Impressive sculpture made up of 200 boats (canoes, kayaks, and more). It can be viewed from the…read morewalkway connecting Aria and Vdara, the best vantage point from the Vdara side, an easy stop for me on my way to a museum after having brunch at Aria this past Monday. The artist, Nancy Rubins, is known for clustering together collections of materials (airplane parts, appliances, mattresses) to create bigger structures. When I first looked at the Big Edge artwork, I thought it was covered in cobwebs, but what I was seeing were stainless steel structural wires which are a big part of what Rubins likes about this piece, an appreciation and understanding of physics (as she has worked alongside engineers in her creations).

How on earth do you get a good picture of this sculpture? It is located out in the middle of where…read morea few roads wind around it in the CityCenter Roundabout. I'm not sure there is a place to get out, park, and take a photo! The sculpture itself is kind of interesting. It was created by Nancy Rubins and was installed in 2009. It consists of more than 200 boats assembled into a flower cluster. These are full-sized massive boats. There are aluminum canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and sailboats in this art mass. They are held together with steel wire. If you want to see it, the best spot would be from a nearby hotel so you could look down on it. But, for the free option, you should just drive by slowly without angering other drivers, and snap a picture. I noticed Las Vegas drivers are short of patience and quick on the horn!

This is near the center at Crystals. They have different size water vortexes that fill with water…read moreand change colors. It's interesting to watch.

In Las Vegas, amongst the glitz, lights, night life, booze, gambling and shopping (don't get me…read morewrong, these are all pretty fantastic in this 2 mile block of Southern Nevada along the world famous Vegas Strip!), art can often be an after thought. A moment in which in your burry eyed, foggy state of boarding your return flight home, you might vaguely remember a giant thing with tumbling numbers or a giant tree house looking thing you thought was a restaurant. But make no mistake, those items (which are indeed public art) have been placed there for you to see, experience, be mesmerized by and enjoy....whether you actually knew it or not. Crystals and the City Center area that surrounds it, is a treasure trove of some of the city's greatest contemporary, cool art installations. From the cool Mihajima Marks U.S debuted piece that went in to Crystals last year, to the funky cool tree house that houses Maestros designed by David Rockwell or James Turrell's Akhob located inside Louis Vuitton (appointments required, so call well in advance)...great art is everywhere at Crystals! Look up City Center Art Collection before you visit, for if art is your thing, this is a fun scavenger hunt around City Center, in addition to Crystals (the shopping entity at City Center). Most of the pieces are large and can make you travel around the entire site to discover. The art at Crystals can rotate from time to time, so keep your eyes peeled for new stuff during each visit.

Bliss Dance located in front of T-Mobile Arena was on my to-see list while I was on my Las Vegas…read morestrip getaway. I knew I had to come check out the gigantic 40 foot tall sculpture of a dancing woman. It's entire body is traced with twinkling lights. Quite breathtaking up close and from a far! So cool. When I look at her, I see a woman who is strong and present. She knows who she is. She's an inspiration to all of us. Very admirable! Just a little background about Bliss Dance. Per Google, "The structure and scale of Bliss Dance was inspired by artist Marco Cochrane's first experience at Burning Man, an annual arts and culture event in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, where Bliss Dance later debuted. Most recently, Bliss Dance resided on San Francisco's Treasure Island as a public display before being refurbished and returned to the desert as a centerpiece of The Park's natural landscaping and Nevada-inspired design." Definitely a must see attraction for anyone who loves public art!

If you hang out in Toshiba Plaza or head to an event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, you may…read moresuddenly find yourself face-to-face with a giant, sparkling, half-naked lady. That's the really unique public art installation official known as Bliss Dance, but known by most of us locals as "The Statue with the Big Booty." Apparently what Vegas needed is an enormous sculpture of a woman dancing with her butt cheeks out in full glory. Anything goes here, as they say. This isn't just any ordinary piece of art, but is more like a stop-in-your-tracks awkwardly hilarious masterpiece. It is especially fun to watch wide-eyed tourists gawk and stare, especially preteen boys who seem to have a proclivity to point and giggle. It's not just the boys who get caught in an awkward trance. There are countless opportunities for classic and unintentionally raunchy photo ops. With a little strategic positioning (especially by "pointing" in the right direction) you can make this statue look like it's up to all kinds of silly, R-rated shenanigans. It's prime real estate for setting the backdrop for the kind of photos you'll show your friends later and then immediately regret posting (but you didn't hear it from me). I think the Bliss Dance is the gift that keeps on giving, with her glistening metallic skin and ample features. It's the perfect blend of high art and Vegas weirdness. Free and open 24/7.

Neptunes Fountain is a grand sculpture located inside The Forum Shops at Caesars. You'll find it…read morenext to an escalator near Kalifano and Casa Fuente Cigar Lounge. The story behind Neptunes Fountain began in year 1565 when Duke Cosimo I de' Medici first commissioned the sculptor Bartolomeo Ammannati to design and carve a fountain which would contain a magnificent sculpture of Neptune, the Roman god of the sea. Over the span of nine years and with help of several artists, Ammannati produced one of the most spectacular fountains in all of Florence, Italy. The face of Neptune is actually a portrait of Duke Cosimo. Neptunes fountain was intended to glorify but was not received well by the people of Florence. The sculpture went through years of vandalism and mistreatment, and had to be restored to its original glory which was completed in 2019.

Cool enough statue located in Caesar's Palace. It is located next to a cigar bar and next to an…read moreescalator. It is a cool part of the architecture of this particular hotel and a cool part of the Las Vegas landscape. All in all, it is a pretty cool statue in Caesar's Palace.

Every time I go to the Bellagio, I like to look straight up and admire the Fiori di Como by Dale…read moreChihuly. The Bellagio's lobby has an amazing glass flower sculpture with over a thousand hand blown glass flowers of every color imaginable. In all of my visits to the Bellagio, I am still constantly amazed at the attention to detail, beauty, and craftsmanship of this piece of art. Every time I visit the Bellagio Conservatory, I have to stop by the Fiori di Como by Dale Chihuly as well! Many people who pass through the lobby see the Bellagio's impressive fountain display outside. There is a equally impressive display above them! If you look up while visiting the Bellagio, Fiori di Como will be well worth the visit to the Bellagio Hotel entrance! The great thing about seeing Fiori di Como is that it is completely free when you visit the Bellagio! No matter where you come from, whether this is your first trip to Las Vegas or your tenth trip to Las Vegas, it would be nice to take a little time to view this world class piece of artwork! It is a beautiful work of art and one of my top hidden gems located inside the Bellagio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas! Parking for the first 3 hours is free for Nevada Locals!

The Fiori di Como sculpture in the Bellagio lobby is absolutely stunning. It's one of my favorite…read morepieces of free to view art in the city, and anyone who loves bright colors and flowers will want to check this out! This is a large and breathtaking glass installation created by artist Dale Chihuly. His piece features hundreds of vibrant, hand-blown glass flowers suspended from the ceiling of the hotel lobby at the Bellagio. The colors are so rich and bright, it feels like you've stepped into a living rainbow. I'd say this is one of the most beloved and pretty public art displays in town, and it's the perfect companion piece to the adjacent Bellagio Conservatory. It's located right in the hotel lobby which is adjacent to the parking garage (and the Conservatory), making is super easy to park and pop in to take a peek.   This is a Las Vegas spot that's perfect for photos, as the colors are super photogenic. Even if you don't know a thing about art, you can't help but look up and admire the intricate details and burst of color overhead.  I think this is one of the prettiest works of art in all of Las Vegas. Totally worth a stop if you're near the hotel.

I took my first class making glass pendants with 4 friends. The gallery itself was a wonderful…read moresurprise. It is a huge space, stunning, and well worth a visit to see the artists' work for sale and on display. The class was well organized and everyone attending was given personalized instruction and attention. The owners are very friendly and love to share their long careers in glass media of all kinds. We were able to choose our materials from an unending supply of colors and types of glass. We were all thrilled with our results, picked up a week later after firing. I have already signed up for another class! The classes are offered at a reasonable price point and the owners are willing to host private parties with 10 or more paid attendees. We all took cards to give friends and plan to return many times! 5 stars plus!!

We often attend workshops and glass blowing demonstrations at their studio on Highland. We have…read moremade plates, bowls, Christmas ornaments and glass hearts. Larry and Barbara are friendly and good instructors. The studio is beautiful and inviting. I highly recommend visiting!!!

The Las Vegas Showgirls Sign is an homage to the Las Vegas of old and is located more towards the…read moredowntown area of Las Vegas on a quiet and more seedy part of the Las Vegas Strip. It is not far from the Strat and again, offers us a glimpse into what Las Vegas was and I found it an interesting walk from my hotel. As I said, it does get more seedy down this area, homeless people sleeping on the street close to the sign, but I am glad that I came to check out this sign. If you are in the area, go check out this sign and take a moment to think of how Las Vegas once was.

Public Art in Downtown Las Vegas, Nevada…read more.. Driving past this Landmark on Las Vegas Boulevard, I remembered that there was a check-in for the Las Vegas Showgirls Sign. I yelled out to my passengers (who are Yelp Elites from Honolulu) that this is an important site! I slowed the car down so that they could take photos for me! Thank you so much! I think we should return, get out of the car, and take different photos with the dice in the foreground and the poker chips on the sides!

Shards of Color by James Turrell…read more An unexpected find at the Crystal Shops, Shards of Color is a unique installation by Light and Space artist James Turrell. He is considered a master of light who infuses light and color into architectural spaces. Shards of Color is located in the Crystal Shops along the back of the center where the tram stops. Take the elevator or escalator to reach the changing colors of the installation. I would imagine that most would just leave the tram without realizing that this is a piece of art by Turrell. Stop and watch as the colors change. Look at the different angles of the walls and the cutout windows to allow natural light to come through. So interesting. Worth a short stop if you are at the Crystals in Vegas.

This is a nice mural that my wife and I saw that we were in Las Vegas walking around the downtown…read morestrip. This is a Spread Your Wings Mural. It is located on the outside of the flamingo hotel and that strip that you can see right there