Get Up Gallery is a welcome addition to Emergency Arts

By Kristen Peterson

Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2012 | 4:30 p.m.

After Justin McCroy closed his Empire Gallery in Downtown’s Emergency Arts, there was nothing left but cartoon toilets painted on the cheery green walls, a remnant of the dark and outrageously humorous exhibit of works by artist Jesse Heinreich in September.

Emergency Arts’ co-owner Jennifer Cornthwaite said she planned to lease the space soon, but needed the right kind of tenant and something solid for what is the largest and most visible space just off the Beat coffee shop. Enter Derek Douglas’ Get Up Gallery, which opened there last month.

Douglas, a Las Vegas native and self-proclaimed screenprint addict, is responsible for Drymounted.com, an international database of press releases on print art that he created in response to his frustration with not always knowing what was available and where and when. Douglas also created Getupgallery.bigcartel.com, an online retail gallery that sells works from his vast personal collection of prints, including pieces by Shepard Fairey, Ernesto Yerena, Josh Keyes, Invader, D*Face and Mr. Brainwash.

Then Douglas wanted to open a physical gallery, something in Downtown Las Vegas, to bring in work by street artists from all over the world. “Las Vegas is one of those larger cities where you look around and don’t see too many street artists doing anything,” Douglas says. “Not that I condone it [laughs], but there are so many great artists that Las Vegas isn’t being exposed to.”

The BFA graduate from UNLV curated Get Up’s first exhibit last month, bringing in original works and limited-edition prints by David Blake, Steve Whelan, SHT!, Jef Salazar and others.

On January 6, The Royal Couple, celebrating the style of playing-card kings and queens, opens at Get Up. It features the work of Long Island’s Brian Ewing, LA’s Phil Lumbang III, Italy’s Kenny Random and Las Vegas’ Justin McCroy, along with the show’s co-curator, Michael Todoran. Todoran, who has known Douglas since their UNLV days, created a rendering of Double Down Saloon owner P Moss as the king of spaces and actress Ann-Margret (from Bye Bye Birdie) as the queen of spaces.

“I’ve never been so excited to work with somebody,” Todoran says. “He’s an avid collector.”