Cool heads prevail on Eastern Avenue median

Two large steel art installations in the median of Eastern Avenue near the 215 Beltway have heads turning. ¶ The final pieces of Clark County’s “Centered” art median project were installed last month. The two large steel heads, “Norte y Sur,” were created by Las Vegas artist Luis Varela-rico. ¶ The name translates to “north and south” in English, derived from the direction the heads face at each end of the median. ¶ Varela-rico, who also designed an oversize hand sculpture located at Publicus in downtown Las Vegas, got the idea after visiting Mexico and being inspired by the local art in his home country.

“I had taken a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula and was taken aback from Mesoamerican culture,” Varela-rico said. “(Aztecs and Mayans) are known for their large sculptures.”

The two sculptures, which measure 5 feet by 6 feet and weigh 4,000 pounds each, were developed on a computer-aided design (CAD) program and then laser cut.

“Then I assembled the parts after they were cut,” he said. “It’s all made out of mild steel.”

Both heads have a layered design that allows motorists to see the head only if they’re driving toward the front of the face.

“The reason they are oriented the way they are is, if you are in northbound traffic and you pass by, you would have to look back to look through them,” he said. “So, the viewer should always see a solid piece.”

Beginning in 2015, a panel chose 10 local artists from 46 who applied to have their creations be part of the project aimed at beautifying local medians. Panelistss were local artists, arts educators and a representative of the Clark County Public Works Department.