beautiful mural company threw up live graffiti. Inside, DJ Magic spun hip-hop, rock and old school jams. Art originals, prints, T-shirts and tattoo gift certificates were on the raffle/sales table as well. 

“Raise the Roof is welcoming, it's inviting and it's old school,” Limon said. "It will take up to Winter 2013 for completion." And when the decked-out tiles (all 90 of them) are raised to the ceiling, they not only become pieces in an art exhibit, they also become part of Dino’s.   

Raise the Roof, Every last Friday of the month, 6-10 p.m.; Dino’s Lounge, 1516 S. Las Vegas Blvd.

~Meow~
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