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Local Artist Creates Italian
Renaissance Murals For Siena Fitness Center Swim Pavilion
Sunday, February 11, 2001
The walls of Siena’s Health and Fitness Center Swim Pavilion recently
became 15-foot-high canvases for decorative artist Jodi McGregor, whose
frescoes are reminiscent of those painted hundreds of years ago in
Italian villas. The five new murals are complete with the delicate
cracks of aging that are actually the result of the artist’s painstaking
art of illusion, trompe l'oeil, literally "trick of the eye."
"Fresco means ‘fresh’ in Italian – literally painting while the
plaster is still freshly wet, which makes it very time-consuming
process," said McGregor, who majored in art history and worked
in France for several years.
Her paintings feature a palette of warm colors, including
burnt sienna, named for the Tuscan hill town of Siena, famous for its
intense reddish brown colored earth.
Windows were very expensive in Europe centuries ago, so people
painted their walls to look like windows, complete with a view of a
sun-drenched landscape of trees, flowers, and distant mountains. Artists
used the newly discovered laws of perspective -- objects increasingly
less distinct and colors more muted as they recede from the eye of the
viewer – to create depth.
Two-story arched windows throughout the Siena Swim Pavilion provide
panoramic views of the landscape surrounding the fitness center – the
Siena golf course and the Spring Mountain Range to the west.
"These murals are a reminder of Italy, the beauty of its
countryside and the warmth of its people. They are a permanent luxury
for Siena homeowners and their guests to enjoy," said Paul Smith, senior
vice president and Siena project manager.
"For centuries, the great homes and public buildings of Europe were
embellished with painted murals like these," Smith added. "Today, the
owners of the most prestigious homes and businesses around the world are
commissioning decorative artists like Jodi McGregor to recreate the
classical elegance of this art form."
Among McGregor’s favorite projects was painting several rooms in the
home of Atlanta Brave’s pitcher Greg Maddux. Maddux has his own Hall of
Fame – the hallway in his Las Vegas house. McGregor painted it to look
like a 3-D turn-of-the-century baseball field, complete with a player
holding one of Maddux’s own baseball bats.
McGregor painted an antique furniture piece for the Bellagio, in
addition to 34,000-square-feet of murals in the foyer of Mandalay Bay
and several "high roller" suites at the Monte Carlo.
"It’s really fun to work in Las Vegas," said McGregor. "I get the
chance to work in so many styles."
The Italianate Siena fitness center was designed by the award-winning
Altevers Associates, a San Diego-based architectural firm. Its Siena
Swim Pavilion has a 25-meter indoor pool and a spa and the center
features private saunas and steam rooms in both the men’s and women’s
locker rooms in addition to cardiovascular and weight rooms. Outside,
the fitness center offers four lighted tennis and two tournament-caliber
bocce ball courts.
Summerlin Hospital Medical Center’s on-site Wellness Center provides
educational resources, including nutrition seminars, health screenings
and literature.
Destination Salon and Spa is located in the Siena Health and Fitness
Center. The full-service beauty salon and day spa will also offer a wide
variety of therapeutic massages, sports therapy, and reflexology.
Natural body treatments will include mineral or herbal body wraps and
aromatherapy.
Siena homes are all single-story and detached, with 14 floor plans
ranging from 1,200 to more than 3,000 square feet. Prices range from the
$160,000s up to approximately $650,000.
Located on a plateau along the southwestern edge of Summerlin,
Siena’s elevation in the Spring Mountain foothills provides sweeping
views of the Las Vegas valley. Many homes have views of the community's
18-hole championship golf course.
A palm-lined private boulevard leads to Siena’s Tuscan-style entry,
manned on a 24-hour basis by professional security guards who also
patrol the neighborhoods. It is the only age-qualified community in the
valley with a guarded gate.
The 665-acre Sunrise Colony Company project will also have a nearly
40,000-square-foot community center with arts and crafts facilities, a
ballroom and theater, card and billiards rooms, and a computer and
business center. There is a full-time activities manager.
Bordered on the north by West Flamingo Road, on the east by Hualapai
Way, on the west by Town Center Drive, and on the south near Russell
Road, Siena has pushed the Summerlin boundary to its southwestern edge.
To reach the Siena model village, take Sahara Avenue west and turn
left on Town Center Drive. Proceed two and one-half miles south, past
Desert Inn Road, and follow the Siena signs. The community can also be
reached by taking the newly opened Western Beltway to the Town Center
Drive exit and turning left. Models are open from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
daily.
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