by Norm Johnson Send Me E-mail

As you readers know, I have been invited as a guest artist to display my Lost Wax Bronze Sculptures at the 11th Annual ArtFest of Henderson, which gets underway next Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in the Water Street District and Henderson Events Plaza, located at 200 S. Water Street. When Sherry Maquire of the festival management team called me, I was quite surprised, but of course, accepted before they could change their minds.

I will be sharing a booth, inside the Convention Center complex (#461), with another wonderful artist, entertainer and humanitarian... Ms. Paige O'Hara. O'Hara is currently starring in the very entertaining, and funny, Menopause the Musical, at the Hilton Hotel. But, some of you may remember her from a far more famous venue, "Beauty and the Beast," where she was "Belle" in the Oscar-winning, animated Disney film. Well, she is not only a wonderful singer, but her oil paintings are exceptional and cover the gamut... from a personal favorite of "Belle" to some Leonardo da Vinci inspired oils.

A young artist, Cayla Calderon, a third-grader at Robert Taylor Elementary School, was selected as the Grand Finale winner of the "Henderson, A Place to Call Home" watercolor contest sponsored by the City of Henderson, Primm Valley Lions Club and the Clark County School District, with her painting entitled, "Turtle."

Calderon will be recognized for her efforts by having her art auctioned, along with other student artwork, during the festival. Judges consisted of Mayor Jim Gibson, Channel 8's Gary Waddell, ArtsWalk Chairperson Susanne Reese and Plaza Gallery owner Gary Reese. There were a total of 400 entries in the competition, which was narrowed down to 25, with Calderon coming out on top. All proceeds from the auction will benefit her school.

I remember the old days (gosh it was so many years ago, I can't even remember the decade) when this festival was held in Henderson Park. It was free then (as it is today) and various artist would put up a tent (if they had one) and sell their wares. We, the public, had to struggle to find a parking place, and then walked like a mile to get to the core of the festival. And, we never went home without buying something... be it a board with our address, or a nice painting. In those days you just walked, kids in tow, and ate hotdogs, drank lots of soda pop and had one heck of a good outing. Since the Maquire Company (Frank and Sherry) took over production of the festival, it's far more organized and very well promoted. In those "good ol' days" the advertising was done mostly by word of mouth.

Frank Maquire is an avid supporter of the arts and established Frank Maquire & Associates, Inc. as an event consulting business. The company offers more than 35 years experience creating and producing special events, concerts, street fairs, outdoor art galleries events and other activities that assist in the redevelopment of downtown and old town areas. Since 1989, Frank Maquire & Associates, Inc. has developed several festivals in California, Nevada and Arizona, including the Old Town San Diego Art Festival and ArtFest of Scottsdale, Az.

Please look for Paige and this writer inside the Center. The festival runs Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. You can also look at my sculptures by going to Web site: www.sculpturesbynorm.com.

THIS AND THAT QUICKLY: You think the show "O" is expensive at the Bellagio, or "Le Reve" at the Wynn? Try a $300 per person ticket for a magic show. Yep, gang, you read it right. But, this is not any ordinary magic show... it's very exclusive. Here's the story: Steve Dacri, the 2008 International Close-up Magician of the Year, will present some of the rarest forms of magic right before your eyes. "Impossible Magic," debuts on Saturday, May 17th, in the elegant, upscale restaurant, "Six Tables" at 2110 North Rampart. There are literally only six tables and the guest count is limited to no more than 30 people. The evening consists of a fabulous six-course gourmet meal, prepared by world-renowned Master Chef Roland Levi (he's from Belgium). After everything has been digested and the tables cleared, Dacri will present his world famous sleight of hand magic, which never fails to mesmerize the audience. The highest priced dinner show in Las Vegas will be held every Saturday and Sunday beginning at 7 p.m. The ticket (plus tax and gratuity) includes champagne and port wine, a gourmet meal and the magic show. For information or tickets check www.stevedacri.com. Call (702) 256-2060 for reservations... Eydie Gorme, part of the team Steve & Eydie, has just released four completely re-mastered CDs of some fabulous music she has recorded over the years. They represent some of the finest songs ever written or sung from the "Great American Song Book." The titles are: "Eydie Gorme Vamps the Roaring `20s," "Eydie in Love," "Gorme's Showstoppers," and "Eydie Gorme Love is a Season." To read more about them check out the Web site: www.steveandeydie.com... We will be attending the Media opening tonight (Friday, May 2nd) of "Jersey Boys" at the Palazzo, and will give you a complete report next week... Lee Grenwood will participate along with Sean Hannity and Mark Levin (they are political radio talk show hosts), in the 2008 Freedom Concert at The Orleans Arena tomorrow (Saturday) beginning at 8 p.m....

Well, gang, that's about it for this week.

I'm outa here!

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