The Future Las Vegas Museum Of Art And City Of Las Vegas Present “Family Album,” An Exhibition Inaugurating The New Civic Center Art Gallery
The future Las Vegas Museum of Art (LVMA), in partnership with the city of Las Vegas, is proud to present Family Album, a contemporary art exhibition opening Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, at the newly unveiled Las Vegas Civic Center Art Gallery, a part of the downtown Civic Center Building and Plaza. The gallery’s inaugural exhibition will be the first public-facing program from LVMA, the upcoming art museum founded by an exceptional public-private partnership to serve the city’s two million year-round residents, honoring and elevating the diverse cultural heritage of Las Vegas.
Family Album, organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), inaugurates the new plaza and Civic Center Art Gallery, a major investment by the city of Las Vegas in public space and cultural infrastructure. The exhibition and surrounding programming are a significant milestone in the city’s ongoing effort to center arts and culture in civic life.
“The city of Las Vegas is beyond excited to continue working with these incredible cultural institutions to bring works of art and exhibitions like Family Album to our residents and visitors,” said Mayor Shelley Berkley. “Las Vegas is a place where anything you can imagine can happen and we are looking forward to having new spaces like the Civic Center Art Gallery and the future Las Vegas Museum of Art to showcase our community’s cultures and art.”
“We are eager to grow this partnership with LACMA through Family Album, our first public exhibition,” said Heather Harmon, executive director of the Las Vegas Museum of Art. “This collaboration reflects our shared belief that museums are stronger when they work together, combining resources, expertise and a commitment to community.”
In Family Album, an intergenerational roster of artists examines the ways in which personal and collective histories are constructed through the visual language of family photographs. Addressing physical, political and emotional aspects of home, including segregation, displacement and belonging in today’s American neighborhoods, the artists draw directly from their personal archives in some instances, or in others reimagine the conventions of the family snapshot.
Artists in the exhibition include Laura Aguilar, Lyle Ashton Harris, Renee Cox, Delilah
Montoya, Consuelo Kanaga, Max Yavno, Carlee Fernandez, Chino Otsuka, Anthony
Hernandez, Sadie Barnette, Janna Ireland, Dannielle Bowman, Deborah Willis, Hank
Willis Thomas, Tony Cokes, Star Montana, Micaiah Carter, Tyler Mitchell, Zora J Murff,
and Sandra de la Loza.
Drawing on the power of photography, a medium closely tied to memory, to summon the textures of daily life and the presence of loved ones, Family Album is a meditation on how community is recalled, represented and reimagined.
“The artists in the exhibition raise timely topics for audiences to consider today,” said Andy Song Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at LACMA Dhyandra Lawson. “I feel honored to share their work with Las Vegas audiences.”
Family Album was first presented at the museum’s Charles White Elementary School Gallery in Los Angeles as part of LACMA’s on-the-ground community engagement. The exhibition now travels to Las Vegas as part of a long-term institutional collaboration between LACMA and LVMA.
Exhibition Details
- Exhibition: Family Album
- Presented by: The city of Las Vegas, Las Vegas Museum of Art and LACMA
- Location: Las Vegas Civic Center Art Gallery, Building A, 525 S. Main St.
- Opening Reception: Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, 6-8 p.m.
- Exhibition Dates: Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025 – Friday, Jan. 9, 2026
- Admission: Free and open to the public
- Gallery Hours: Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed holidays.
Public programs, artist talks and family-friendly workshops will accompany the exhibition throughout its run. Visit www.lasvegasnevada.gov/