‘Timing is right’: Las Vegas Museum of Art one step closer to reality

Known for glitzy resorts adorned with neon lights and extravagant establishments catered to every taste, Las Vegas’ beauty is instantly recognizable worldwide.

So it may be surprising that Las Vegas, a community so obsessed with aesthetics, is the largest city in the country without a stand-alone art museum — despite having one in the past.

That may soon be changing. Champions of the Las Vegas Museum of Art — including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation — say the time is finally right.

“There have been so many accomplishments in our city, between The Smith Center and the Sphere, the Raiders Stadium, Formula One, that the timing is right for this effort,” said Heather Harmon, executive director of the Las Vegas art museum.

That effort got its first big break last year, when Las Vegas City Council members voted in December to approve an exclusive negotiation agreement with the Las Vegas Museum of Art for a 1.5-acre plot of land in Symphony Park.

If all goes according to plan, construction on the proposed three-story, 60,000-to-90,000-square-foot building could begin as early as 2026. The museum, which is projected to cost $150 million, is expected to open in 2028.

The location has been long desired for an art museum because of its proximity to other cultural centers such as The Smith Center for the Performing Arts and the Discovery Children’s Museum, Harmon said.

“There’s just great synergy in the area for arts and culture,” she said.

The Las Vegas Art Museum closed in 2009 after 59 years of operation, citing a lack of funding amid difficult economic times.

Support from many sides

The latest effort to build an art museum in the entertainment capital of the world is also supported by partnerships with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Elaine P. Wynn & Family Foundation.

For Michael Govan, director of the Los Angeles County museum and a trustee of the Las Vegas museum, and Elaine Wynn, a Las Vegas philanthropist, the idea of an art museum in Las Vegas isn’t a new one.

“As a longtime resident and neighbor of all of you, I could not leave Las Vegas for that crap game in the sky without feeling that we finished off our cultural center,” Wynn, who serves as a trustee for the Las Vegas museum and sits on the board of the Los Angeles County museum, told City Council members in December.

Govan and Wynn discussed the possibility of an art museum over the past decade until about a year ago, when they decided it was time to capitalize on growing excitement around sports in the city, Govan said.

As part of that support, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art — which is one of the most aggressive museums when it comes to sharing its collections — will support the Las Vegas institution with expertise and by sharing its exhibitions and artworks.

“The idea of having a great art museum in Las Vegas, so close, just down the road, with a whole new audience is exciting for LACMA because it’s a way we can share our collections and exhibitions with different audiences,” Govan said.

Harmon said the partnership with the Los Angeles County museum will give the community access to the largest collection in the western United States.

The Las Vegas museum also received a $5 million appropriation from the Legislature.

‘Too early to discuss’

As for what types of art Las Vegans and visitors might be able to view in the future museum, Harmon said it’s too early to discuss.

“We’re looking at having three rotating exhibition spaces, so we’ll never be dark and we’ll always have art on view,” Harmon said.

Exhibitions that were already created in Los Angeles likely will be featured in the Las Vegas museum, as well as collections organized exclusively for Las Vegas, Govan said.

He said art museums provide a place for communities to gather, regardless of what might be featured within their walls.

“There’s no place in life that art doesn’t exist, but to have it formalized, and to have education around it, and to have a gathering place to think about it in terms of a museum is a very special thing,” Govan said.

Contact Taylor R. Avery at TAvery@reviewjournal.com. Follow @travery98 on X.