You’re walking through a forest of silver trees. Not real ones, obviously. They’re shimmering, metallic, and towering over the valet stand at a casino. This is the Maya Lin sculpture "Silver River," and it’s basically the opening act for the Aria fine art collection.
Most people come to CityCenter to lose money or eat a steak that costs more than a car payment. They walk right past some of the most important contemporary art in the world. Honestly, it’s kinda tragic. We’re talking about a multi-million dollar ensemble of works by artists like James Turrell, Jenny Holzer, and Frank Stella, just sitting there while people look for the nearest penny slot.
This Isn't Just "Hotel Decor"
Let’s get one thing straight. This isn't the kind of stuff you find at a home goods store. The Aria fine art collection was the first major permanent collection of its kind in Las Vegas to be integrated into a massive corporate development. When MGM Resorts and Dubai World built CityCenter, they didn’t just want to hang paintings. They wanted an "urban environment" that felt curated.
It worked.
The collection is everywhere. You’ll find it in the lobbies, the walkways, and even the tram stations. It’s a bit of a scavenger hunt, but without the annoying map. You just sort of stumble into greatness.
Take Jenny Holzer’s "VEGAS." It’s a massive LED sign. You’ve probably seen her work in places like the Guggenheim. Here, it scrolls her signature "truisms" across the wall. It’s cynical, smart, and totally out of place in a city built on illusions—which is exactly why it fits. Some of the lines make you stop and rethink your entire life choices before you hit the blackjack table.
The Scale of Maya Lin’s Silver River
The "Silver River" is probably the most photographed piece, even if people don’t know who made it. Maya Lin, the woman who designed the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C., created this 84-foot-long representation of the Colorado River. It’s made entirely of reclaimed silver.
It hangs behind the registration desk.
While you’re waiting for your room key, you’re looking at a topographical map of the most vital water source in the American West. It’s a commentary on sustainability and the environment, literally hanging in the middle of a desert oasis built on excess. The irony is delicious.
Finding the James Turrell "Akhob" Secret
Okay, this is the one most people miss. If you want the peak Aria fine art collection experience, you have to leave the Aria building and walk over to the Louis Vuitton store in The Shops at Crystals.
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Inside, there’s a piece called "Akhob."
It’s a "Ganzfeld" installation by James Turrell. If you don't know Turrell, he’s the guy who manipulates light and space to make you lose your sense of depth. You walk into a room, and suddenly, there is no floor. There are no walls. There is only color.
- It is completely free.
- You absolutely must make a reservation weeks in advance.
- They only let a few people in at a time.
- You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to a different dimension.
Seriously, it’s the quietest place in Vegas. You’re standing in a void of vibrating pink or blue light, and for twenty minutes, the noise of the Strip just... vanishes. It’s arguably the crown jewel of the entire corporate art program.
Why Tony Cragg’s Sculptures Matter
Near the entrance, you’ll see these massive, twisting bronze shapes. Those are by Tony Cragg. "Untitled" (2006) and "Bent of Mind" (2008) look like they’re melting or spinning so fast they’ve blurred.
Cragg is a heavyweight in the sculpture world. Seeing these pieces in a public walkway is wild. In a traditional museum, you’d be standing behind a velvet rope. Here, you can practically touch them (though please don’t, the security guards have very sharp eyes).
These sculptures change as you walk around them. One second it’s an abstract pillar, the next you see the profile of a human face. It’s a visual trick that rewards you for actually slowing down.
Claes Oldenburg and the Giant Typewriter Eraser
If you keep walking toward Vdara, you’ll hit "Typewriter Eraser, Scale X." It’s exactly what it sounds like. A giant, 19-foot-tall typewriter eraser by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen.
It’s whimsical. It’s pop art. It’s a relic of a dead technology turned into a monument.
Kids love it. Art critics love it. It’s one of those rare pieces that manages to be "important" without being pretentious. It’s just a giant eraser in the middle of a high-tech plaza. Why not?
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The Massive Scale of Nancy Rubins
Behind the Aria, near the valet area for Vdara, sits "Big Edge."
Nancy Rubins is famous for taking industrial objects—airplanes, water heaters, boats—and wiring them together into these gravity-defying explosions. "Big Edge" is a cluster of aluminum canoes and rowboats.
It looks like a floral arrangement made of nautical equipment.
The engineering required to keep those boats from falling on a passing Mercedes is staggering. It’s colorful, chaotic, and huge. It’s a reminder that the Aria fine art collection isn't just about pretty pictures; it’s about physical presence. It’s about making you feel small.
Richard Long’s Mud Walls
Inside the Aria, near the buffet, there’s a work by Richard Long called "River of Earth."
Long is a "land artist." He usually works with stones, sticks, and mud in the middle of nowhere. For Aria, he used his hands to apply mud from the River Avon directly onto the walls.
Think about that. You have one of the most sophisticated, high-tech buildings in the world, and inside it, there’s a wall covered in mud fingerprints.
It brings a weird, primal energy to the space. It’s earthy and raw. It’s the polar opposite of the neon lights outside. Most people think it’s just a textured wall finish. It’s not. It’s a deliberate act of bringing the "outside" into a space that is surgically climate-controlled.
Frank Stella and the Canvas
You can’t talk about this collection without mentioning Frank Stella. His work "Damascus Gate (Stretch Variation)" is a massive, colorful geometric painting that dominates the space.
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Stella is a pioneer of minimalism and post-painterly abstraction. Having a Stella of this size in a public space is a flex. It says that CityCenter isn't just a mall; it’s a cultural institution. The interlocking circles and fluorescent colors actually match the high-energy vibe of the casino floor surprisingly well.
Managing the Collection: It's Not Easy
Maintaining the Aria fine art collection is a nightmare, honestly.
Think about the dust. Think about the thousands of people walking by every hour. Unlike a museum where the humidity is controlled to the decimal point and no one touches anything, this art lives in the wild.
MGM has a dedicated team to look after these pieces. They have to clean the "Silver River." They have to make sure the LED lights in the Jenny Holzer piece don't burn out. They have to protect the sculptures from drunks who might think a Tony Cragg is a great place to lean while waiting for an Uber.
It’s a massive investment in "public" art that remains privately owned.
The Takeaway: How to Actually See It
Don’t just look at the art while you’re on your way to do something else.
If you want to experience the Aria fine art collection properly, treat it like a gallery crawl. Start at the "Silver River" at the Aria front desk. Walk through the casino to find the Richard Long mud walls. Head outside to see the Nancy Rubins boats.
Then, finish at The Shops at Crystals.
Even if you don't care about "Fine Art" with a capital F, you’ll appreciate the scale. Las Vegas is a city of fake things—fake Eiffels, fake canals, fake skylines. This collection is one of the few things in the city that is 100% real.
Actionable Steps for Your Visit
- Download a Map: MGM used to offer a physical brochure, but now it’s mostly digital. Look up the CityCenter Fine Art Collection map on your phone before you go.
- Book Turrell Early: I cannot stress this enough. If you want to see "Akhob," call the Louis Vuitton store weeks before your trip. It is the best thing you can do for free in Vegas.
- Go at Night: Pieces like the Jenny Holzer LED installation and the outdoor sculptures look completely different when they are lit up against the dark Nevada sky.
- Look Up and Down: Some of the best pieces are integrated into the architecture. Don't just look for paintings on walls. Look for sculptures hanging from ceilings or patterns on the floor.
- Check out the Vdara and Waldorf Astoria: The collection spills over into these neighboring hotels. The Waldorf (formerly the Mandarin Oriental) has some incredible smaller pieces and a much quieter atmosphere for viewing.
The next time you're at the Aria, take five minutes. Stop. Look at the silver river or the spinning bronze faces. It's a world-class museum experience that most people miss because they're too busy looking for a cocktail waitress. Don't be that person.
Experience the Collection Yourself
- Location: Aria Resort & Casino, Vdara, and The Shops at Crystals.
- Cost: Free.
- Best Time: Early morning for indoor pieces (fewer crowds); Evening for outdoor installations.
- Must-See: "Akhob" by James Turrell (Reservation required).