The UNLV College of Fine Arts presents the Ninth Annual Nevada Entertainer/Artist Hall of Fame honoring legendary illusionist team Penn & Teller; the "father of theatrical flight" Peter Foy (posthumously); and KGA Architecture founder George Garlock. The college will also recognize Edward D. Smith, who will receive the College of Fine Arts Dean's Medal for continually demonstrating commitment to education and extraordinary contributions to the College of Fine Arts. David Howryla, president of Marnell Architecture, will receive the College of Fine Arts Alumnus of the Year Award.
The evening begins at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 22 in the UNLV Student Union Ballroom. Tickets for the event are $75 and include cocktails, dinner, ceremony, and performances. All proceeds benefit the UNLV College of Fine Arts.
Recipients receive the Sidney Award, named for the Nevada Entertainer/Artist Hall of Fame's first inductee, George Sidney, who epitomized the term artist-educator. Sidney, a three-time Academy Award-winning director and producer, worked with such legends as Tony Curtis, Frank Sinatra, Clark Gable, Howard Keel, Ann-Margret, and Lana Turner. Sidney was a frequent guest lecturer in UNLV film classes, providing students with priceless insights into the industry.
For 35 years, Penn & Teller have defied labels - and at times physics and good taste - by redefining the genre of magic and inventing their own very distinct niche in comedy.
With sold out runs on Broadway, world tours, Emmy-winning TV specials and hundreds of outrageous appearances on everything from "The Late Show with David Letterman" to "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Friends" to "The Simpsons," "Chelsea Lately" to "Top Chef," comedy's only team show no signs of slowing down. With an amazing six wins, including 2011, as "Las Vegas Magicians of the Year," their 10-year run at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino makes them one of the longest-running and most beloved shows in Las Vegas history, outselling every other resident magician on The Strip.
The history of theatrical flight dates back over two millennia, but the art of stage flying took a quantum leap in the second half of the 20th century, thanks to Foy. "Flying By Foy" has provided theatrical flying effects for thousands of stage productions, musicals, operas, ballets, rock concerts, film and television shows worldwide. The company has flown three Broadway productions of "Peter Pan" (with Mary Martin in 1954, Sandy Duncan in 1979, and Cathy Rigby in 1990) and originated the flying for "Angels in America," "Tommy," "Aida" and "The Lion King," among others. Foy flew Nadia Comaneci from the NASDAQ Building 170' over Times Square for the 2004 Olympic Torch Relay Event in New York. Recent Broadway projects include "Man of LaMancha" and "Dracula the Musical." Foy flying effects are also featured in "Spamalot," the stage musical adaptation of the film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
Garlock met Ed Kittrell, Jr. in 1975 and together, the two became founding principals of Kittrell Garlock and Associates, Architects AIA, now known as KGA Architecture. Their partnership is among the longest-standing in Nevada architectural history.
Under the leadership of the founding principals, KGA Architecture grew from its initial five employees to more than 80 employees, including the opening of an additional office in Austin, Texas, and is recognized as of one of the leading architectural firms in the Southwest.
Smith has been affiliated with giving to the College of Fine Arts since 1995. The Smith Family Scholarship supports both fine arts and athletic scholarships. Smith's greatest contribution to the College of Fine Arts was his donation of funds to build the pipe organ now located in the Doc Rando Recital Hall inside the Beam Music Center. The funds to build the pipe organ were donated in memory of his late wife, Maurine Jackson Smith, a UNLV alumna and organ aficionado who, at age 59, graduated magna cum laude with a bachelors degree in history in 1995. The handmade organ has 38 stops, three manuals and 53 sets of pipes, which at that time made it the largest pipe organ in the state. Smith has also committed to provide funds for the lifetime maintenance and repair of the organ.
As president of Marnell Architecture, Howryla is responsible for all phases of major projects. He has designed and coordinated the design for large-scale resort, entertainment, and mixed-use projects by a wide range of owners, architects, engineers, and specialty consultants located throughout the world. Through a substantial gift and pledge from The Marnell Foundation, the David G. Howryla Building Technologies Lab for the UNLV School of Architecture has been established. The creation of this program furthers students' abilities to engage architecture at a one to one scale and to connect to the community through constructed ideas.
For tickets, please contact the UNLV Performing Arts Center Box Office at pac.unlv.edu or 702-895-ARTS (2787). For information on how to sponsor a table, please contact Lori Slinn at 702-895-2455.
