LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — If you are a jazz music and abstract art fan, there's a new spot in town to explore.
The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art's new exhibition explores both art forms with American Duet: Jazz & Abstract Art.
Curated from the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art, the exhibition explores the relationship between jazz music and abstract art. It comprises over 61 works by 34 modern and contemporary artists who showcase the convergence of these genres through a medley of visual mediums.
American Duet emphasizes the shared creative spirit of jazz and abstract art, highlighting their similar expressive, vibrant and improvisational qualities.
Jazz as a musical genre and abstract art as an artistic movement simultaneously emerged to prominence throughout the 20th century with African American artists and musicians at the forefront.
Synchronically intertwined, these experimental frameworks developed a dialogue between the abstract artist's expressive visual language and the jazz musician's complex rhythmic compositions. This new creative exchange integrated jazz into American artistic culture, inspiring artists to translate sound to color, note to line and silence to void.
“Las Vegas has a rich jazz heritage, from the days of the Moulin Rouge and the Rat Pack to the contemporary sounds of The Pinky Ring by Bruno Mars at Bellagio Resort and Casino,” said MGM Resorts Director of Art and Culture Demecina Beehn.
We are honored to celebrate that legacy by showcasing an extraordinary collection from diverse artists whose works embody the deep connection between jazz and abstract art. Partnering with the Petrucci Family Foundation has allowed us to bring these dynamic voices and stories to our community.
To the left, you can engage in a collaborative experience by inviting them to interpret the sound as color and select hues corresponding to various musical samples. You can enjoy a curated playlist that complements the exhibition.
This fourth iteration of Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art’s gateway installation celebrates the innovative spirit of the musicians and artists who shaped jazz and abstract art by experimenting, dissecting and exploring the boundaries of their genres.
The pieces in American Duet capture the dynamic qualities of jazz within abstract art, creating a visual symphony of harmonies, colors, skats, bops, strokes and riffs. The featured artists hail from diverse backgrounds and artistic approaches, each contributing to the evolution of abstract art in the United States.
Artist highlights include:
- Al Johnson, an African American expressionist, recognized for his cosmic abstractions and multimedia works.
- Richard Mayhew, a jazz singer and expressionist painter who channels his interior moods into rendered imaginary landscapes.
- Beauford Delaney, an influential figure from the Harlem Renaissance who became one of the most prolific painters of his generation, leaves a legacy in major art collections.
- John Dowell, a printmaker whose White Paintings (1976-1990) initially appear all white, but upon a closer look, reveals a coursing field of white activated marks that flow and pulse like reeds in the wind.
- Mavis Pusey, who shifted from fashion design to printmaking, gained recognition in major U.S. museums while teaching at esteemed institutions.
- Mickalene Thomas, an instantly recognizable and widely celebrated painter, is best known for her masterful, elaborate mixed-media paintings, photographs, films and installations.
- Sam Gilliam, an artist celebrated for his innovative use of draped, unsupported canvases, whose works evolved from the Washington Color School to a vibrant, jazz-inspired collage series in the 1970s.
- Sam Middleton, who transitioned from social realism to abstract expressionism, later became a prominent figure in the European art scene, exhibiting work nationally and internationally.
- Xenobia Bailey is best known for her eclectic crochet hats and large-scale crochet mandalas. These works consist of colorful concentric circles and repeating patterns with undertones of the 1970s funk aesthetic.
American Duet is on display daily at Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art from Nov. 15 through June 1, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For tickets and more information, visit this link.
