08. Of Consequence to the Signified
HOST AND CURATOR
Sara Ortiz
HOST
Erica Vital-Lazare
SENIOR PRODUCER
Nicole Kelly
PRODUCERS
Vera Blossom, Layla Muhammad
PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS
Sylvia Fox, Soni Brown
MIXING & MASTERING
Andy Bosnak, Ariel Mejia
ENGINEER
Kevin Krall
CONTRIBUTORS
Yumi Janairo Roth, Amanda Fortini, Vi Khi Nao, Daisuke Shen
MUSIC BY
Jeremy Klewicki
ILLUSTRATION
Niege Borges
SIGN SPINNERS
On the sidewalks of Las Vegas, Aarrow Sign Spinners like Laramie Rosenfeld, Evan James, Chris Sicuso, and Rayen Jones throw giant arrow-shaped signs into the air, spinning them around their bodies as they backflip, wave to passersby, and point to a destination–all in the name of advertising. Yumi Janairo Roth is an artist and anthropologist who has recontextualized the work of sign spinning as art. In this piece, producers Layla Muhammad and Vera Blossom explore the high-spirited world of sign spinning.
THE STRIP MALL
Journalist Amanda Fortini delves into the history of Las Vegas’ Historic Commercial Center District. In this segment, business owners and patrons relay the importance of the Commercial Center to a thriving city and the misconceptions that have put the place into despair.
VEGAS DILEMMA: VI KHI NAO &
DAISUKE SHEN IN CONVERSATION
Vi Khi Nao and Daisuke Shen discuss Nao’s new collection of short stories, titled Vegas Dilemma; love languages; and the power of being invisible.