Las Vegas Profile: Jennifer Cornthwaite Revitalizes Downtown With the Arts
Jennifer Cornthwaite isn’t just an advocate when it comes to the revitalization of Downtown Las Vegas; she’s in the bullpen leading the way.
“It’s such a vibrant and changing place, seeing plans come to fruition has been so amazing and we are just getting started,” Cornthwaite said. “All of the innovation, startups, new bars and restaurants; it’s really a great place to be!”
Cornthwaite not only owns The Beat, which is an independent coffeehouse on the corner of Fremont and 6th -- the heart of downtown, she is also a strong leader in the arts community and a main driving force behind the creativity flowing through the artistic veins of downtown.
“Without the arts we all suffer as a community,” she said. “Without art, we are only a community of people who go to work, eat, and sleep.”
Cornthwaite came from Santa Rosa, Calif., but went to school at University of Nevada, Las Vegas where she studied art history and philosophy. Her love of the arts has led her to not only run art galleries, but she has also founded Emergency Arts in the building connected to The Beat.
“I’m a supporter, an admirer and a lover of the arts,” she said.
Emergency Arts is an altruistic collaboration or, rather, a ‘collective’ of artists in a variety of media coming together in one space to work synergistically on creative projects. Emergency Arts is alive with cohesive, cultural movements fueling the fire for everything Cornthwaite seems to desire of downtown.
While Cornthwaite refuses to take on the title of ‘artist,’ she is an avid patron of the arts and deeply motivated by social artists including Felix Gonzales Torres and Jenny Holtzer.
“I’m envious of the creative mind, the patience, diligence that it takes to be an artist,” Cornthwaite said. “A good friend of mine once told me that my talent was in creating spaces where people could be creative and that was the biggest compliment I have ever had.”
Cornthwaite has an enthusiasm that cannot be dampened. She doesn’t seem to lose sight of the ultimate goal, which is to revitalize the neighborhood, businesses and the arts Downtown. As a new mother, this ideal has been cemented and drives her even further.
“Morgan Spurlock who is doing some filming downtown for a documentary asked me last year in an interview about what I would like Downtown to look like for my daughter as she grows up,” Cornthwaite explained. “It was a surreal moment, he was the first one who asked us about her and what this meant for her.”
An additional tie to Downtown is Cornthwaite’s husband Michael who owns downtown, the bar just off of Fremont.
With a fresh start to the year, Cornthwaite is busy working on fine-tuning joint projects between her and her husband.
“When I think that I just can’t get out of bed, or do another email, I think about his resilience, tenacity and work ethic,” Cornthwaite said, ”that makes me want to get more done, do one more think and keep going.”
