Nevada State Museum plans exhibit, lectures for Black History Month

Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas will be celebrating Black History Month with a new, large-scale photography exhibit and a series of lectures throughout February.

The exhibit, “Obsidian &Neon: Celebrating Black Life and Identity in Las Vegas”, is a photo-narrative exhibition of large-scale black-and-white photography by award-winning photojournalist Jeff Scheid, accompanied by narrative profiles curated by writer Erica Vital-Lazare.

The exhibit features such figures as Judge Karen Bennett-Haron, welfare rights activist and Director of Operation Life Ruby Duncan; performer China Hudson; Managing Principal Energy Works LLC Rose McKinney-James; Comedienne A.K. McMorris; and former Nevada State Sen. Joe Neal.

This exhibit, which debuts Feb. 1 at the Nevada State Museum, is an exploration and celebration of community members who are actively mining identity and cultivating black life in Las Vegas, said Museum Director Dennis McBride. It will also be translated into Spanish.

In parallel, the exhibit will be on display in Terminal 1 at McCarran International Airport. This is a new endeavor for McCarran and their first art exhibit in the terminal ever. A preview of this will also be available at the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas library.

Also during Black History Month, the museum will be holding an Obsidian &Neon Speaker Series each Saturday afternoon in February. Each session will feature panels and discussions led by principal subjects of the “Obsidian &Neon” exhibit. Panels will explore issues and movements within the black community, including:

Feb 1: “Social Justice: Making it Plain, Making it Right,” moderated by and curated by Judge Karen Bennett-Haron.

Feb 15: “Black Art: Mission or Expression,” moderated by former Clark County Poet Laureate Vogue Robinson.

Feb 29: “Black Economic Presence &Mobility in Sin City,” moderated by CEO of Sumnu Marketing Shaundell Newsome.

The lectures will be held at the Nevada State Museum, in Las Vegas at 2 p.m.

The exhibits and lecture series are made possible through a sponsorship by Bank of America.

The Nevada State Museum Las Vegas is on the Springs Preserve campus, 309 S. Valley View Blvd.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday.