DATELINE LAS VEGAS: In a little more than 24 hours, at 11 AM sharp on Thursday, January 19, 2012, all of Las Vegas will be gathered (okay, "all of" may be a bit of hyperbole, but there will be lots of people gathered) at Circus Circus to witness the grand opening of the most remarkable, the most sensational, the most entertaining, the most inspirational, the most creative, the new, the exciting, the one, the only, the Chuck Jones Experience!  (Cue the trumpets! Ta da!)

More than 17 years ago, an idea was born at a dinner with three of the world's great animators and one dedicated fan.  In 2009, the trustees of the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity were approached by that fan, Neil Cantor, and asked what they would envision if there were a Chuck Jones museum.  That simple question prompted an immediate bout of brain-storming creativity and tomorrow, their ideas will be made real.  

Words fail to adequately describe what the Chuck Jones Experience will offer you, but the closest and possibly the most reasonable (and obviously the most exciting) explanation is that it's like walking into the head of Chuck Jones.  It's at turns inspiring, delightful, creative, playful, entertaining, enlightening, invigorating, and beautiful.  So, take this reporter's advice: book your flights to Vegas, baby, and experience The Chuck Jones Experience.

Some of the staff of the Chuck Jones Galleries (from left: Jocelyne Brown (Santa Fe), Kate Bowerman, Joel Shapiro (both of San Diego), Carol Erickson (Costa Mesa at SOCO–coming soon), Erin Liddell (San Diego), Michael Bundy (Santa Fe), Christopher Scardino (Tustin and the Center's teaching artist), along with Kyle Armstrong (Santa Fe) have a "ta-da" moment as the gate rolls up on the Chuck Jones Experience on Tuesday the 17th.