For decades, Las Vegas has occupied a singular place in America's cultural spectrum. Elvis impersonators, showgirls and neon lights are some of the most familiar emblems of Las Vegas' culture, but they are only part of the story.
In recent years, Las Vegas has secured its place on the cultural map. From the highbrow to the kitschy, you can bet on the destination to deliver a well-rounded dose of art and culture.
Unique Las Vegas Culture
Visitors can immerse themselves in the cultural offerings that are unique to Las Vegas and learn more about this gaming capital and its place in history.
Anchored by the largest collection of authentic artifacts, memorabilia, photos and videos of organized crime ever assembled, The Las Vegas Mob Experience at Tropicana Las Vegas uses the latest in "interactive entertainment technology" to immerse guests in a presentation of the rise and fall of organized crime. Through first person accounts, offered by apparitions of famed gangsters themselves, visitors are able to experience the world of organized crime and learn about the role its major players had on the building of Las Vegas, and their ultimate eradication from the casinos.
The Las Vegas Museum of Law Enforcement and Organized Crime will be an interactive museum presenting a bold and authentic view of organized crime's impact on Las Vegas' history and its unique imprint on America and the world. The exhibits, programs and experiences will offer multiple perspectives and provide a contemporary, engaging, challenging and educational experience. The $42 million museum will be located in the heart of Downtown's urban core and housed in the former federal courthouse and United States Post Office. The museum is expected to open in mid-2011.
Focused on preserving one aspect of Las Vegas' vibrant history, the Neon Museum is a collection of classic neon signs from the 1940s to present day. The collection currently features 11 refurbished, vintage neon signs on display downtown at the Fremont Street Experience. The recently broke ground on its new building to house the non-restored historic signs, currently displayed on a 3-acre outdoor site called the Boneyard. Part of the new museum will include the historic La Concha Motel Lobby.
The non-profit Lied Discovery Children's Museum will relocated to a 58,000 square foot building located in Symphony Park downtown. The museum will change its name to Discovery Children's Museum and will continue to provide interactive, hands-on exhibits and programs when it re-opens in the Fall of 2012.
The Springs Preserve opened in 2007 on a 180-acre historic site commonly known as "the birthplace of Las Vegas." The Preserve features historic museums, galleries, outdoor concerts and events, educational and play areas for children, the future Nevada State Museum, an interpretive trail system, a botanical garden and more.
The Erotic Heritage Museum, is a 24,000-square-foot space featuring permanent exhibits designed to preserve wonders of the erotic imagination as depicted through the artistic expression of love. Guests can explore the vast array of socio-cultural perspectives including a special emphasis on the unfolding of the American Sexual Revolution of the 20th Century.
Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition showcases authentic artifacts recovered from two and one-half miles below the surface of the North Atlantic. Unique to the exhibition at Luxor Hotel & Casino is the crown jewel of the Titanic artifacts, the largest piece ever recovered - the 'Big Piece." This 30-ton piece of the Titanic's starboard hull took nearly two days and more than 40 hours to install in this blockbuster exhibition. In addition, visitors can view more than 20 never-before-seen artifacts including gaming chips, passenger personal papers and decorative sections from Titanic's famed Grand Staircase.
BODIES...The Exhibition at Luxor Hotel & Casino showcases more than 275 body specimens. These real human bodies have been meticulously dissected, preserved through an innovative process and respectfully presented, giving visitors the opportunity to view the beauty and complexity of their own organs and systems. In addition to providing an up-close look inside our skeletal, muscular, respiratory, and circulatory systems, the Exhibition encourages healthy lifestyle choices by serving as a wake-up call.
Art for Art's Sake
In 1998, Steve Wynn surprised many when he decided to open an art gallery in his $1.9 billion hotel-casino, Bellagio. Art critics were skeptical, but the public applauded his efforts when the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art opened and launched Las Vegas to the forefront of the art scene. With eyes glued to this emerging art center, other reputable art
institutions started looking toward Las Vegas. The result: fine art galleries located in the resort corridor, featuring revered masterpieces by celebrated artists.
* The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art (BGFA) debuted Figuratively Speaking: A Survey of the Human Form on May 1. Organized in partnership with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), "Figuratively Speaking" will present figurative works by such artists as Pierre-August Renoir, Pablo Picasso, Alberto Giacometti, Joseph Cornell, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Judith Shea, Bill Viola, Yoshitomo Nara, Vanessa Beecroft and many others.
* While the Bellagio was the first Strip resort to house a gallery of fine art, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay is a veritable museum, entirely decorated not with fanciful, themed decor, but with works by blue-chip contemporary artists, from the Arturo Herrera mural behind the registration desk, to the Andy Warhol prints in the foyer.
* Red Rock Hotel & Casino, located off-Strip in the Summerlin area, has a collection of fine art throughout the property. Masterpieces from artists such as Robert Indiana, Takashi Murakami, Paul McCarthy and Vik Muniz adorn the walls of the resort's restaurants, pool and nightclub.
Fine art in Las Vegas is not confined to the resorts, however. Other galleries thrive elsewhere in town, and serve as gathering points for artists and art aficionados alike. Several notable venues and events make the roster of must-see activities for art buffs visiting Las Vegas.
* During First Fridays in the Downtown Arts District, Las Vegas' historic downtown neighborhood draws thousands of visitors who come to see visual and performing artists, patronize arts-oriented businesses and enjoy the area's unique shops that offer antiques and vintage collectibles (The Attic, The Funk House) restaurants (Chicago Joe's, The Ice House Lounge, El Sombrero Cafe, Florida Cafe, Luv It Frozen Custard and Casa Don Juan), and art galleries:
* The Arts Factory in downtown Las Vegas houses several artists' studios and contemporary art galleries, including Michael Wardle Gallery, showcasing the artist's contemporary Abstract-Expressionist paintings;
Trifecta, presenting the nostalgic Pop paintings of Marty Walsh and other emerging artists; and M Modern, Jennifer Main Studio and more.
* Commerce Street Studios include The Fallout, a venue for exhibitions by local and national artists working in a variety of media; MTZC (work by area artist Mark T. Zeilman); and Naked City Tattoo and Art (tattoo parlor and painting) and others.
* S2 Art is a fine-art-print maker, housing elaborate 19th-century printing presses used to reproduce works by artists such as Alphonse Mucha, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Tom Everhart and Matthew Rinard.
*Dust Gallery located on the first floor of downtown's new SoHo Lofts building. is one of the most up-and-coming contemporary art galleries in the West. Its stable of artists includes several of the area's emerging up-and-comers, many of whom also show their work in other reputable galleries around the world.
* Holsum Lofts on Charleston, just west of the Arts District, is a converted Holsum Bread factory adorned with oversized brand logos on the outside. Inside you'll find a number of art-and-design-oriented galleries and shops.
* Art and photography from nationally and internationally recognized artists, students and faculty alike are exhibited at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Donna Beam Fine Art Gallery.
* The City of Las Vegas Cultural Affairs Division oversees several arts venues in town, including the Reed Whipple Cultural Center, Charleston Heights Cultural Center, and West Las Vegas Arts Center. This City department also curates the Bridge Gallery, which displays work by area artists in the covered catwalk leading into City Hall.
* Nevada Cancer Institute, a nationally recognized cancer research facility, promotoes a philosophy of whole-person treatment that includes a prominent aesthetic component; the facility is adorned with an impressive collection of contemporary art including work by Dale Chihuly, Claes Oldenburg, Ed Ruscha, Sol Lewitt, Robert Rauschenberg, Ellsworth Kelly, John Baldessari, Lisa Stefanelli and others.
Cultural Events
Those who claim there is no culture in Las Vegas need look no further than the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). Each year, UNLV features theatre productions, musicals, art exhibits, jazz, classical and chamber music concerts, ballets, opera, lectures, dances and other worldly entertainment.
The campus' performing arts venues, such as the Judy Bayley Theatre, Artemus Ham Concert Hall and the Black Box Theatre, feature entertainment of all kinds, including performances by the acclaimed Nevada Ballet Theatre, the Las Vegas Philharmonic and world-renowned musicians. Some of the ongoing series include The Charles Vanda Master Series, showcasing the best in classical music and dance; The Best of the New York Stage, featuring acclaimed Broadway, cabaret and jazz performers; The World Stage, devoted to international music and dance; and the UNLV Visiting Artist Lecture Series, which features nationally and internationally acclaimed artists discussing their work.
Theater All Around
Las Vegas is making a name for itself as a place to see great theater. High profile, star-powered shows and touring musical productions continue to make stops in Las Vegas, where they play to packed houses.
Many of the performances on the Las Vegas Strip are among the best and most innovative in the world, from the internationally acclaimed Cirque du Soleil (seven resident productions) and Blue Man Group (Venetian) to Broadway productions such as "Phantom - the Las Vegas Spectacular" (Venetian) and Disney's "The Lion King" (Mandalay Bay).
The Las Vegas musical theater scene benefits from the presence of the Showroom at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. The 7,000-seat performing arts center is the Strip's only mid-sized entertainment venue and is home to cultural and popular entertainment including national tours of highly acclaimed Broadway musicals.
Community theater has also received attention from Southern Nevada's residents and visitors alike. Groups such as the Las Vegas Little Theater, the local summer stock company Super Summer Theatre, the Rainbow Company Children's Theatre, as well as local academic institutions UNLV and the Community College of Southern Nevada present plays and musical productions featuring local and up-and-coming talent. The City of Las Vegas also features a comprehensive cultural arts program with events scheduled throughout the year.
The Smith Center for the Performing Arts is a public/private partnership that will become the centerpiece of cultural life in Las Vegas offering a blend of performances by resident companies as well as first-run touring attractions. The 4.75-acre cultural complex will feature inviting lobbies with beautiful balconies, refined acoustics and a tastefully landscaped plaza linking surrounding hotels, restaurants, shops and offices in downtown's 61-acre urban development, Symphony Park. Home to the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall and the Boman Pavilion, The Smith Center will be a living room for Las Vegas; a place that will educate, entertain and excite the citizens of the community. The Smith Center broke ground in May of 2009 with a ceremonial carillon bell casting and ringing. In February 2010, it celebrated its "Topping Out" with the raising of 50 tons of steel and is projected to open in Spring 2012. WICKED, the smash hit musical, will kick off The Smith Center for the Performing Arts' 2012-2013 Broadway-subscription series with a limited six-week engagement. After breaking box office records and selling out across the country, WICKED has added The Smith Center to its 2012-2013 tour, with performances scheduled for August 29 - October 7, 2012.
