Animazing Gallery in Las Vegas announced plans today to feature “Visions of the Dead: A Grateful Dead Art and Photography Exhibition” set to coincide with Dead & Company’s “Dead Forever – Live at Sphere” residency in Las Vegas. The retrospective exhibit and sale will showcase the work of renowned Grateful Dead artists including Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart, psychedelic rock artist Stanley Mouse (creator of Grateful Dead’s iconic skeleton and roses image, as well as countless Grateful Dead rock posters and album covers), and Jay Blakesberg (long time photographer for Grateful Dead and Dead & Company). The exhibit will also debut the work of Chloe Weir (up-and-coming photographer and daughter of Grateful Dead and Dead & Company founding member and guitarist Bobby Weir), and showcase historical Grateful Dead images curated by Ricki Blakesberg from Retro Photo Archive.
“Visions of the Dead: A Grateful Dead Art and Photography Exhibition” will feature iconic photography; limited edition graphics; original, one-of-a-kind sketches; and paintings created over the last five decades of the Grateful Dead experience. The exhibition will run from May 14 to July 14 with Stanley Mouse, Jay Blakesberg and Chloe Weir making personal appearances on Saturday, June 1 from 1-3 p.m. The art will be available for preview via the Animazing Gallery website https://www.animazing.com beginning in early May.
“This will be a powerful show, featuring some of the most recognizable Grateful Dead artists in one place for the first time,” said Nick Leone, owner of Animazing Gallery. “Their art and photography are responsible for many iconic images synonymous with Grateful Dead. They have captured and created memorable moments that have defined this pop culture zeitgeist, and pioneered new forms of artistic expression. We are also excited to be showcasing for the first time in a gallery the photography of Chloe Weir.”
Animazing Gallery is located in The Palazzo Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort Las Vegas.
For more information visit www.animazing.com or Instagram @animazinggallery.
ABOUT MICKEY HART
Mickey Hart, drummer/percussionist for Grateful Dead and Dead & Co. is renowned for creating a new art form he terms "Vibrational Expressionism." He is a pioneering rhythmic artist who uses subwoofers and other instruments to manipulate paint with sound, creating unique, synthetic works that delve into the connections between music, art, and the cosmos.
His innovative art transcends traditional boundaries, offering a multisensory experience that highlights the harmony of the universe through the interplay of rhythm and color. Hart's groundbreaking work continues to captivate and inspire, exploring the profound vibrational links that bind us all. His latest series, “Roadmaps to Higher Consciousness,” is a profound exploration of art as a transformative power.
Each painting serves as a guide to unseen realms, turning visual light into representations of the artist’s conscious and subconscious experiences. Using vibrations instead of traditional brushes, these works infuse motion and energy, evoking the unpredictable flow of nature and acting as psychopomps—guides not to the afterlife but to elevated states of being. Birthed through a process of "self-illumination," these vibrant, living entities engage viewers in a personal journey of discovery and introspection, inviting them to interpret its complex tapestry of colors and shapes. Through these works, Hart redefines the canvas as a medium of psychic and spiritual travel, offering a gateway to transcendental experiences and a deeper understanding of existence.
Hart’s art will be seen in its most vibrant form on the outside shell of Sphere in Las Vegas throughout the Dead and Company residency.
For more information about Mickey Hart, visit https://www.mickeyhartart.com.
ABOUT STANLEY MOUSE
Of all the great visual artists who have been associated with music in one way or another over the years, none have been more rock and roll than Stanley Mouse. He has produced some of the most lasting visual images in rock history.
He became a part of 1960s psychedelic art scene in San Francisco, creating what he called “weirdo art,” which today are some of the most collectible Stanley Mouse paintings. He often collaborated with the late Alton Kelly, and together they created iconic works, including Grateful Dead’s 1966 Avalon Ballroom concert poster skeleton and roses, as well as countless psychedelic concert posters spanning decades. Stanley designed the covers for Grateful Dead’s debut album as well as the compositions used for the covers of the band’s Workingman’s Dead, American Beauty, Europe ’72, From the Mars Hotel, and Terrapin Station albums, and Jerry Garcia’s Cats Under the Stars album cover.
For more information about Stanley Mouse, visit https://www.mousestudios.com.
ABOUT JAY BLAKESBERG
Jay Blakesberg is a San Francisco-based commercial photographer whose work has appeared in numerous magazines over the last four decades including Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Guitar Player, and Time among many others.
Over the last 46 years, his rock and roll journey has seen him work with many legendary artists including Grateful Dead, Carlos Santana, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Radiohead and Phish among others.
Blakesberg has published 16 coffee table books of his music photography, including books on Grateful Dead, Jerry Garcia, and his most recent, a visual autobiography retrospective entitled Retro Blakesberg – The Film Archives, Volume 1.
His work has been exhibited in commercial galleries nationally, and currently a large-scale retrospective exhibition entitled RetroBlakesberg: The Music Never Stopped is on display at The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco Through July 28, 2024.
Blakesberg first photographed Grateful Dead in 1978 and is recognized as one of the leading chroniclers of this legendary American rock band. After Jerry Garcia’s passing in 1995, Blakesberg continued to work with every incarnation created by the founding members of Grateful Dead, including as tour photographer for Dead & Co.
Retro Photo Archive, is a collection of archival images captured on film from 1966 through 2005 and is owned by Ricki Blakesberg. The archive features a treasure trove of pop culture and music imagery, including photographs of Grateful Dead throughout their career beginning with images from the halcyon days of the Summer of Love, Europe 72, Wall of Sound, and the band’s legendary trip to Egypt, where they played in front of the Great Pyramids.
For more information about Jay Blakesberg, visit https://www.blakesberg.com and https://www.retrophotoarchive.com.
ABOUT CHLOE WEIR
Chloe Weir's journey into photography began at an early age. Growing up amidst the atmosphere of concerts and performances, she developed a profound passion for encapsulating moments through the lens of her camera. Even in her youth, Chloe exhibited a remarkable artistic vision, capturing the essence and energy of these events with an intuitive understanding that belied her age. This early exposure as the daughter of Bobby and Natascha Weir laid the foundation for her future endeavors in photography, shaping her into the talented and perceptive artist she is today. Chloe’s photograph gracing the cover of Bobby Weir’s album, Blue Mountain, was taken when she was 14 years old and was an early testament to Chloe's capacity to create captivating visuals that leave a lasting impression.
Seeking guidance and mentorship, Chloe reached out to Jay Blakesberg, a renowned photographer associated with Grateful Dead. Under his tutelage, she refined her skills while documenting shows by Dead & Company, a band that carries on the legacy of Grateful Dead. Chloe's portfolio extends beyond her work with Dead & Company, encompassing a diverse array of artists such as Willie Nelson, Lukas Nelson, Billy Strings, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks, Sturgill Simpson and Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros.
For further updates and insights into Chloe Weir's work, interested individuals can connect with her on Instagram @chloekeiliaweir.
ABOUT ANIMAZING GALLERY
Animazing Gallery began in 1984 as a gallery specializing in conceptual animation art. Over time, the collection expanded to include works by a wide range of renowned illustrators and pop culture artists. Animazing Gallery has become an industry stronghold for illustration art and contemporary art inspired by the masters of illustration.
Upon acquiring a collection of comic strips by Charles M. Schulz in 1995, the gallery began to focus on at American Illustrators. In the gallery’s search to find art exhibiting “the perfect line,” the owner soon discovered an important collection of drawings and watercolors by Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. The artwork was exhibited in numerous museum exhibitions.
Additionally, owner Nicholas Leone works with and represents a number of notable rock musicians to showcase their art in the galleries. The galleries also feature a significant collection of autographed guitars and rock and roll treasures.
Leone serves as a consultant for numerous auction houses and handles gallery sales and acquisitions. He curates and hosts pop up events throughout the United States to celebrate gallery artists and their works. The company has two galleries located in the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas featuring an abundant repertoire of work by classic illustrators and contemporary artists.
ABOUT GRAND CANAL SHOPPES
Located inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas, the center boasts 160 specialty brands and world-class restaurants nestled around a charming and faithful reproduction of Venice's Grand Canal, complete with cobbled walkways, street-side cafes and live entertainment. Signature brands including Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Michael Kors, Louis Vuitton, and Tory Burch create an unparalleled retail environment that includes a star-studded line-up of restaurants headed by famous celebrity chefs: Wolfgang Puck's CUT, Emeril Lagasse's Delmonico Steakhouse, Buddy Valastro's Buddy V's and Carlo's Bakery, Lorena Garcia's CHICA, as well as Mercato della Pescheria, SUGARCANE raw bar grill, SUSHISAMBA, and Smith & Wollensky. The center is also home to the all-new ATOMIC SALOON SHOW by Spiegelworld. For more information, visit www.grandcanalshoppes.com.
