Artists have made languishing industrial centers cool for years, and like many U.S. cities’ arts districts created by creative reuse of warehouses, storefronts, and garages, the 18b Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas has transformed the landscape. Named for its original 18-block area (now spreading outside its unofficial boundaries), the Arts District is teeming with incredible talent, innovative art—both public and housed in galleries and workspaces—and, of course, the art of people-watching. Also, like other downtown areas revitalized by the arts, the rabbit warren of spaces around the 18b Arts District can be a little daunting to navigate. Here’s where to start.

At the beginning of every month, First Friday, a street market and block party where the arts open themselves wide to the rest of the city. Everyone from serious collectors to club kids fills up studios, businesses and bars. The event occurs around the Arts Factory, occupying a full city block with multiple areas for performers, food trucks, and vendors galore. First Friday is a great evening with friends or family, where you can find anything from vintage threads to new works by emerging artists. All the working studios in the Arts Factory are open that night, so it’s a great time to get to know the artists producing the work.  

Some of the stellar galleries in the Arts Factory include Art Wavey, an eclectic collection of nuevo pop works from local artists and craftspeople. Lee Lainer Paints showcases the illustrative painting style of Lee Lainer for those interested in pop surrealism with classical leanings. Escape Artist Studios is a dual photo space and gallery with rotating exhibitions of solo and group work. Screaming Demon Art features art as intense as its name, mostly figurative stencil works with a phantasmagoric bent. 

If you drive in for a First Friday, arrive downtown early to avoid trouble parking. The restaurants and bars are bustling both with people and art. Spots like Taverna Costera and ReBAR host their fair share of artwork that you can buy right off the walls to take home with you.

First Friday
First Friday

Right down the way in the Art Square courtyard—comprising three restored vintage buildings that house an art garden, galleries, and retail—is the gallery for the Nevada Humanities, a cultural institution dedicated to promoting the arts. Check out their website for new sophisticated and thoughtful fine art events and exhibitions every month.

One of the best aspects of the 18b neighborhood is its murals. You don't need to set foot in a gallery to experience great art, since almost every structure is a living canvas for some kind of painting, from radical graffiti to more elegant illustrative works. Many were painted between 2013 and 2017 for the Life is Beautiful festival. Don’t miss an early work commissioned for the festival, The Cycle of Civilization, by Zio Ziegler, on 7th St. and Ogden. Murals by Shepard Fairy, D*Face, and Faile cover sides of the Plaza. You’ll find dozens of other significant works as you wander.

If you are looking for the newest trend in art, check out JRNY Gallery, an NFT gallery dedicated exclusively to digital work marked as currency, their ever-changing screens offering a wide array of acquirable images. Other independent galleries show around Main and Commerce Streets. Main Arts District Gallery is an up-and-coming gallery space that hosts the work of some of Vegas' best and brightest. Recycled Propaganda is a staple of the community: part retail store, part gallery focusing on street art, low-brow art, and community events. Conrad West Gallery shows an incredible variety of skilled artists from around the world. 

First Friday
Art Gallery

None of these spaces is more than a ten-minute walk from the other, making the 18b a feast for the eyes as big as any buffet. If you’re here less for the people watching and more for the art and an open studio vibe check out a Preview Thursday. You’ll find serious buyers and artists engaged in fascinating art talk the evening before First Friday.