the street is our gallery

The Seattle-based digital artist, designer, and color maverick Abigail Dougherty, A.K.A. Neon Saltwater, returned for another building embellishment in Downtown Las Vegas, this time to glam up a massive abandoned garage located on East Fremont Street, the main artery of DTLV. Invited by curator group Justkids, Neon Saltwater completely reimagined the original space and purpose of the former auto repair shop into a chromatically vibrant fantasy titled “Cherry Lake”.

Best known for her ominous digital scenes of rooms, malls, and vending machines rendered in neon tones, the artist brought her new work in an IRL experience. Blending futuristic vibes with Y2K nostalgia, this multi-era deja vu technicolor portal includes large renderings, neon lights, and a multicolored painted gradient wrapping around the entire building. Inside an unsettling dreamy room with floating balloons’ silhouettes glows a mesmerizing red lightcreating a mysterious and wistful impression.

“While the building of Cherry Lake looks familiar and somewhat ordinary, I contrasted that with hyper-intense colors, lighting, and text that looks like candy. Each garage door contained a large-scale image of my digital work and each digital piece is a Neon Saltwater’s space that depicts the euphoric mental image I have of the excess and fantasy of Las Vegas.”, said the artist about her new piece.

This massive and outstanding installation, curated by Justkids, was created for the latest Life is Beautiful Festival edition and undoubtedly, was a must-see, standout highlight of the festival this year.

“We saw in Neon Saltwater’s work the perfect artist to redefine this dull space. Cherry Lake is a tribute to Las Vegas; it captures its allure and its letdowns. A recurring dichotomy that is present in Neon Saltwater’s work: the fabulous and the creepy, the futuristic and the nostalgic. Indeed, when you step into Abby’s world, you find yourself in a realm where time and reality blur; things become beautifully hazy, melancholic, and weird. In a nutshell, Cherry Lake is an emotional journey through time and space that brings a truly novel approachto art within the urban space.” said Justkids Curator and Director CharlotteDutoit.

Since its first edition in 2013, Justkids has consecutively curated the Art Program for the Music Festival, changing up the event footprint into a colorful playground and creating a growing portfolio of artworks that the local community and its visitors can enjoy, aiming to enhance under-utilizedspaces and encourage more pedestrian activity in the area, even after the fun is over.

Follow Justkids projects on www.justkids.art and instagram.com/justkidsofficial