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Event
Le Petit Moineau, A Vintage Vixen and a Beast Called Melanoma
Lets celebrate the life of Elizabeth America Mikesell-Vega on her birthday. The family will be displaying the art of Lisa, with photos and memoirs. We will be providing refreshments and light appetizers, slide show of the artist and her work. This event is also to build awareness about melanoma.
It was November 16th 1987 when the world met Elizabeth America Vega Mikesell. Lisa was born to Mexican parents in Hawthorne, California. At around the age of 5, Lisa moved with her family to the city of Las Vegas. Las Vegas would become her first home, one of the cities that would keep her legacy. Lisa attended Harvey N. Dondero Elementary School. As a young girl she loved Disney movies like Pocahontas and Beauty &The Beast. She would sing and dance to all of the songs along with her cousins in her living room. She also started playing her first instrument Lisa was a great girl, always willing to share all of her possessions with whomever. She loved to play and was very soft-spoken.
Lisa then attended Kenny Guinn Middle School, later to graduate from Sierra Vista High School. Her outgoing and mature personality helped her to make many close friends at all of the schools she attended. As Lisa matured, she took a special interest in the arts. Her first love was music, attending all of the concerts she could at a young age. She loved to listen to music and analyze the lyrics, admiring how they related to her life. Her next love was art which was introduced to her with passion by her teacher Patricia Vasquez. This new world of art sparked a great interest in her, later to become her biggest love along with her Mexican heritage. Lisa realized that this was what she wanted to do with her life; she began painting. Lisa had a great talent, bringing to life deep feelings and emotions on canvas. Her path was clear; she would move and attend The University of the Art in Philadelphia.
In Philadelphia, Lisa would turn into a butterfly. She took the city in and loved every minute of it. Attending The University was like a breath of fresh air. She made many new friends and matured greatly. She started a music group called The Lemon Treasures. The performance of The Lemon Treasures was very theatrical with everything from balloon popping to glitter throwing. The show was very original and their crowds loved it! Along with music, her art matured greatly as Lisa took an internship with Puerto Rican artist Pepon Osorio. Pepon Osorio became a huge part in the evolution as an artist for Lisa and would change her views on art forever. She began to incorporate the love of her Mexican roots into her art. She admired artists like Frida Cahlo and Diego Rivera. Philadelphia also changed her dress by influencing her vintage look that everyone would later identify her by.
Upon moving back to Las Vegas, Lisa spent a lot of time with her family which was the most important thing to her. Although she missed Philadelphia, she was able to incorporate art into her life by acquiring a job at the Fine Art Gallery in the Bellagio. Her life in Vegas was just as she remembered it. She loved to spend days with her family at the pool and work in an environment that included her passion. It was not very long before she was diagnosed with cancer and immediately had to begin the fight.
After little hope from doctors in Las Vegas, Lisa moved to Seattle with her parents to find more adequate medical attention. After barely a month after moving to Seattle Lisa met the man she would later marry. Brett Mikesell would fall in love with her immediately. On their first date Lisa would reveal her sickness to him, but it was too late, Brett was already in love. Lisa, along with her parents and boyfriend would battle cancer until the end. She never let cancer take her spirit although it slowly deteriorated her body. She married Brett Mikesell at the hospital shortly before she passed in a very intimate and beautiful ceremony. Elizabeth America Vega Mikesell passed away on August 28th 2011 at the Evergreen Hospice in Seattle, Washington; her family never leaving her side.
Lisa was a very special girl. She became one of the most important figures in the lives of all the people she met. It did not take long to fall in love with her. Lisa displayed kindness and strength to everyone that came across her path. We all remember her with a sweet voice and caring comments. Lisa would remain an example of strength to all who knew her.
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LocationLas Vegas Paiute Multi-Purpose (View)
1316 Sackett St.
Las Vegas, NV 89106
United States
Categories
| Minimum Age: 1 |
| Kid Friendly: Yes! |
| Dog Friendly: No |
| Wheelchair Accessible: Yes! |
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