Art and Irony in Sin City

There’s a saying that “free” is the most ironic word in Las Vegas. Walking down the Strip, you’ll be offered free show tickets, free dinners, free slot play and more. Of course, it all comes with a catch - usually having to attend a time-share seminar. But one thing in Vegas that is free and plentiful is art. Yes, art!


Fresh from my Vegas birthday vacation on 10-10-10, here’s a sampling of some of my favorite free Sin City art.


-Jennifer, Co-Publisher

The Bellagio lobby boasts a massive Dale Chihuly installation.  In addition, there are several Chihuly glass sculptures in the lounge adjacent to the casino floor.
Left: Several of the older casinos on the Strip retain their Art Deco architecture.  Here’s a photo of Harrah’s, as seen while riding down the escalator from the monorail station. Right: I suddenly found myself fascinated with Vegas parking garages.  Something about the calm symmetry and lighting, juxtaposed with the surrounding chaos…
The Neon Museum’s mission is to collect, preserve and exhibit classic neon signs that tell the story of Las Vegas’ history.  Here are some of the signs they’ve installed downtown near Freemont Street, which is about a 15-minute cab ride from the Strip.  (And if you missed it, be sure to get your hands on Modernism’s Winter 2009-10 issue, which contains an article about the Neon Museum. http://www.modernismmagazine.com/backissues/mV12N4.html )
Even slot machines are fun to look at.  Some are uninspired, but others are quite beautiful.
	Don’t miss the newly opened casino, condo, retail complex called CityCenter; its public spaces are filled with millions of dollars worth of art from the 20th and 21st centuries. Participating artists include Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, Nancy Rubins, Richard Long, Claes Oldenburg, Coosje van Bruggen, Frank Stella, and Henry Moore. I was most struck by the Henry Moore sculpture, “Reclining Connected Forms,” 1969-1974, which is installed in the “Park” connecting Aria Resort and Casino with the Crystals retail district.