New Exhibit at Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum
lluminates Namesake’s Legacy Through the Lens of Renowned Photographer, Gary Adams
“Light and Form: Portraits of Rita Deanin Abbey”
Now on Display with Special Reception on June 27, 2026
LAS VEGAS (May 20, 2026) — The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum has debuted “Light and Form: Portraits of Rita Deanin Abbey,” a new photography exhibition by celebrated photographer Gary Adams.
In 1987, over two days, Adams photographed Abbey in her home and studio using two historic approaches. The first was contact portraits made with an 8 x 10 traditional view camera, characterized by sharp, careful focus, heightened contrast, and precise exposure. Adams used similar techniques to capture expansive vistas and fine details in the desert landscape. The second group was 35mm images inspired by the painterly pictures of historic “pictorialism” that moved him to “create” expressive tones rather than merely “record” the subject. With an artistic approach, he selectively lightened or darkened specific areas to adjust contrast, depth, and focus.
This exhibition celebrates Adams’ pursuit of both styles of photography, with Abbey as the central subject. These intimate views of the artist in her home and studio convey an artistic interpretation of the ambiance and spirit of those spaces. His portraits of Abbey convey attentiveness, revealing not only the subject but also the spirit of the spaces she inhabited.
“This exhibition gives audiences a special opportunity to experience Gary Adams’ photography and his deep connection to the landscapes and people of the American Southwest,” said Laura Sanders, executive director of the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum. “His work combines technical skill with great sensitivity and emotion, especially in these intimate portraits of Rita Deanin Abbey. We are proud to share this collection, which celebrates both artists and beautifully captures the spirit of the Southwest.”
Adams was a renowned landscape photographer of the American Southwest and a distinguished medical professional. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he enlisted in the Navy and served in Vietnam before earning a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from Southern Illinois University. He later served as an associate professor at Wake Forest University in North Carolina and at the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Las Vegas.
In the late 1970s, Adams pursued his passion for photography. Working from his home base in Las Vegas, a city that put him at the doorstep of the desert landscapes he loved, was where Adams devoted himself to documenting the grandeur of the American Southwest — from the Grand Canyon to Zion National Park to the Mojave Desert. In 1988, he was appointed to the faculty of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, serving as curator of photography at the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History. Adams passed away in 1993.
The “Light and Form: Portraits of Rita Deanin Abbey” exhibition is made possible by the generous donation of Gary Adams’ photography to the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum by his wife, Melissa Adams. Featuring 25 photographs, the exhibit will be on display through the end of 2026.
Additionally, a special reception will be held on Saturday, June 27, from 2-4 p.m., featuring light refreshments and an artist talk by photographer Mark Andrews. Guests will have the opportunity to view the exhibition and hear Andrews share insights and reflections on Gary Adams’ photography.
The talk will offer visitors a deeper understanding of Adams’ work, exploring the artistic process, themes, and techniques behind the images while encouraging conversation about photography and the landscapes of the American Southwest.
Visit www.ritadeaninabbeymuseum.org for more information about the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum, to plan a visit, and to purchase tickets (visits are by appointment only).
About the Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum
Visitors will enter the extraordinary world of a gifted artist. Rita Deanin Abbey’s imagination, talent, and beauty of spirit, shaped by her love of the Southwest desert, are showcased in a 10,500-square-foot museum that highlights the astonishing variety of her work, from abstract expressionist paintings to stained-glass windows, sculptures, landscapes, figure studies, murals, enamels, and more. In 2024, Abbey was posthumously inducted into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame for her remarkable career. The museum is a multi-year award winner, most recently earning Bronze for “Best Art Gallery” and Silver for “Best Museum” in the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s 2025 Best of Las Vegas Awards, as well as “Best Off The Beaten Path Gallery” in Las Vegas Weekly’s 2025 Best of Vegas. Previous accolades include a 2024 Silver “Best Art Gallery” award from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and being named “Best Suburban Art Space” by Desert Companion in 2023.
The museum, located at 5850 N. Park Street in northwest Las Vegas, is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tickets are available by appointment only and may be purchased online. For more information, please visit the museum on Instagram or Facebook or visit www.ritadeaninabbeymuseum.org.