The Creative Student's Guide to Las Vegas Art Education and Careers

  ...for students of art, design, fashion design, photography, film/video, advertising, interior design and other creative fields.

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Las Vegas Art Schools and Art Colleges!

  by C.J. Gustafson
  ArtSchools.com Contributing Writer


Las Vegas art schools During an 1829 trading trip to Los Angeles, a scout veered from the Spanish Trail and discovered an oasis in the arid Nevada desert. The oasis was named Las Vegas Springs, and was eventually shortened to Las Vegas, which means "the meadows" in Spanish.

Las Vegas' population (not counting those attracted by the lights and glamor) is just over a half a million people in 113.4 sq. miles. Including the surrounding metropolitan area, it soars to 1.5 million. A warm and dry city, the average temperature is 66.3F and average yearly rainfall is a meager 4.13 inches. In addition to gambling venues and expensive stage shows featuring Celine Dion and other familiar entertainment industry names, one can dine at chef Emeril Lagasse's new restaurant, drop by the Liberace Museum, or visit the Las Vegas Guggenheim Museum, host of the aptly titled painting exhibit "The Pursuit of Pleasure."

Known as 'The Entertainment Capitol of the World," Las Vegas is home to over 40 casinos, including the 112-acre MGM Grand Hotel & Theme Park, the largest resort hotel in the world. Many of these casinos are located on the infamous Las Vegas Strip and are larger-than-life architectural masterpieces with entire amusement parks, ecosystems, and other amazing features found inside. Architectural attractions abound in this city of innovative builders. Las Vegas landmarks such as the Bellagio Fountains, the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower, and the Stratosphere Hotel Casino are recognized the world over.

A Mix of Culture and Commercialism

While the focus on gaming establishments might seem to lead the city away from a commitment to culture, many of the casinos are, in fact, home to impressive works of art, including the green Valley bronzes by J. Seward Johnson and the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art located in the Bellagio resort. In addition, the city boasts a large list of non-casino public art.

art student in Las Vegas The Las Vegas Art Museum offers art students and enthusiasts a more structured art experience. Other galleries and museums include the Guggenheim mentioned above, the Neon Museum, the Las Vegas Art Gallery (voted "Best Art Gallery" by readers of the Las Vegas Review Journal), Moonstruck Art Gallery, and the Centaur Art Galleries, which offer works from masters such as Rembrandt, Renoir and Picasso as well as contemporary artists.

This mix of culture and commercialism is what makes Las Vegas one of the most unique cities in the world. On his website, Las Vegas resident and self-proclaimed post-contemporary artist John Charles Macpherson describes Las Vegas as a city of contradictions. "In addition to being the most exciting and wild tourist destination, it also has quiet, upscale residential areas, rich diversity of ethnic background and is rapidly becoming a major cultural center with world-class visual and performing art centers and events." Macpherson creates art using mathematical algorithms. His two websites describe this fascinating new art form.

Art Schools and Programs

design schools in Las Vegas The Las Vegas area has several schools and universities that offer arts education, including the International Academy of Design and Technology - Las Vegas, the Art Institute of Las Vegas and the University of Nevada - Las Vegas' Department of Art and the School of Architecture. Visual arts students at these schools can receive Art and Art History degrees, Graphic Design degrees, Photography degrees, Advertising degrees, Architecture degrees, and Interior Design degrees. They can also pursue fashion careers and programs aimed at positions in web design and film.

The city of Las Vegas is one of the fastest growing in the country, with new residents arriving daily. Planning and construction is booming, and the extensive volume of promoting, advertising, and marketing that occur in the city create numerous employment opportunities for artists in all career fields. With an endless nightlife, several prestigious educational facilities, no state income tax, and a host of other appealing features, Las Vegas is an ideal location for visual arts students who like their weather warm and their lifestyles hopping.

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