Rachel Cline

Rachel Cline: First Lady

BY BRIAN G. THORNTON, IIDA

First Lady is an unofficial title used for the wife of a non-monarchical head of state or chief executive. First Lady also describes a woman seen to be at the top of her profession or art. Rachel Cline’s story is about the latter. Sometimes introductions are not required. Their persona in the room is a known entity or, in this case, intriguing enough to want to know more. When we look at the arts and the history, more pointedly, the recent blossoming of the visual arts culture of Las Vegas, Nevada, a quizzical look glazes over many a face. We have an art culture? Yes, we do. It is not exclusive nor is it relegated to neon signs, felled casino body parts, or even a forest of digital pylons and billboards. We have a legitimate, vibrant, and globally diverse arts culture in Las Vegas. There is a lady to introduce: meet Rachel Cline.

So, for a little provenance, Rachel was one of the first ladies this writer met from NEWH in 2006 [elevated to President in 2011]. A recent transplant to Nevada and directing design at MGM MIRAGE’s Design Group, Rachel planned a meeting with me to introduce her art consulting firm. This first meeting led to later collaboration on a few hospitality projects with other clients. I was initially struck by her demure demeanor and looks of an artist’s muse. Even her subtle Mona Lisa mischievous smile while idling at zero was intriguing. It was no accident that the fashion and model vibe was not far off. More about that later.

First, let’s begin with present day Rachel Cline: committed entrepreneur to the arts via her bespoke gallery R. Cline ARTS, and her frenetic schedule of sourcing, curating people and their craft. As Rachel puts it, “identifying great work is where I am best.”

R. Cline ARTS was founded a little over 13 years ago, and for a number of years operated without a gallery of any sort since most of her projects are a combination of consulting and sourcing. Still, the majority of artists she works with never enter the gallery space; they are from all over the world. In 2011, Rachel Cline and husband, award-winning architect, Dwayne Eschenbaugh, AIA, moved into a space in the heart of the arts district. Along with his firm, NOVUS Architecture, their collaboration has contributed to the development of the downtown community. She admits, “There’s always something new and something changing.”

Specializing in custom artwork and art packages for commercial, hospitality, healthcare, and residential application, Cline’s manufacturing process has changed significantly over the past five years. Projects that require large scale production that at one time would have been produced overseas can now be competitive with domestic production. This is a result of advances in printing and materials, but also trade and freight changes in recent years.

In the last three to five years she says, “we have started generating content in-house in the form of custom digital murals, identity packages, and solutions that work in conjunction with concept development and branding. Ms. Cline finds this “a rewarding process as we get to work with a lot of exceptionally talented and creative people.”

In early 2019, she was contracted as an advisor to a fairly major brand to develop an in-house art advisory committee and art selection standards. She has also been consulting with a couple of groups on means and methods to set up artists in a residency program. When asked about this, Rachel says, “I really enjoy this work as it makes my brain work in a different way, it’s academic and measurable.”

Another first for R. Cline ARTS is they’ve never sold product online until last year. E-commerce was established in conjunction with the launch of an annual event and fundraising effort, ART FOR GOOD. The Shade Tree of Las Vegas was the selected recipient this year, and they will select a new benefactor each June. As a part of the fundraising efforts and in partnership with the participating artists (Melissa McGill, Rebekah Andrade, Homero Hidalgo, Robert Beckmann, and Linda Alterwitz), small scale limited edition prints by the five participating artists were produced. Each is a very highly regarded artist in the community, and the proceeds go to The Shade Tree. As a benefit, she plans to offer a new set of art prints each year with proceeds going to the selected cause, available until the edition sells out. It is anticipated that this eventually is going a little larger scale and become a separate e-commerce site, but for right now, they are still available on the R. Cline ARTS website. “I’m hoping some people will become collectors, like me,” Cline says.

Prints for Good, limited edition small-scale prints created for the annual fundraiser organized by R. Cline ARTS.

It’s always interesting to know the influencers or people who make creative people interesting and relevant. Rachel Cline is no different. When asked about her favorites, she answers:

“So, so many people fascinate me…Frida Kahlo, Anais Nin, Jane Goodall were her first response. Then she continued with environmentalist and activist Winona LaDuke, who I had the opportunity to meet about 10 years ago. Former First Lady Michelle Obama – to me, she’s like a modern-day Audrey Hepburn, nothing but style and grace. Economist and social entrepreneur Muhammad Yunus – I highly recommend reading Banker To The Poor. Right now, I am reading his newest book, A World of Three Zeros. And I really can’t get enough of Laura Brown’s (InStyle magazine editor in chief) Instagram feed, she has such a unique sense of style, plus it’s filled with kangaroos and other cute animals that she supports through her volunteer work.”

And no surprise, a nod to her husband, Dwayne. “He came from a small town outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, of only 2000 people. He was the first to get a college education in his family – his career and beliefs have evolved over the years in a way that I admire greatly. He’s authentic, kind, and wildly talented as a designer, all very sexy traits.” So, with all these influencers, she is asked, “Is there a topic or subject that is purely Las Vegas, or uniquely American, that you want to exhibit next?” Cline: “I have a couple of exhibits I am working on now that I am very excited about, one features indigenous people working in non-traditional mediums, another is works on paper by artists over 65 and a third is contemporary photography captured on film.”

Artwork by Alan Alldredge, represented locally by R. Cline ARTS

Getting to know this dynamic woman required first getting to understand her unassuming background in Salt Lake City, Utah. Rachel Eva Cline was named after a great-grandmother she never met. Sadly, she passed in the late seventies before Rachel was born yet was very, very close to Rachel’s mother. So, what was it really like growing up in the capital city of the state? After some thought, she responded:

“To be honest…it was a little strange. My parents were not married. I lived with my mom and brothers, but my dad was very engaged and in my life every day. I grew up fairly low income, we ate block cheese, shopped second-hand, etc. My family lived in the worst house on the block in a middle-class neighborhood. Because of the after-school care I was in, my mom was able to get a waiver for me to attend elementary school in a more affluent area on East Bench, one of Salt Lake City’s affluent residential communities. Growing up poor and essentially non-Latter Day Saint in an entirely LDS school, in a predominantly LDS school and city affected my early childhood in a unique way. When I was sick one day in first grade, my teacher, Mrs. Clark, took the opportunity to tell the classroom that I was ‘different’ from them, meaning poor and non-Mormon. I had one friend at school, I was picked on a lot, for anything from my name to the second-hand purple corduroy pants I wore. In fifth grade, I was able to transfer to a different school where I finally made friends.”

So how did these humble beginnings lead to life in Las Vegas and, more specifically, growing into one of the highly respected first ladies of our art scene and culture? Rachel continues: “Despite these challenges, I was fortunate to have nurturing and engaged parents and other extended family members in my life. My mom taught us kindness, confidence, and a sense of curiosity. She was and is a courageous woman, even when she’s uncomfortable being so. She earned a dual master’s with three kids at home and working full time. My dad worked in graphic design when I was young, and later, he went on to work in the medical field. He’s always had the spirit of a true artist; he is adventurous and taught me to love arts and the outdoors. Both parents encouraged my interest in the arts; my mom started buying me art and art history books every year for Christmas in elementary school, but my dad’s drafting table filled with markers, calligraphy pens, and paints always intrigued me.”

Kiton at Wynn Las Vegas, Artwork by Melissa McGill, Art Consultant: R. Cline ARTS, Design Architect: B+Architects, Photography by Shay Velich, Architect of Record: NOVUS Architects

“I have great memories of nights filled with sketching and experimenting with watercolors in his kitchen at a very young age. My dad bought me my first camera, which I still have. A peek at her Instagram feed will amplify her captured interests through the lens. My uncle was a significant figure in my life in Salt Lake also. He is now a retired Catholic priest and well-traveled. He instilled in me a value of culture and travel, especially since he took me to Europe my first time. I was quite close to my maternal grandmother. She was my earliest model of femininity, both bold and elegant. She had a handful of husbands and many affairs and was always surrounded by a tribe of sisters. Her contagious personality made everyone she met fall in love. I wish I had the opportunity to have a relationship with her as an adult.”

Rachel Cline at Casa Azule (Frida Kahlo’s Home), Photography by Dwayne Eshenbaugh

So, let’s go back to style, talent, fashion, and modeling. Rachel has come a long way from the purple corduroy pants. She was asked if she was a “muse to her style and talent.”

“As for a muse to my talent, there could be some truth to that, but most people who are self-employed or entrepreneurial have a passion for what they do, they work a lot, and the line between professional life, personal life and creative life blurs, that is the case for me. Life is both a privilege and an art, and I am fortunate and grateful that my conditions allow me to live this way, many people don’t have the same privilege.”

“It’s not really an exciting story, I was naturally long and lanky, fairly tall, dark-haired and a little exotic looking, this was the late 90’s, and I fit that waif sort of look well. I was approached by agents and scouts frequently. It didn’t go far, a little bit of film work, some runway jobs; I honestly don’t think I fit commercial print work well. I was told I needed to pursue Europe and Asian markets, so I sort of lost interest and did other things. A few years later, I ended up working in the cosmetic industry and got into make-up artistry, which was a lot more creative than I expected. I started doing some film work for Showtime and Disney. The schedules are extremely irregular, (and) I already had some background studies in photography and art history. One day I walked by a gallery in Salt Lake City and met the owner. We talked about their work with the design industry and corporate clients. It was a role I had never thought of in the arts industry. The next week I started work for them part-time in-between make-up jobs, and things progressed from there.”

Rachel Cline in the downtown studio. Photo by Brianne Hidalgo, Artwork by Joseph Kucinski.

So, are there any other ‘firsts’ we may see from this lady? “Last year, my husband was President of the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and his president’s initiative was affordable housing. I served on the committee and participated in the design charette. AIA LV has decided to make it a permanent committee, and I intend to stay engaged. It’s such a challenging issue facing most large cities. Something has to be done, and it is going to take people from a mix of industries and backgrounds to create a solution…and exercising their privilege to vote. I also have a secret educational project engaged with climate change I am developing. Hopefully, I can disclose that this summer. I anticipate being able to connect my love of art and my creative contacts in this project.”

As this introduction began, Rachel Cline is in many ways a lady first and a first lady. First lady in art resourcing and consulting. First lady former president of NEWH Las Vegas, champion of First Friday Downtown, wife and partner to architect Dwayne Eshenbaugh, and “First Mom” of three dogs. So, if you want to get to know her firsthand, R. Cline ARTS is located at 8 East Charleston Boulevard in the heart of the Las Vegas Downtown Arts District.

“Periodic Empath” Artwork by Jennifer Wagner