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Casino Art & Architecture

Filled with the green trunks of indigenous palo verde trees and the majestic spires of saguaro cactii, the landscaped grounds of Casino Arizona at Salt River are just a 15 minute drive from the office towers of downtown Phoenix. But from the moment one enters this modern and sophisticated entertainment complex, there are reminders that this Salt River Pima - Maricopa tribal project offers its visitors an environment that's far beyond a bare-bones gaming experience.

"It's a relaxing atmosphere that makes being here more interesting and makes me want to come back more often," says Scottsdale resident and frequent casino gamer Frank Salinas while sitting in the casino's piano bar. Behind him, a musician in a powder blue suit plays soothing, popular tunes on a black, baby grand. Soaring, plate glass windows with views of the Superstition Mountains frame one side of the room, while on its curved walls hang large paintings by Harry Fonseca and Dan Namingha.

Throughout the rest of Casino Arizona, from the blue ribbon of mosaic tile coursing through its rows of slot machines (an homage to the life-giving waters of the Salt River) to a painting by Santa Fe artist Emmi Whitehorse hanging next to the sports bar, the emphasis is on high quality art and architecture. It's an environment far removed from the more typical reservation gaming operations of just a decade ago, yet its indicative of a trend sweeping across the Native American casino industry.

From efforts such as the Potawatomi Bingo Casino's partnership with the Milwaukee Art Museum in offering package deals to the museum's recent "Leonardo da Vinci and the Splendor of Poland" exhibition to the dozens of paintings and sculptures installed by internationally acclaimed artist Paul J. Price throughout the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, a southern California community located between San Diego and Los Angeles, there's been a realization that investing in high quality art and architecture improves a casino's bottom line.

"It totally gives us an edge and is definitely worth the investment," says Norm Runyan, chief operating officer of River Rock Casino, a Dry Creek Pomo tribal project in Sonoma County, an hour's drive north of San Francisco. "With art and architecture like this you can attract a much higher quality type of gamer because we appeal to our visitors on an aesthetic level. And, all of the art we've bought increases in value every year."

River Rock Casino's architecture echoes the classic lines of the Craftsman Bungalow style used throughout many Sonoma County communities. Located in a region famed as one of the world's premier wine producing areas, River Rock's architectural peers are the tasting rooms and chateaus of nearby Alexander Valley vineyards. From marketing plans that cooperate with regional wineries to the interior design theme's extensive use of natural stone and Mission style furnishings, River Rock Casino seamlessly blends into Sonoma County's high quality tourism experience.

The Dry Creek Pomo's primary art form of basketry provided another of this structure's aesthetic touchstones. According to Chris Wright, a tribal member and assistant marketing manager for River Rock Casino, not only are basketry designs incorporated into its latticed ceilings, but historic examples of Pomo basketry, some of which has been purchased at art auctions with gaming profits, have been installed throughout the casino and its offices. "We return several (basketry) pieces to the tribe each year through this process, and we also buy contemporary works from today's Pomo artists," says Wright.

What's perhaps the most significant effort to incorporate Native American art into a tribal gaming facility is the ongoing effort by Foxwoods Casino & Resort to install sculptures by Bruce LaFountain and Allan Houser within its casino and entertainment complex on the Mashantucket Pequot reservation in eastern Connecticut. "There's a lot of interest from our visitors in these sculptures because you don't see much museum quality art in Native American casinos," says Bruce Kirchner, the resort's senior administrative vice president and Mashantucket Pequot tribal member. Nearly three dozen sculptures are included in the Foxwoods art collection, according to Kirchner, who went on to say that "we'd like to add some new sculptures by these same artists" to the resort's newly developed properties.

Another Mashantucket Pequot effort celebrating Native American culture is its Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, a state of the art, 380,000 sq. ft. facility designed by Polshek Partnership on New York City. In addition to documenting the tribe's history and creation, the facility contains an art gallery for changing exhibitions and is used as the site for an annual arts marketplace, according to Trudie Lamb Richmond, the center's director of public programs.

Mountain views, Native American sculpture by Estelle Loretto, and a sophisticated architectural theme are significant components of Sandia Casino, a 200,000 sq. ft. gaming and entertainment complex owned by the Pueblo of Sandia and designed by Leo A. Daly, on the outskirts of Albuquerque, N.M. "We wanted to capture the feeling of southwestern pueblo style architecture through an extensive use of vigas, latillas and sandstone walls," says Stewart Paisano, governor of Pueblo of Sandia.

"People remember us for our 50 ft. windows looking out at the Sandia Mountains and for our architecture. Sure, it's unusual for a casino to encourage people to look outside and enjoy the natural environment, but I feel it's what gives us a competitive edge. This building isn't just a casino, it's a statement about Sandia culture," he says.

In today's increasingly competitive gaming industry it's not uncommon for developers of Native American casino resorts to use high quality architecture as a vehicle for establishing an expectation of quality experiences in the minds of the off-reservation public. In the case of southern Arizona's Casino Del Sol, operated by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, this newly opened, 213,000 sq. ft. gaming and entertainment complex in metropolitan Tucson adopted the architectural flavor of a Tuscan village in northern Italy's countryside as a means to distinguish itself.

In southern California, the Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, a project of the Barona Band of Mission Indians on the Barona Reservation just northeast of San Diego, a rustic, farm and ranch style architectural theme captures a sense of California in the 1930's, the era when this reservation was established. In north San Diego County, the Pala Casino Resort & Spa, a project of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, a 10,000 sq. ft spa and an architectural theme inspired by the clean lines and natural materials incorporated into the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright are key elements used to set this 650,000 sq. ft. entertainment complex apart from its competition.

"When you come to an Indian casino you should be able to see the things that are important to Indian culture," says Aleta Ringlero, curator of the Casino Arizona art collection and a member of the Salt River Pima tribe. "That's why we have an elegant, Kip Harris-designed building. This is, after all, our tribe's social room, and what could be more appropriate than filling it with beautiful objects our guests will enjoy."

DETAILS FOLLOW

Barona Valley Ranch Resort & Casino, 1932 Wildcat Canyon Road, Lakeside, CA 92040; (888) 722-7662, www.barona.com

Pala Casino Resort & Spa, 11154 Highway 76, Pala, CA 92059; (877) 946-7252, www.palacasino.com

Pechanga Resort & Casino, 45000 Pechanga Parkway, Temecula, CA 92592 (888) 732-4264, www.pechanga.com

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