Las Vegas Art Museum, in Busiest Library, To Close

The Las Vegas Art Museum, which operates in about one-sixth of the space of the busiest library in the Las Vegas–Clark County Library District (LVCCLD), will close on Saturday, the victim of anemic private support and, perhaps, location far from downtown and the tourist center.

The 59-year-old museum has since January 1997 rented space in the Sahara West branch of the LVCCLD. Marketing and Community Relations Director Pat Marvel told LJ that about 19,000 square feet of the 122,000 square foot building was devoted to the museum.

“We’re very, very saddened,” Marvel told LJ. “It’s just a real blow to the community.” She said the presence in the library helped expose people to the museum. Still, the location in the West Valley, near the Summerlin planned community and in a largely residential area, is not central.

The museum has a membership of little more than 1000 and relied on public funding for only 3 percent of its budget, according to the Las Vegas Sun.

What's next?
Museum leaders have said they hope to revive the museum when the economy picks up. As for whether the space at the library would be available, Marvel wasn’t sure. “We could certainly utilize that space,” she said, noting that LVCCLD’s current strategic plan calls for an assessment of all spaces.

LVCCLD executive director Dan Walters has announced he’ll retire in May; Marvel said the decision likely would be left to his successor.