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The Mike & Carla Morning Show

The Mike & Carla Morning Show

The Mike & Carla Morning Show

Las Vegas Students Add Artwork To The Sphere

Author Mike O'Brian
The Sphere in Las Vegas showing off it's red, white & blue.

Despite all the distractions here in town, growing up here can have its moments. Such was the case over the past couple of days when some Las Vegas students were able to add their artwork to the world-famous Sphere!

According to a report from Channel 13, students here in Las Vegas were able to have their artwork displayed up on the Sphere during the holiday weekend. The report said that it was a result of the first ever, “Sphere XO Student Design Challenge.”

Las Vegas Students Add Their Artwork To The Sphere

Carla Rea, from The Mike & Carla Morning Show, had recently posted a story talking about the sound that had been added to the Sphere for the 4th of July weekend. But letting students have a part in the display over the 4th was over the top!

Students ranging from elementary school to the college level were all encourage to submit their renderings. Over 100,000 students took part. It came down to 100 finalists and then 8 winners were announced.

I can’t even imagine the excitement these young students had knowing that their artwork would be displayed on the world’s most famous canvas! This was the first time that the Sphere allowed the public to design what thousands would see on the attraction.

In the Channel 13 report, Jim Dolan, executive chairman and CEO of Sphere Entertainment said, “We are proud that through the XO Student Design Challenge we were able to leverage Sphere’s technology and use this digital canvas to further artistic expression from Las Vegas’ student artists…”

Even better yet, all the artwork selected will remain on the Sphere throughout the summer for all to enjoy. Not to mention, the students whose work was selected were able to take family and friends by to say, “That’s my artwork!”

Quite the accomplishment and a salute to those at the Sphere for getting involved in the community. Giving students of all ages the chance to display their creations on a worldwide platform to be seen by millions!

What an awesome opportunity for these students. Well done, Sphere!

Mike O’Brian is the Program Director and Morning Show host on 96.3 KKLZ in Las Vegas, along with Carla Rea. He has been with the Beasley Media Group for almost 23 years. Mike was named one of the “Best Program Directors In America” by Radio Ink magazine. Over the years, “The Mike & Carla Morning Show” have been presented with a number of proclamations for their work in the community and numerous awards. Having lived in Las Vegas for over 35 years, he writes articles on living in Las Vegas, sports, and odd stories happening within the state of Nevada. Mike is the host of the morning show and program director of 96.3 KKLZ/Las Vegas. He has been doing mornings in Las Vegas for the past 38 years. Over the years, he has hosted a numerous amount of community events and has been the P.A. announcer for a number of sports teams in Las Vegas. He has written on living in Las Vegas, the sports teams here, as well as odd & little-known facts about Las Vegas & Nevada.

5 Rock Acts We'd Like to See at the Las Vegas Sphere

Sphere in Las Vegas is one of the coolest venues to open in decades. There truly hasn’t been anything like it, especially when it comes to its many visual aspects.

To begin with, its sheer presence as a building just off the Vegas Strip is awe-inspiring. Your eyes are just drawn to it, regardless of what it projected on its external surface. Sphere’s website notes the “Exosphere” features 580,000 sq feet of LEDs that are so bright they can be seen from space.

Its interior is also magical, and we don’t just mean its spatial audio system. Sphere’s website states, “Events at Sphere are immersive experiences that, depending on the event, may include elements such as seat haptics, movement sensations, flashing lights, intense lighting, visual effects, loud noises, and atmospheric simulations including fog, scent and wind.”

In other words: There are seemingly few limits to what can be done with Sphere’s remarkable technology.

U2 and Sphere

After breaking ground in Sept. 2018, Sphere opened in Sept. 2023. U2, of course, was the first artist to perform a residency at the new Vegas venue, which cost $2.3 billion to build. In December 2023, The Hollywood Reporter noted the 17 shows U2 performed through Nov. 30 generated $30.7 million in revenue, which is an average of $1.8 million per show.

Additionally, Sphere has screened Darren Aronofsky’s film Postcards From Earth. Through Nov. 30, the state-of-the-art venue has hosted 111 screenings of the film, which has resulted in $44.5 million in revenue. This averages to $400,000 per screening. Altogether, these two attractions have generated over $75 million in revenue for the new venue.

After U2 wraps their residency on March 2, Phish will be the next band to perform at The Sphere. Their show dates are currently April 18-21. After Phish, Dead & Company’s “Dead Forever” residency will begin on May 16.

This all has us asking ourselves a very important question: Who should be next to occupy Sphere? After some thought, we think these five rock acts would make very interesting use of the unique space.

  • David Gilmour

    Gilmour doesn’t perform much anymore, so having him do a Sphere residency would be really special. He undoubtedly has enough of a catalog to warrant such a grand venue. Also, you just know he could really bring an impressive visual experience, too. A Gilmour Sphere residency would continue to make the venue the most in-demand attraction in Vegas.

  • Tool

    Let’s just say it: Maynard James Keenan is a f—ing weirdo. (Yes, we do mean that in a positive way.) It would be fascinating to see how he would play to such a larger-than-life venue. As far as visuals go, their existing music videos could be projected on the massive screens, and it would be outstanding! The video for “Vicarious” alone would be trippy AF. Of course, Tool would likely create original visuals for the performance just because they could.

  • Paul McCartney

    How do you make a larger-than-life rock figure even larger? Have them take on Sphere! If anyone could do it, it’s obviously Sir Paul. Like with Gilmour, there’s an ample catalog to play with. Plus, he’d be able to sell out countless nights at the venue. Nothing but wins all around for this one!

  • Nine Inch Nails

    Giving Trent Reznor the kind of visual freedom Sphere could offer would be interesting, to say the least. It would just be fascinating to see what he would do with all of the technology. He would surely come up with a concept literally only he could dream up. Let’s hope a NIN residency will eventually become a reality.

  • Slipknot

    Remember how we noted Sphere is capable of “atmospheric simulations including fog, scent and wind”? Just imagine how Slipknot would utilize scent in a venue. Sure, there’s a good chance it would be gross, but it’s not like you’d want some earthy patchouli incense at a Slipknot show. Plus, their visuals are overwhelming at their shows already. Just think of what they would do with those screens!

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