At the 2006 Artistry Demo one of the presenters is cutting a stencil onsite for use with a thin overlay cement graphic.
Joe Nasvik At the 2006 Artistry Demo one of the presenters is cutting a stencil onsite for use with a thin overlay cement graphic.

Don't forget to stop by one of the most creative areas of World of Concrete (WOC). Located in the new outdoor Decorative Concrete Pavilion area in the Silver Lot of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Artistry demos will highlight the creative talents of decorative contractors from all over the country. Each year 12 contractors who install creative decorative concrete work demonstrate their talent and you are invited to watch them create their masterpieces. They will work on their demos on Tuesday and Wednesday during the show. When you visit the demo area you can see what they are doing, ask questions, or discuss your own ideas. And on Thursday during the show you can view the finished works, take pictures, or talk more with the presenters.

Though decorative concrete work takes many forms today, it always starts with creative, artistic designs and ends with good craftsmanship. It can be as simple as the creative use of unadorned plain concrete or it can be colored, textured, stamped, carved, polished, cut, stained, or have exposed embedded aggregates and other materials. Providing themed appearances is a trend these days. Additionally concrete is sometimes made to look like other materials such as rock, wood, plastic, ceramic, tile, or plaster.

One past observation about Artistry demos is that some presentations go beyond what one would expect to see “in real life.” But what you see at the demos is inspired by work that the contractors do in their local areas—from small towns to big city urban areas.

This delicate stencil was cut out on a computer plotter for use on a polished concrete slab at the 2006 Artistry Demo. Chemical stains were applied to the open parts of the stencil to add subtle patterning to the finished work.
Joe Nasvik This delicate stencil was cut out on a computer plotter for use on a polished concrete slab at the 2006 Artistry Demo. Chemical stains were applied to the open parts of the stencil to add subtle patterning to the finished work.

This year's demos will feature: Chris Becker, Becker Architectural Concrete; Scott Hogue and Dave Blasdell, Artistic Concrete Surfaces (Scott) and Blazes Concrete Impressions (Dave); Janet Brown, Faux Biz Studio; Ben McCarthy, McCarthy Concrete; Tamara Taylor Clark, The Painted Pear; Ralph Gasser, Concrete by Gasser; Randall Klassen, Klassen Concrete; Emily McClintick, the concretist; Wayne Sellon, Tajmawall; Lisa and Stan Thomas, and Shane Sexton, Total Polish Solutions; Julie Thompson, Designing Concrete.

The Artistry demos are held each year to encourage the use of decorative concrete. They are sponsored by Concrete Construction magazine, the Decorative Concrete Council—a council of the American Association of Concrete Contractors (ASCC), and by Artcrete, Inc., Bella Vernici Decorative Concrete, Butterfield Color, Concrete Solutions, Elite Crete Systems, Inc., Increte Systems, Interstar, L.M. Scofield, Miracote Division--CPC, QC Construction Products, Soff-Cut International, Inc., Stardek, Super Stone, Inc., Surecrete Design Products, TechFab, and World Diamond Source.

I look forward to seeing you at the Artistry demos!