The Las Vegas Art Museum is dedicated to presenting works by emerging and internationally recognized contemporary artists. Recent exhibitions include a survey of Southern California Minimalists, including Robert Irwin, Larry Bell, and James Turrell; solo exhibitions by artists Michael Reafsnyder, Martin Mull, and Cindy Wright; a comprehensive survey of Roy Lichtenstein’s prints; an exhibition of models by the architect Frank Gehry; the three-dimensional paintings of Kaz Oshiro; and an exhibition curated by art critic Dave Hickey featuring artists who studied with him at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

The origins of the Las Vegas Art Museum date back to 1950, when a small group of visionaries, dedicated to bringing fine art to Las Vegas, formed the Las Vegas Art League. In 1974, the Las Vegas Art League was renamed the Las Vegas Art Museum (LVAM), becoming the first fine art museum in the state of Nevada. LVAM relocated from Lorenzi Park to its present location in the Sahara West Library/Fine Art Museum building in 1997. In this new facility, LVAM built a schedule of community-based shows, including exhibitions by local Las Vegas artists and Museum members, as well as showcase exhibitions of a variety of types and styles, including exhibitions of works by Dale Chihuly, Sam Francis, and August Rodin. The Museum features nearly 8,000 square feet of exhibition space, and offers adult and children’s education programs.

In January 2006, LVAM’s Board of Trustees reformulated the Museum’s mission and goals to adhere to the highest standards of museum practices and focus of the Museum’s exhibitions and collections programs on contemporary fine art and design. Subsequent to the change, LVAM has attracted greater numbers of regular visitors and a more diversified demographic than ever before. The nucleus of a heritage collection of art has been formed, and the Museum’s education programs for children and adults have been recognized by the Nevada Arts Council for excellence.