Sparkflight Studios

  The Nature Conservancy in Nevada. Image credit © Simon Williams. Wetlands: Hands On! (W.H.O.) is a stewardship program at the Clark County Wetlands Park involving more than 5,000 community volunteers since 2013. Volunteers participated in monthly projects including picking up trash and debris, removing graffiti, painting, removing invasive plants, trail maintenance, and restoration. Dozens of southern Nevada organizations, clubs, businesses, and agencies have participated. The next W.H.O. stewardship opportunity is this Saturday, 2/12/22, from 9 AM - 11 AM. Sign-up link here:  who.ccwetlandspark.com . Additional contact information :  7050 Wetlands Park Lane Las Vegas, NV 89122 (702) 455-7522 wetlands@clarkcountynv.gov More February programs may be found by clicking here .

  City Of Las Vegas Hosts Black History Month Events (Jan. 16-Feb. 26, 2022) Today we honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.. Let us take inspiration from that beloved man, and commit to nonviolence and always protect the dignity of others! "We cannot walk alone." City Of Las Vegas Hosts Black History Month Events Jan. 16-Feb. 26, 2022 Peace Week 2022: Extending the Dream Celebration “Inspiring the Movement through Change” Sunday, Jan. 16, 3 to 5 p.m. Free and open to the public. West Las Vegas Library Theatre, 951 W. Lake Mead Blvd. Peace Week 2022 will honor, pay tribute and celebrate the life, legacy and contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For more information, call the West Las Vegas Library at 702-507-3989 or the Doolittle Senior Center at 702-229-6125. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Youth League Basketball Tournament Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 20-22; 4 p.m. Thursday-Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday. Free and open to selected schools and youth programs. Doolittle Community Center...

© Sparkflight Studios With great excitement, Sparkflight Studios is pleased to announce that we have relocated to a new office space in Henderson!  The new office includes: increased square footage, separate conference room with future audio-visual set-up, and warehouse space for ideation, mock-up, and build-outs to support our creative projects as artists and architects. A special thank you to College H.U.N.K.S. for excellent and professional service (Eulalio, Jordan, and Quincy). Enjoy the photo collages from the momentous day, and early shots of the new space! © Sparkflight Studios Check back soon for more images when we're all settled-in. Please note that our mailing address has remained the same:  1489 W Warm Springs Rd, Ste 110 Henderson, NV 89014 Drop-off times: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM, Mon - Fri

Christmas tree art installation in front of City Hall, Water Street District (2021)  © Sparkflight Studios. To our beloved clients and colleagues from all of us at Sparkflight Studios, we wish you and all your loved ones a blessed holiday season.

Veterans Day Timeline by National Today . Today we offer our sincere gratitude to all our veterans.  Veterans Day was originally celebrated as Armistice Day on November 11, 1919, by President Woodrow Wilson, a year after the end of World War I. Today, the United States Senate Resolution 143, which was passed on August 4, 2001, designated the week of November 11 through November 17, 2001, as National Veterans Awareness Week. The resolution called for educational efforts directed at elementary and secondary school students concerning the contributions and sacrifices of veterans.

Image by Spencer Platt/Getty Images , © All Rights Reserved. With joy and shared enthusiasm, Sparkflight Studios wishes you and your loved ones a blessed Fourth.   Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. ... We, the people, must redeem The land, the mines, the plants, the rivers. The mountains and the endless plain— All, all the stretch of these great green states— And make America again!  — Langston Hughes, July 1936 From The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes, published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. Copyright © 1994 the Estate of Langston Hughes.

The Sankofa Village for the Arts drum and dance group performing during the Jubilee of Freemen Parade to celebrate Juneteenth at Point State Park last year in Pittsburgh. Credit: Alexandra Wimley/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, via Associated Press. On June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were told they were free. A century and a half later, we hold that moment in collective joy, and listen to its resonance pass down to every generation. Happy Juneteenth Freedom Day! Follow this link for a list of tomorrow's celebrations in the Las Vegas valley, here .

Image credit: The annual 4th Avenue Fest in Austin, MN was imagined by city planner Holly Wallace, Cheryl Berglund of MacPhail Austin (pictured percussion experience), and multiple community artists and volunteers. Forecast is a non-profit arts organization founded in 1978 by and for artists working in public space. Based in Saint Paul, MN and working both locally and nationally, Forecast connects artists with cities, institutions and communities to courageously tackle the vital issues of our time. They partner with decision-makers and stakeholders on arts and cultural planning efforts, and support public artists with funding, training and opportunities to create partnerships and advance their public art careers. They also help others find, select, curate, fund and commission public artists. Forecast emphasizes access for artists of color, indigenous artists, and groups that are traditionally excluded. This blog post's headline image captures moments from a Forecast project which ...

  Our gratitude and reflection on the sacrifices by our armed services and their families.

Tonight is Family Promise of Las Vegas' "Share the Promise" Facebook Live event! Come learn more about the mission of Family Promise of Las Vegas from 4 - 6 PM; at showtime, follow the link here . Family Promise of Las Vegas has been empowering homeless families to achieve sustainable independence for over 30 years. They do this through support, education, and providing a safe place to land while a family re-stabilizes.  Their families experience a 70%+ success rate with establishing a permanent residence.  As more families are on the brink of homelessness following layoffs and shut-downs from the pandemic, Family Promise’s successful model is especially relevant—and needed. We’ve been fortunate to partner with them for about 3 years while developing a new 12,300 square feet Family Navigation Center where families receive residential and support services all in one site.  Family Promise has received a significant grant from the County and gifted land.  And now, they...

Water Street holiday decorations Season's greetings from Sparkflight Studios' Water Street office, and best wishes to you and your loved ones for the upcoming New Year!

  Jasper Johns    Flag , 1967  Thank you to our veterans.

The Big Draw Festival 2020 The Big Draw is a visual literacy charity that promotes the universal language of drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention. It’s an annual event that is held between the 1st to 31st of October. The charity leads a diverse program of advocacy, empowerment and engagement, and is the founder and driving force behind The Big Draw Festival – the world’s biggest celebration of drawing. The Big Draw manages collaborative research projects, campaigns and educational conferences on visual literacy, digital technology, and STEAM.  The types of organizations that hold the event include museums, schools, galleries, community centers, or simply people who are enthusiastic about drawing. Follow the link here to register for an event near you! See The Big Draw 2020 MINIMAG for full details.

Image by Spencer Platt/Getty Images With fullness of gratitude, we honor in quiet remembrance the brave men and women who served. Wishing you a beautiful Memorial Day weekend.

Vote Earth! Earth Day reminds us every year: hope lives in you and me. It is the place where we first see things as they are, loving the world as it is. It is in this truth-telling that we offer our good intentions for the earth and all our neighbors. It is there we discover joy in the struggle to create good. Sparkflight Studios is finding opportunities in this unique time. We are driving and polluting much less, celebrating time with family, and activating our senses in the rich outdoors. On this 50th anniversary, Earth Day has a digital presence, or “Digital Acts of Green.” Follow this link to “Vote Earth” and find your voice of hope for a better tomorrow. Vote Earth Volunteer Create Your Own Act of Green Make every day Earth Day with daily action !

"I Have a Dream" 1963 "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - MLK Strength to Love , 1963 For reflection... Equal Justice Initiative Community Remembrance Project Bryan Stevenson , creator Community Remembrance Project

Credit: Mario Aachen The holidays are here! It's a wonderful time to be with loved ones, exchange presents, and share in the joy of the season. Sadly, some families spend the holidays without gifts and sometimes even a hot meal or a warm place to sleep. It's easy to get swept up in all of the shopping and gift-giving frenzy, but taking the time to give back to our community can be the greatest gift of all. This holiday season, consider donating your time or resources to organizations that help our neighbors who are less fortunate. Here is a list of charities and non-profits where your support can truly make a difference: Three Square HELP of Southern Nevada The Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth Ronald McDonald House Charities Opportunity Village Family Promise of Las Vegas The true spirit of the holiday season comes from giving thanks and giving back by lending a helping hand to those in need. Give this season a whole new meaning by making the world a little...

Giving Tuesday has become a tradition for Sparkflight Studios.  What better way to finish off a Thanksgiving holiday enjoying time with family and friends than to extend that gratitude into a gift for your community? This year we're pleased to highlight a few community partners: Family Promise of Las Vegas UNLV - College of Fine Arts Desert Research Institute - DRI It is always difficult to choose recipients when there are so many good causes in need.  If you face this challenge as well, take a look at an article by Nurith Aizenman on KNPR's website: Why Giving Tuesday Raises an Uncomfortable Moral Dilemma. When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.   – Maya Angelou  

One of the many activity stations On October 5th, Sparkflight Studios sponsored the Boys & Girls Clubs of Southern Nevada at their annual Girls Day & Boys Nite Out . The event's goal was to create a fulfilling and exciting experience for the children, giving them the attention they deserve and leaving them with the confidence to grow and strive for the best future possible. And with one-on-one mentor support and 38 unique stations for all kinds of food, sports, fun activities, giveaways, and meet-and-greets with first responders, they definitely succeeded. Sparkflight Studios is proud to have been a part of this event, which hosted a record number of children and raised more funds than ever before, ensuring that the children and Youth Development Professionals in our community continue to receive their much-deserved support year-round.  We invite you to participate as a mentor, or with a gift, in 2020! A happy child with her mentor

At the halfway point of the charrette This year AIA Las Vegas put a call out to our professional community to coordinate a Blueprint for Better Housing.  This is our local chapter's response to a national project Blueprint for Better that challenges architects to work closely with community leaders to "...tackle key issues from rising water levels and more frequent natural disasters, to diverse housing needs and the increased urgency for sustainable design." After coordination with community stakeholders, the AIA identified three housing categories: Multi-family Mixed Use, Workforce Housing, and Micro Housing.  Key locations within the city were targeted as virtual project sites, and an all-day visioning charrette was held in late August.  Happily, our design teams, six total, consisted of a mix of non-architects like business owners, bankers, government employees, developers--and a few architects and landscape architects too.  This event was just the star...