Exhibitions
Historic Fifth Street School | Mayor’s Gallery
401 S. Fourth St.
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding holidays.
Free and open to the public.
Peaks and Valleys: Capturing the Highs and Lows of the Las Vegas Valley
May 18-Aug. 21, 2026
Curated by Donna Fox
"Peaks and Valleys" is a curated exhibition of local urban sketchers whose sketchbooks document the physical, emotional and historical landscape of the Las Vegas valley. Through on-location drawing, artists capture both the natural and human environments of our city — its mountains and deserts, streets and neighborhoods, quiet corners and moments of movement.
The works featured in this exhibition reflect the “peaks” and “valleys” of our shared experience — the way the light plays on Red Rock Canyon in the mornings, a familiar building before it disappears, a neighborhood gathering, a street scene shaped by light, weather or time of day, residents living their lives. These drawings memorialize moments that may never happen again, preserving fragments of the city’s evolving story through direct observation and personal perspective.
Charleston Heights Arts Center | Ballroom & Gallery
800 Brush St.
Hours: Mondays through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., excluding holidays.
Free and open to the public.
Celebrating Life! Exhibition
May 29-Sept. 10, 2026
The city of Las Vegas is proud to present the 26th Annual Celebrating Life! Juried Exhibition, in partnership with the city of Las Vegas Arts Commission. This long-standing exhibition highlights the creative talents of artists aged 50 and better, displaying a diverse array of artistic expression.
Thank you to guest juror, Lolita Develay, for carefully selecting artwork to be displayed and awarded Best of Show and seven medium categories.
Celebrating Life 2026 Award Winners
Best of Show
“Marilyn’s Verso” by Ann Fuhring
Sculpture
First Place: “Possession” by Kenneth Smith
Second Place: “Springs Arrival / Departure” by Sharon Gainsburg
Third Place: “A Shiny Object May Be Blue But Always Shines” by Herbert Linden
Ceramic
First Place: “Retired” by Joan Gray
Second Place: “Spring” by Yaffa Cary
Third Place: “Two Hats” by Dale Barbeau
Honorable Mention: “From the Garden” by Sharon Francia
Painting
First Place: “My Desert Life” by Lynne Adamson-Adrien
Second Place: “Breath” by Don Michael Jr.
Third Place: “50” by Jason Cooper
Honorable Mention: “Landscape” by Jairo E. Ramirez
Honorable Mention: “The Kiss” by Kevin Keefe
Watercolor
First Place: “John Dear” by Effren Chavez
Second Place: “La Solfatara – Volcanic Sulfur Springs in Canale Monterano, Italy” by Cesar Cebballos
Third Place: “Birds Eye View” by Ruth Marlaire
Honorable Mention: “Mums the Word” by SueAnne Churchill
Mixed Media
First Place: “Defying the Algorithm #27” by Marlene Manoff
Second Place: “Improbable Blue Vista” by Ellen Ensign
Third Place: “Valet 1” by Craig Smith
Honorable Mention: “Koi Parade” by Terry Adamik
Drawing and Pastel
First Place: “The Ocean Dweller” by Nathalie Beck
Second Place: “The Banshee” by Diane Crane Benelli
Third Place: “Let’s Get Crackin” by Joyel Reyna
Honorable Mention: “Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II” Nancy Erskine
Photography
First Place: “Dreaming of Their Return” (self-portraits) by Isaias Urrabazo
Second Place: “Face in the Rock” by Helen-Margaret Shelton
Third Place: “Total Lunacy (‘Blood Moon’ Eclipse) at 898 Miles per Hour” by Warren Lee
Honorable Mention: “Mona Bang Bang” by James Atha
Las Vegas City Hall | Grand Gallery Exhibitions
495 S. Main St., First Floor
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; excluding holidays.
Free and open to the public.
It’s O’Clay!
Animal House Pottery Member Exhibition
Jan. 26 – July 30, 2026
It's O'Clay is an exhibition by artist Anthony Urango. “It’s O’Clay” is what we say while learning to throw on the wheel or hand build. In the process of understanding how clay moves—how a touch too soft or pressure too strong can cause it to collapse—we learn to adapt, repair, or start again with a fresh ball of clay. The pieces displayed here represent the successes born from those trials, the explorations of ideas and form. Every collapsed wall or unintended mark becomes part of our growing archive of experience, a rolodex of memories that shapes who we become as makers.
Las Vegas City Hall | Chamber Gallery
495 S. Main St., Second Floor
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding holidays.
Free and open to the public.
Somos Magia (We Are Magic)
Curated by Haide Calle
Aug. 3-Nov. 20, 2026
Artist reception Sept. 24, 5 to 7 p.m.
We often use fantasy to navigate a place of comfort, whether it's through storytelling or imaginative and symbolic elements. Growing up, we find spaces to escape and find belonging in. We hold space to carry the possibilities creativity can mold into our reality. It helps us decide how to show up, what to make, and what to believe in. Artists were invited to submit work that represents the theme SOMOS MAGIA (WE ARE MAGIC).
This exhibition is curated by Haide Calle, a Las Vegas-based artist, ceramicist and social activist. Calle has exhibited throughout the state with galleries such as Holland Project Gallery, Core Contemporary Gallery, Left of Center Gallery, NUWU Art Gallery and the Clark County Museum. Her mixed media art has been reviewed by Desert Magazine and The Las Vegas Weekly. Calle also has had the opportunity to be interviewed by KNPR Nevada Radio to speak on her art career and engagement in social change, as well. Aside from her artist endeavors, she has curated a group show in the Left of Center Gallery in 2024 and also exhibited her first solo show in 2025.
This exhibition will be displayed at the Mexican Consul from Nov. 30, 2026, to Jan. 11, 2027.
Las Vegas Civic Center Art Gallery
525 S. Main St., Building A
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., excluding holidays.
Free and open to the public. Free two-hour parking validation for the parking garage across the street available at the gallery.
Rhythm and Resilience: Black Vegas
Curated by Carmen Beals and narrated by Claytee White
March 12-Aug. 20, 2026
"Rhythm and Resilience: Black Vegas" explores African American life in Las Vegas from the arrival of its first Black resident through the 1980s, tracing the impacts of segregation and racial barriers while celebrating the creativity, resilience, and achievements that shaped the city’s character. Beginning with John Howell, the first African American settler, it follows the growth of a downtown Black community and its forced relocation in the early twentieth century to what became the Historic Westside. Despite systemic exclusion, this neighborhood emerged as a vibrant cultural and social hub where residents built businesses, churches, and civic organizations, cultivated music and nightlife that drew world-class performers, and organized for civil rights and equity. By honoring these histories, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the enduring legacy of the African American community and its lasting influence on the identity, spirit, and future of Las Vegas.
The exhibition is curated by Carmen Beals and narrated by Claytee White. The exhibition opened March 12 and closes Aug. 20, 2026.
Curator tours will be offered:
Saturday, July 11, at 12 p.m.
Saturday, July 18, at 1 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 1, at 1 p.m.
Windows On First
First Street Art Trail
495 S. Main St., Along First Street
Available to view at all times.
Free and open to the public.
"Thermoflora" by Cerissa Lopez
April-October 2026
Created from custom di-cut wood and paint, "Thermoflora" consists of panels in the shapes of multiple floral varieties. Each wood panel is hand painted via aerosol and airbrush, rendered to emulate what each flower would look like if they were taken with an infrared/thermo lens camera. The black backdrop is intended to enhance the vibrant colors of the flowers. The colors of the flowers were inspired by the neon lights of Downtown and The Strip.
West Las Vegas Arts Center Community Gallery
947 W. Lake Mead Blvd.
Hours: Wednesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Gallery hours may vary; please call ahead.
Free and open to the public.
For more information, call 702.229.4800.