Chic Compass marked its 8th anniversary with a celebration that was nothing short of extraordinary. Hosted at the sleek and futuristic Otonomus Hotel, the evening reflected both the publication’s dedication to innovation and its commitment to spotlighting the people shaping arts, culture, and community.
In the hush of early morning, Chase R. McCurdy moves through his home studio like a monk tending an altar. No notifications interrupt him. A biography of Paul Robeson lies open beside a teacup, not far from the studio notebooks of Jack Whitten and a well-worn Alice Coltrane vinyl sleeve. The soft hum of Coltrane glides through the light like a whispered mantra—slow, sacred and deliberate.
Tucked away in the woods of Redding, Connecticut, is Studio Unicorn, a magical hideaway where four-time Grammy winner Paul Avgerinos daily alchemizes his diverse forms of musical composition. While his passion and focus center on composing and playing New Age music, his talent is expansive: a multi-instrumentalist, engineer and producer composing and licensing music for film and TV, with a catalog of more than 9,000 tracks and over 300 million streaming listeners.
Beyond the glitter of the neon lights, incredible gourmet dining and extraordinary entertainment, Las Vegas has a different story. Addiction, homelessness and mental health struggles have impacted countless lives. Vegas Stronger, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is working to offer a different future where every individual, regardless of their past or circumstances, can heal, recover and reclaim their life.
David Benoit's creative spirit burst forth as he composed "The Three-Finger Waltz" at age 6 and, at 11, wrote a composition for bassoon and harpsichord. Music seemed to flow through Benoit's veins because his father, Robert Bryan Benoit, played jazz guitar and exposed his son to jazz music.
"Onward Ever, Backward Never" is the mantra of Michael Patrick Thieme [pronounced Tee-Me], a quote from his grandmother Marie Thieme's 2004 book of the same title. There are lines that divide and lines that define. Some are in graphite, others in paint and still others in the invisible gestures of love and shared laughter. For Michael Patrick Thieme and Larry Thielen Jr. [pronounced Tee Len], life has always been a study in linework—fluid, fearless and occasionally serendipitous.
She glows poolside like a dream from vintage Vegas. Her feet point skyward and her hands stretch mid-dive, her neon silhouette reflected perfectly in still water. Her name is Ruby, and she isn’t just a sculpture. She’s a love letter to Las Vegas—a tribute to the city’s glittering past, its obsession with spectacle and the quiet artistry of light in motion.
Founded by multidisciplinary artist and cultural catalyst Chase R. McCurdy, ThirtyThree Gallery—also known as 33.G—is more than a gallery. It’s a sanctuary for thought, storytelling, and intentional connection. McCurdy, who has contributed large-scale murals and public art projects to the Westside through the City of Las Vegas and the Mayor’s Fund for Las Vegas Life, infuses every exhibition with vision.
Greg O’Connor, a prolific artist and Emmy winner, has composed scores for more than 30 television series and written more than 1,000 featured songs for TV, films and commercials. After four Primetime Emmy nominations, he won the coveted award for the song “A Wonderful Normal Day” for "Mad TV," where he served as composer and songwriter for all 14 seasons.
Listening to Valerie Perri recall stories of how she landed roles as two of the most iconic female characters in musical theater: Eva Perón ("Evita") and Golde ("Fiddler on the Roof"), and how she snagged one of the coveted spots as a dancer in the classic musical film "Grease," it's as if Perri was destined to be onstage.
