Interview by Jorge Lara

Photography by Maegan Gindi

VIM:  Greetings Carina, how have you been? Last year's RAW Awards show was excellent. People seem to be liking the new venue downtown. How has the new venue worked out for RAW?

Carina Arriaga: Hello! I have been great and feel more fortunate than ever. RAWards was a great event to put together and happy to hear your feedback, The Fremont Country Club has been a great transition into the downtown community and we have been able to turn this private music venue into and amazing edgy, alternative pop-up gallery for local artists to showcase their work.

VIM: The show scheduled for February has been moved to April. What do you have in store for us at the next show? 

Carina Arriaga: Our April 10th showcase SPECTRUM has a great selection of new emerging, local, independent artists including a pyrography artist, a dance performance, an amazing group of visual artists and some special surprises in store for everyone that they will have to catch and experience in attending the show! Doors open at 7pm on April 10th. 

VIM: Tell us a bit about your time with RAW. How has it been working with Amber Cajiao and what are your plans moving forward for this year? 

Carina Arriaga: I have had the biggest growing and learning expierence since I began with RAW in August 2012. I have learned so much from Amber and her passion has been nothing but inspiring and I have learned even more about my craft and love for events that will stay with me throughout my life and be able to applies those to all aspects of my life. 

VIM: What RAW show from last year was your favorite? Do you have any moments that were a highlight from last year? I like how all the RAW shows have a theme and title. If you had the opportunity to pick a name for a show, what would it be?

Carina Arriaga: I have so many memories that stand out from all showcases RAW had last year, I couldn't possibly pick a favorite one, they were all so great for me. Although a highlight  i could mention would be from the first showcase, DISCOVERY, we did at The Act Nightclub. Having it be our first time at a new venue it was just such a rush and such a great showcase of amazing artists, that I really feel it was a great catalyst for remainder of the season. 

The titles are fun and I'm glad i'm not in charge of selecting the the names for the RAW showcases because I would just be so cheesy or goofy with them. I love making unique experiences, events that are one of a kind and unique to each group of artists so I would either title the first one LOVE because it can be interpreted into so many ways and can speak to everyone or I would want to speak with all the artists involved in the particular showcase and figure out a common ground between them all and create a name based from that. 

RAW Las Vegas Presents Spectrum
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