LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Did you know there's an art museum in the northwest valley, tucked away in a neighborhood near Ann and Fort Apache? It's called the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum.
"We thought, oh my gosh, we didn't know that this place exists in Las Vegas," said local Mashellina McKinley, remembering the first time she visited the museum.
"It's definitely a hidden gem," Stephanie Kremer added. "Once you find out about it, you're never going to want to stop coming!"
WATCH | Museum in northwest Las Vegas honors local artist's legacy
With paintings and sculptures of all shapes and sizes, it's easy to think it's a collection of pieces from several different artists, but all the work was by one woman, a prolific local artist named Rita Deanin Abbey.
"Rita Deanin Abbey was an emeritus professor of art at UNLV for 22 years," said the museum's executive director Laura Sanders. "She moved here in 1965 — she was inspired by nature and the forces of nature, so when you see some of her sculptures it might remind you of an arroyo, or the alluvial fans of the mountains that surround us."
"I was awed at the number of mediums that Rita worked in, at a time when women were not considered recognizable in art," local Maggie Thurn said.
Rita Deanin Abbey passed away in 2021 at the age of 92 — the museum opened a year later, and is set on 10 acres of land right next to her home, personal studio and her archives.
"What good is having archives when nobody can see them? So, slowly and surely, we built out to this remarkable 10,500 square foot museum," Laura Sanders said. "It's so overwhelming — there's so much art to take in, and so many different styles."
"The environment, the space, is comforting — it embraces you," Maggie Thurn said. "This museum is very, very powerful for me."
The museum now hosts all kinds of special events in the northwest valley, like concerts, yoga, group art sessions and more.
"To not only uplift Rita's legacy, but to create a real cultural hub here," said Lucy Formato, the museum's special events and programming director. "We want to invite the community into our space, into Rita's legacy and have everyone experience the space with all of their senses."
"There's a place for you to express yourself, and express your art and your passion," Marshellina McKinley said. "A place where you can get together with people with the same interests."
"I'm a lifelong resident, I was born and raised in Las Vegas, so I didn't grow up with all of this — though these people existed, there wasn't a lot of exposure to the public on that, so we kind of had to seek out our own community," said Stephanie McKinley. "I love that this is starting to grow and educate the community about what's out there, and that we are a true city, we have arts and culture here, it brings such a value to Las Vegas and to our community."
Next week, the museum is offering free admission in honor of Rita Deanin Abbey's birthday, so if you haven't stopped by before, it's the perfect time to check it out!
The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum is located at 5850 North Park St., and is open Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, visit the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum's website by clicking here.