The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum will honor late, legendary artist, Rita Deanin Abbey, with free admission to all guests on Thursday, July 20, the date of her birth. Additionally, the celebration will continue with buy-one-get-one-free admission, beginning Friday, July 21 through Monday, July 31.
A beloved, multidisciplinary artist, Abbey dedicated her life to art up until she passed away on March 20, 2021. She was passionate about exploring desert landscapes and deeply affected by rock formations, vistas, sunsets, plants, wildlife, and other elements of nature, which heavily influenced her art. With expertise spanning across painting, drawing, sculpting, enamels, and more, Abbey was also an art professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) for more than 20 years.
Additionally, Abbey has won countless awards, grants, and commissions, including the Governor’s seventh annual Visual Arts Award for the State of Nevada in 1986; and the Las Vegas Arts Commission’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts in 2012, among others.
She has had 60 individual exhibitions and has participated in more than 160 national and international group exhibitions. Her work can be seen in private and public collections in the United Sates, the Middle East, Europe and South America.
“Rita has given an incredible gift to the world through her art, and it brings us so much joy to celebrate her legacy on Rita Deanin Abbey Day,” said Laura Sanders, executive director of the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum. “We hope that Rita’s astonishing art collections continue to inspire all groups of people, from Las Vegas locals to visitors from around the world.”
Tucked away in a residential area in northwest Las Vegas, the museum features a wondrous and diverse array of art entirely by Abbey. The 10,500 square-foot museum captures the extraordinary breadth of her art, including abstract expressionism, figures, landscapes and non-objective subject matter, heavily influenced by scenic southwestern landscapes. The museum property also offers a courtyard, desert garden and outdoor sculpture garden.
Complimentary tickets will be offered exclusively on Rita Deanin Abbey Day and buy-one-get-one-free tickets will be available through the end of July. All tickets have limited availability and are by appointment only. Tickets are normally priced at $20.
For more information about the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum, to plan a visit and to make a reservation, go to www.ritadeaninabbeymuseum.org.
