Having spent a full day in NYC and about to participate in the second, I find myself very grateful for the vision, development and investment by lovers of art and culture for future generations. As you begin to close out your formal education, do you see yourself living in a large urban environment like NYC, where you will have cultural choices of immense proportions, or do you suspect you would prefer a quieter place to live removed from the energy and vibrancy of modern city life? What choices do you anticipate making as far as living environments are concerned and why?
Art and Honors BGFA 
As college graduates, I would hope that we were all instilled with the desire to experience and appreciate as much of the world as is within our means. Having said this, is it sufficient to merely view physical artifacts – the material culture – or must you also have some idea of all the other intangibles, like the language, traditions, and customs of a culture? And, do you have to actually live in a place to know it? Or can you be a citizen of the world?
I love Vegas! It offers me the best of both worlds. It’s an urban area, surrounded by vast openness. Plus, you can get to practically every corner of the world from our airport!
But as an art student, what I like most about Vegas is the creativity that goes into driving our economy. This town employs a whole army of artists to create and promote environments that attract people from around the world. I also find it amusing that some dismiss of the work of artists employed on the strip, as less than art. This is especially relevant to our study of Warhol and I look forward to exploring that idea.
I see myself living in a large urban environment (like Las Vegas!) in the future, because I prefer the big city life filled with all sorts of different people, activities, food, and culture. At the same time, I would also prefer if the city is somehow “connected” to nature in certain ways, such as mountains, parks, fields, deserts, hiking areas, lakes, and etc., because I enjoy interacting with nature and sometimes a quiet time away from the city is a nice and comforting experience.
Being exposed to these things first-hand greatly increases my life experiences, widens my world view, and, thus, just knowledge in general. Although, I would also argue that one can also experience this in a smaller city or town, but not to the same scale as you would living in a large city. However, with the advancement of technology and the internet, one can easily be part of the “vibrancy of modern city life” without actually being in one. What I would define as the energy of city life is the popular culture of that locality, so one can easily search up images, information, news, and even TV shows that present that culture. On the other hand, I would agree with anyone that says that there is a limit to this method of being immersed to a said city’s life, because the setting and the environment really matters when one is trying to understand the culture behind it just like how the context is important when one analyzes a work of art.
I think this question has to parts. First there is the reality of life that we are not always able to choose our ideal location to live. Jobs, significant others, as well as other factors don’t always allow one to choose their preferred living location. Even thought I love to travel; I actually like the quieter slow pace of a small town. With technology today it is easy to stay connected for example with things like the Internet, TV, and cell phones. It is easy to get to the input and “noise” that is all around us, what is difficult is finding peace and quite. That being said, If it were completely my choice I don’t believe I would choose Las Vegas to live, but I think Las Vegas is a nice location because it affords me the opportunity to escape to the quite of nature with just a short drive. I can also travel easily with the affordable Las Vegas air rates.
I have lived in both urban and city and truly appeciate both. In New York City, I loved the idea of being able to visit museums, art galleries, go to plays and an immense amount of night life. It was fabulous at the time. I have also lived in a small town in Maine and loved the fact that I could go outside at night and walk without worry, leave my doors unlocked and actually know and visit my neighbors. I have lived in Las Vegas for 9 years now and I would not want to live any plaqce else. I love it here. I can see or do almost anything I wish and I can stay at home and do nothing if I feel like it. I can also travel, Vegas is my hub – I can fly anywhere from here and still have it not be too far away. For me, finding Vegas, a mixture of both worlds, was Heaven. The art scene is far from perfect, but it is emerging and I enjoy being a part of it.
In today’s world where we are connected and everything is easily accessible, I don’t feel like you have to choose one over the other in terms of living in a big city with culture and energy or living in a quiet place outside of the bustle of modernity. I like the idea of living somewhere outside of an urban city, but still having access to it.
My life is here with my Husband and children, so I don’t see my art degree taking me anywhere but Las Vegas for now. In the future I may decide to retire to Hawaii where there is beauty and inspiration all around.
Although I feel it necessary sometimes to get away from the busy life that living in a large urban environment provides, I cannot see myself living away from the city. I have always lived in an urban setting, from my time in Hawaii to even now in Vegas. I may appreciate the calm and relaxing atmosphere that is associated with a more rural setting; however, I feel that if I stay there too long I will become anxious. This anxiety may stem from the belief that I have fewer things to do in a rural environment. I believe it is because, in the city, the constant bombardment of visual imagery and auditory information makes it seem that there is always something to do. It feels busy. As to the choices I will make concerning where I will live in the future, I believe that my financial situation and job availability will be major factors in my decision. If I am unable to afford the cost of living in a city, or I cannot find a job in that area, I may consider living in a rural environment. The proximity to my family will also play a big role in where I will choose to live. My family is very important to me and I want to be as close to them as possible.
After living in Las Vegas for all my life, I am ready to get out. I don’t like living in this town at all. Too many people who are all mean to each other. There is no courtesy anywhere in this town. If you do find it, you’re lucky, and you probably won’t find it again. It sounds kind of bitter, but I’m really sick of Las Vegas. I prefer living in a small town away from people. I want to live in a large plot of land with my house right in the center of it. I need at least a half mile radius around me before I ever encounter another neighbor. That way I don’t have to hear my neighbor yack on the phone. I can have my windows open on a nice day without having to smell their nasty cigarettes wafting in. Ahh…peace. I need room to breathe. Houses in Vegas today, especially the newer ones, are so crammed together. You don’t have any privacy at all. Why even bother having windows on the sides? You’re so close to your neighbor that if you look out the window, you can practically give them a high five. Yep. Vegas houses suck. It’s so crowded, especially when driving. Traffic is such a bummer here. There is always someone who thinks they’re more important than everyone else, so rules don’t apply to them. I understand what a big city has to offer when it comes to culture, but I would rather live somewhere away from the hectic and stressful city scene where you won’t encounter a rude person every time you step outside your house. After I graduate, I’m getting the heck out of here.
As a future architect I need to live in an urban environment that is filled with energy, electricity, vibrance. I feel that the energy that is around, that are within the public sector helps drive me in my designs. I am currently living in the suburbs of Henderson, NV and as such I feel that I have a hard time designing and thinking in this environment. It isn’t until I come to the congestion of the city, of the Strip, of downtown.
I have a hard time doing work at home. It isn’t until I get to the environment of UNLV or at the DDC (Downtown Design Center) that I am able to actually become creative. However there is a sense that I have a harder time concentrating on one thing at a time in this very same environment. If I need to focus on one thing, just reading, or doing rather anything that needs to be done, then I need seclusion. So I feel that in order to be creative, to expand my thoughts, to “think outside the box” I need to be in a vibrant and lively environment, full of energy. But when it is time for me to actually concentrate on just one thing, then I need a quiet place to sit down, and be alone to do just that one thing.
I would love to achieve the best of both worlds. I love the intimacy that comes with a small town, but ultimately prefer the city. It is constantly changing, challenging me to keep up. People filter in and out, especially in a city like Las Vegas, and i think that allows for greater cultural and general impact on society worldwide. Think of how many people around the world are aware of the strip – they could see a photo and immediately recognize it. Do you think they could do the same for a local firehouse in a small town in Kansas? I love the possibility of impacting someone who I will never see again. In a small town, however, inspiration is more heartfelt. The art and the culture grow with you, through you, and impact your life in a way that is personal and intuitive.
I have no real preference for living environments specifically. I suspect I’ll have to choose how near or far I am to the city’s center, how close i want my house, loft, condo, etc. to be to another building… The choices are really endless. I’m excited to take them on, though. I’m particularly excited to make the choices regarding the interior design of my living environment!
One of the things I’ve always loved and hated about Las Vegas is that everything is shiny and new. As soon as a casino gets too old they knock it down and build a newer, bigger, more extravagant one in its place. Living in Vegas where people walk around dressed like Elvis and you can attend poolside concerts while overlooking the strip can sometimes seem surreal. I picture myself living somewhere like London. I definitely want to be in an urban environment but I would also like to live somewhere with more history. Living anywhere I can’t run errands or hang out with friends at three in the morning would be an adjustment.
When one becomes older and established, the choices such as time, the environment that surrounds you, seem to mysteriously be provided up for you. I feel like this is somewhat true in my case, except for the important choices. These important choices must never be bargained with, negotiated with or at the very least don’t sell them out. The important choices for me have always been made by my heart with a large dose of experience. Without the experience one does not know what the heart wants.
As for choosing to live, I am home, I moved to Las Vegas from a very rural part of Nebraska. Someone once said, Nebraska can be so small that they have to pump daylight in to shine a light on anything. This is very true, when they say one horse town they mean it. Growing up and looking up at the sky I could see the contrails of the Jet Planes flying East to west traveling at 36,000 feet they seemed to small to consider. At that time I never thought I would leave my white washing rambunctious lifestyle. My universe was so small I didn’t know the questions to ask or for that matter what opportunities lay ahead. For me Vegas just feels like home, one major reason is that my wife’s family is from here. Growing up in the winter climate of Nebraska has taught me that I don’t like being cold, for that matter I don’t think I could get to hot.
No I don’t think I will be moving to the larger metropolitan area for now, but that doesn’t mean I won’t travel and partake in the cultural excellence, with its contrasting messages and its constant buzz of energy.
Even though I am older I feel like taking this pause in my life to study art has somehow transported me and has transformed me into a more rounded individual. It has opened my eyes to new and old ideas alike. But most of all I feel like the world is open to me, those jets at 36,000 feet don’t seem so small anymore, and now I know those jets can take you places, even places you haven’t even imagined. Who knows they may even have there own light.
After I graduate I see myself working in a city but living out side of it. Im a country girl that loves the outside world. As a graphic designer i want to work in a million dollar company, making their ads 😉 but going home to a quite peaceful environment.
Living in Las Vegas my entire life, this has become a question I ask myself daily. Where do I want to move, what kind of climate do I want to live in, what scene do I want to participate in? I love traveling and know once I leave I will want to keep going. So my first destination is to move North, to somewhere that has real trees and grass. I would love to be able to walk through woods with my dog and stay away from 100 degrees+. However, I do know I am a city girl at heart, so moving somewhere that has that kind of scenery as well as a city would be ideal, say Seattle or Vancouver, Can. I suppose I want it all.
After traveling overseas to England for an extended stay, I would also love to stay there. I like the hustle and bustle and the sheer amount of cultural enterprises that are housed there. The first time I visited, I stayed in the countryside. Wandering around at sundown with some friends of mine, we ended finding a meadow hidden behind some large bushes. Once inside the meadow we found a peaceful graveyard. All of the headstones were different and there were various flowers scattered around each. And to our surprise we were greeted by horses grazing–I know, this sounds magical, but it was. I was profoundly struck by this experience and it has stayed with me over the years. I feel like this isn’t something that could be so easily stumbled upon in a city, especially Las Vegas, and I want to be closer to this level of nature, but without giving up the mecca of innovation that I have grown accustomed to.
So of all of the cities I have listed, the ideal life I picture for myself is working in the larger urban areas, but living in, or at least very close to, a natural setting. Living off of Tropicana Avenue my entire life definitely makes me want a more quaint living arrangement, but I’m not ready to give up city life just yet.
This blog post interests me, in that I have been trying to decide these things for the past year as I realized my undergraduate career was coming to an end. It is now that I decide where my future lies. I value both ways of life, the bustling city life engulfed by people/culture, and the quite rural life spent among few neighbors and companions. I feel like I have so much more to learn, not only about myself, but educationally, so for now I dream of living in a city like NYC. Though, I often times think that being in a quieter city, without constant distractions and influences, would help me achieve my realizations and figure out what I really want my art to portray. Life is all about decisions, and right now I am unsure of my artistic future. I currently plan to either teach abroad for a nice change of scenery. I find a shock to the mind and body really awakens deep thought you may have let go into the recessions of the mind, which I desperately need since I have become so focused on school and the now. I anticipate having to decide where I will live, whom I will live with, if I choose to live in a big city do I want to live in the midst of it all or on the outskirts, if I choose to live in a small town will I want to live in the center of town or even further removed from society, I will have to decide what direction my art takes, will I focus on painting, photography, or keep going with a mixture of all art forms, will I need a car where I go, will I have access to technology as readily as I do here at home, I will have to decide where my education goes next, will I go to graduate school after I teach abroad or join the peace corps, and if I choose the peace corps, will I go to graduate school after that, I have to decide when I want my actual adult life to start because for now, I am focusing on living. I can’t wait to graduate and explore realms of the world I never thought imaginable. I want to teach in a foreign country, I want to see animals in person in their natural habitat, I want to visit third world countries and work towards humanitarian services, I want to build a better future for people who will never meet me, I want to encourage others to look outside ourselves and find more purpose in life than what clothes we wear or what books we read, I want to encourage others to keep living. I want to appreciate the life I have by enduring what others do daily and without strife.