Janna Ireland, Wife and Mother, 2018, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, purchased with funds provided by the Ralph M. Parsons Fund, © Janna Ireland, digital image courtesy of the artist

Family Album: Where Memory Becomes Art

By Laura Henkel
Photography courtesy of LACMA

The future Las Vegas Museum of Art (LVMA) opens its first public exhibition, “Family Album,” on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, marking a milestone for Las Vegas’ growing cultural landscape. Presented in partnership with the City of Las Vegas and organized by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the show transforms the brand-new Civic Center Gallery into a space of reflection, belonging and community.

“Family Album” is more than an exhibition — it’s a conversation about how photographs define who we are and where we come from. Featuring acclaimed artists such as Tony Cokes, Lyle Ashton Harris, Janna Ireland, Deborah Willis, Hank Willis Thomas, Tyler Mitchell and Star Montana, the show captures the complexities of home, heritage and human connection through a lens both intimate and universal.

“We are eager to grow this partnership with LACMA through ‘Family Album,’ our first public exhibition,” said Heather Harmon, executive director of the Las Vegas Museum of Art. “This collaboration reflects our shared belief that museums are stronger when they work together, combining resources, expertise and a commitment to community.”

Visitors can expect works that radiate emotion and truth — portraits that honor everyday life, images that confront displacement and segregation, and scenes that invite us to see family not just as lineage but as legacy. From the quiet tenderness of Sandra de la Loza’s “Mother and Child” to Micaiah Carter’s radiant portrait “Family,” each photograph bridges generations and geographies.

The opening reception, held from 5 to 7 p.m. at 525 S. Main St., Building A, promises a gathering of artists, visionaries and neighbors — a celebration of art’s power to connect us. Guests can also return for Family Day every Wednesday, featuring guided walkthroughs and conversations about the museum’s future. The exhibition marks the first step toward LVMA’s 60,000-square-foot home in Symphony Park, designed by Pritzker Prize–winning architect Francis Kéré. Admission is free and open to all.

Come discover how a simple snapshot can hold the weight of history and the warmth of home.