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For those in the neighborhood communities, Sugarhouse Casino has been a bitterly divisive topic for years. But how is it actually affecting residents nearby? Artist Mat Tomezsko attempts to answer that question with “Happier and Happier,” a new art exhibition opening today, focusing on SugarHouse Casino and the people who are affected by it — for better or worse.
Tomezsko was inspired by the contrast he saw between anti-casino activists, the ever-lit, unmistakable Sugarhouse building and the Fishtown residents who live around the corner from it. He says he comes at the topic as an artist, not an activist: "I don’t mean to pass judgment. I’m sure there are lots of people who have fun at the casinos. At the same time, they’re an addictive vice, and they can be very destructive. I didn’t set out to antagonize people who like the casinos, or the business. They’re a legitimate business," he says. “My goal is to have the viewer get whatever they bring to it. If people like casinos, they’ll enjoy the paintings. If they don’t like casinos, they’ll see anti-casino paintings. It’s not didactic in any way.”
For this show, the focus of Tomezsko’s paintings will be men, and the “instinct to provide.” He says, “I wondered what would it be like to be a working class person and, you know, you work your ass off everyday and there’s this place that promises an escape, and it's right there." He hopes to follow up with a second SugarHouse series. “I see this as a first chapter. I’d like to expand into other areas. Next, I’d like to think about the kids in this area, and how they’re affected. So many kids will be normalized to casinos, seeing it as a place to hang out and creating a new generation of people who go to casinos. I think we haven’t even begun to see the effects of the casinos."
"Happier and Happier" opens today at Crane Arts Building, 1400 N. American St., with a reception from 6-9 p.m.
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