The Winchester Skate Team Presents Backside/Frontside: An Exploration of Style and Form 
Tuesday, July 23 to Friday, August 2, 2013
Winchester Cultural Center, 3130 McLeod Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89121

Artist reception: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 26, 2013.

The arts have always been a part of authentic skateboarding culture, and the Winchester Skate Team will demonstrate its members’ artistic skills in the installation “Backside/Frontside: an Exploration of Style and Form” from July 23 through August 2 at the Winchester Cultural Center Gallery, 3130 S. McLeod Drive. A reception will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 26 at the gallery.

The Winchester Skate Team, created by cultural writer and professional skateboarder Hektor D. Esparza, uses young people’s interest in skateboarding to help them cultivate their creative abilities and find their own paths to fulfilling futures. Youth ages 12-19 audition to be on the skate team each January. Twelve are selected to be on the team for one year, during which the youth’s skateboarding activities are sponsored by Push Forward, a non-profit organization created by Esparza. Members receive skate products and accessories. In return, each skater must practice a musical instrument or study a visual art form, perform volunteer services for Winchester Cultural Center and maintain passing grades and be on track to graduate high school.

The team members meet once a week for presentations and workshops on higher education, better nutrition, the arts and more. The skaters are invited annually to show their artwork in a group show in Winchester’s art gallery. Last year, skate team alumni were invited to participate with the current year’s team in a show comprised of painted skate decks, mixed media pieces, paintings and drawings. This year the team will be going 3D by filling the gallery with sculptural representations of themselves in a cardboard skatepark. Professional artists will assist with the production and installation of the group skater art show.
Those interested in “Backside/Frontside: an Exploration of Style and Form” can contact tWinchester Cultural Center at (702) 455-7340 .