LAS VEGAS, NEV.- The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum in Las Vegas has added “Ophelia,” a large-scale historical painting by American artist Rita Deanin Abbey (1930-2021), to its exhibition.

“Ophelia,” a figurative oil painting from 1962, captures the sensuous beauty of the female form. The work’s fluid, curving lines evoke a natural sense of motion, reminiscent of natural geological phenomena, aligning with Abbey’s intention to convey rhythmic, recurring cycles observed in nature.

This piece reflects her evolving understanding of color and spatial relationships, honed during her studies with Hans Hofmann. His mentorship instilled in Abbey a deep trust in her creative intuition and an exploration of the emotional impact of color on the canvas, as well as the architectonic aspects of the picture plane—themes that would remain central to her artistic expression.

Abbey's time in the American Southwest, especially her deep connection to the desert landscape, also subtly informs the work, hinting at her exploration of merging the human form and the natural world into one.

The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum honors a passionate artist who has left us a magnificent legacy. The museum opened in 2022 – one year after the artist’s death – and presents a wondrous selection of art created by one woman – Rita Deanin Abbey.

In the mid-1980s, Abbey and her husband, Robert Belliveau, built a home, artist’s studio, and sculpture garden on this 10-acre site. In the 2010s, they undertook the construction of the 10,500-square-foot museum, which today presents a career-spanning exhibition of Abbey’s work in all its variety -- from abstract expressionist paintings to figure drawings, enamels, landscapes, stained glass, murals, sculptures, and more. She worked with an enormous range of materials, techniques, styles, and themes to create artworks that range from the delicately small to the multi-ton steel sculptures on view in the sculpture garden.

Born in 1930, Abbey grew up in Passaic, New Jersey. She attended Goddard College in Vermont and the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, where she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1954. While living in the American Southwest, she developed a strong affinity for the natural environment. She was awed by the majesty of the desert and fascinated by the geology, plant life, and wildlife. Abbey stated that “the infinite wonder of nature has had the greatest influence on my work. I have explored desert landscapes and have been deeply affected by rock formations, vistas, sunsets, rivers, and the colors and textures of secret canyons.”

Moving to Las Vegas in 1965, Abbey served as an art professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, for over twenty years. She retired from teaching in 1987 and devoted full time to writing and making art, including creating monumental public art installations and participating in solo and group exhibitions worldwide. Abbey passed away on March 20, 2021.

The Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum invites you to experience the extraordinary world of a courageous, imaginative, and endlessly creative artist whose beauty of spirit lives on.