The Neon Museum will debut a four-day event, Oct. 27-30, entitled Duck Duck Shed: Celebrating Las Vegas Architecture, Design, and Culture to recognize the iconic architecture that defines the city as a cultural hub with major design influences that have a worldwide impact, particularly in hospitality. A limited number of tickets are still available at duckduckshed.com.
The four-day event has more than three dozen individual offerings that celebrate Las Vegas’ iconic architecture from the past to the present, including walking tours, aerial tours, and sessions with industry experts.
Wayward Eye Exhibition (Thur., Oct. 27, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday–Sunday, Oct. 28-30, noon to 4 p.m.)
Free to the public, this solo exhibition features photographs of Denise Scott Brown taken between 1956 and 1966. Wayward Eye delves into Scott Brown's exploration of urbanism, Pop Art, and the emerging architectural language of roadside America. The exhibition is on loan from the UNLV College of Fine Arts. Location: Las Vegas City Hall Grand Gallery.
The View from Flamingo Road: How Las Vegas Mastered Modernism (Thursday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m.)
For all its reputation as a glittering desert playground, Las Vegas is also a bellwether shaping modern American architecture. If other cities looked to Europe, Las Vegas grew from the native soil of the southwestern desert, the modern miracle of the automobile, a lively tourist economy, and creative freedom that turned it into a city both singularly unique and typical of all others. Renowned architect and author Alan Hess will outline why Nevadans can take pride in nurturing this influential urban laboratory. Location: Legacy Club at Circa Resort & Casino.
Two Perspectives on Paul Revere Williams (Friday, Oct. 28 at 11 a.m.)
In honor of Nevada Day (observed), this program will provide the aesthetic and structural perspectives of the architecture of iconic pioneer architect Paul Revere Williams. Breaking barriers, Williams was the first Black architect accepted into the AIA in 1923, and in 1957, was inducted as the AIA's first Black fellow, ultimately earning the moniker: Architect to the Stars. Acclaimed photographer Janna Ireland and Nevada Museum of Art curator Carmen Beals will present Williams' work aesthetically by featuring pieces from the Nevada Museum of Art's exhibition. Structural engineer Melvyn Green will also recount the monumental process of moving Williams' iconic La Concha motel lobby from the Strip in 8 segments and reassembling it at its present home at The Neon Museum. Location: Ballrooms, Level 3 at Circa Resort & Casino.
The Gilded Cage: The Psychology of a Casino (Friday, Oct. 28 at 2 p.m.)
Explore the evolution of casino resort architecture from clock-less, dark rooms and 99-cent shrimp cocktails to magnificent views, perfectly appointed luxury cabanas, and Michelin-star restaurants. Hear from architects who designed today’s destination properties and how they looked to the past to create buildings that capture a visitor’s five senses. Location: Ballrooms, Level 3 at Circa Resort & Casino.
Denise Scott Brown: Reflections (Saturday, Oct. 29 at 11 a.m.)
On the 50th anniversary of the seminal book, “Learning From Las Vegas,” the surviving author, Scott Brown, reflects on the concepts of the “duck” and the “decorated shed” and her decades spent examining the unique architecture of Las Vegas in video clips from a 2022 interview captured from her New York home. Location: Ballrooms, Level 3 at Circa Resort & Casino.
All Duck Duck Shed programming is offered on an a la carte basis so attendees can attend the programs of their choice and that best meet their schedules. For full details on event programming and to sign up for any of the tours, exhibits, or lectures, visit www.duckduckshed.com.
The inaugural year of Duck Duck Shed has been made possible by a grant from the Commission for the Las Vegas Centennial, which is funded by sales of the commemorative Centennial license plate. Additional support is generously provided by Allegiant Airlines, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA), PUNCH, Circa Resort & Casino, the Nevada Arts Council, UNLV College of Arts, and the city of Las Vegas Department of Cultural Affairs.
Founded in 1996, The Neon Museum is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to collecting, preserving, studying, and exhibiting iconic Las Vegas signs for educational, historical, arts, and cultural enrichment. Fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), The Neon Museum sits on a 2.27-acre campus with an outdoor exhibition space known as the Neon Boneyard; the North Gallery, home to the immersive audiovisual experience “Brilliant! Jackpot” which uses technology to re-illuminate more than 40 non-operational signs; and its visitors’ center inside the former La Concha Motel lobby. The museum collection also includes nine restored signs installed as public art in downtown Las Vegas. Public education, outreach, research, and art conservation represent a selection of the museum’s ongoing projects. For more information, including tour schedules and tickets, visit www.neonmuseum.org. Also, follow @NeonMuseum on Facebook and Twitter and @theneonmuseumlasvegas on Instagram.