Feature: THE 19TH ANNUAL COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS HALL GALA TO HONOR BRAD GARRETT

The 19th Annual College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame gala will honor those who have significantly impacted performing art, visual arts, and architecture in Southern Nevada. Iconic comedy club owner, Emmy, and SAG Award-winning actor, comedian, and writer, Brad Garrett, is known for his role as Robert Barone on the television series Everybody Loves Raymond. The gala celebration will be held in the Ballroom in the UNLV Student Union at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, on March 21.

Other honorees will include:

Virko Baley, a Jacyk Fellow at Harvard Ukranian Research Institute, is a composer-in-residence, distinguished professor of music, and co-director of NEON, an annual composers' conference at UNLV.

Gloria Dea debuted in 1941 at the El Rancho Hotel and was the first to perform magic on the Las Vegas Strip. At the age of 18, she would become a trailblazer in the magic community.

To be honored posthumously, Clarence Gilyard, actor and professor at UNLV, is best known for his roles as Conrad McMasters on Matlock and Jimmy Trivette on Walker, Texas Ranger.

Multimedia artist James Stanford transformed historic neon signage and architectural elements of Las Vegas into mesmerizing modern mandalas.

There will be two Dean's Medal recipients, including:

Las Vegas entertainer and legend, Nelson Sardelli, entertained on the famed Las Vegas Strip, opening shows for Judy Garland and so many others.

Clarence Gilyard will also be honored with the Dean's Medal.

The College of Fine Arts Alumni of the Year will honor:

Cecilia Schafler, landscape architect, designer, educator, founder, and president of Lage Design, was named in honor of her grandmother, her first design instructor.

Dwayne Eshenbaugh, award-winning, Las Vegas-based architect and ardent humanitarian whose firm, NOVUS Architecture, employs 10 UNLV alums.

The UNLV College of Fine Arts, established in 1992, is one of the nation's largest Fine Arts colleges. The college encompasses the departments of art, dance, film, theatre, School of Music, School of Architecture, Entertainment Engineering & Design, and is home to the Performing Arts Center, Nevada Conservatory Theatre, and Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art.

The Hall of Fame was founded in 2003, with its 20-year anniversary to be celebrated next year. The 19th Annual College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame gala celebration will be held in the Ballroom in the UNLV Student Union, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway, on March 21. The cocktail hour begins at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit unlv.edu/finearts. Free parking is available in the multi-level Cottage Grove Parking Structure next to the UNLV Performing Arts Center.