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MEDIA CONTACT: MARGARET KURTZ | 702-229-6993 | 702-249-1828 | [email protected]
Public Invited To The Lighting And Dedication
Of "Harmonic Ascension" Sculpture May 7
New Public Art Landmark Project In Las Vegas Civic Center Outdoor Plaza
The city of Las Vegas announces the unveiling of "Harmonic Ascension," a new public sculpture by artist Cliff Garten and Cliff Garten Studio, commissioned by the city of Las Vegas. Residents and visitors alike are invited to the lighting and dedication, scheduled for 6:30-8:30 p.m. May 7, 2026, outdoors on Carolyn G. Goodman Plaza at the Las Vegas Civic Center, 525 S. Main St. Parking is available across the street at the 500 S. Main City Hall Parking Garage.
"Harmonic Ascension" connects key civic institutions, including Las Vegas City Hall, the Municipal Courthouse and the Las Vegas Civic Center buildings. The work serves as both an architectural anchor and a cultural focal point within the district.
Its layered, transparent form evolves with changing daylight, encouraging shifting perspectives throughout the day. At night, an integrated LED lighting system animates the sculpture and surrounding plaza, extending Las Vegas' longstanding dialogue with light, public gathering, and urban experience.
"This sculpture is the finishing touch for the Las Vegas Civic Center," said Mayor Shelley Berkley. "It will be an exciting addition to downtown and one of our must-see public art locations."
"With "Harmonic Ascension," I wanted to create a work that reflects the rhythm and energy of Las Vegas while offering a moment of pause and contemplation in the new civic heart of the city," said Garten. "The sculpture draws from familiar cultural forms of music and entertainment and transforms them into something open to interpretation. It serves as both an anchor and a register of changing light and time, inviting people to experience the plaza and one another differently."
Installed at the center of the city's newly established Las Vegas Civic Center, "Harmonic Ascension" reflects Las Vegas' permanent civic core. Framed by public buildings and cultural programming, the site establishes a shared public environment grounded in civic life. The sculpture functions as both landmark and social framework, structuring movement, gathering and interaction. Rather than serving as decoration, the work organizes the spatial and social dynamics of the plaza, supporting everyday use as well as public events.
About Cliff Garten
Cliff Garten is the creative director and founder of Cliff Garten Studio in Venice, California. His landscape sculptures shape urban spaces, plazas, infrastructure, and memorials throughout the United States and Canada. Focusing on the integration of sculpture, engineering, architecture and landscape, Garten has been a leading advocate for what he terms "landscape sculpture" and the expressive potential of public infrastructure. Garten holds master's degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design in ceramic art and from the Harvard Graduate School of Design in landscape architecture. He is the recipient of two National Endowment for the Arts Individual Artist Fellowships, the Bush Foundation Fellowship for Individual Artists, the Jerome Foundation Traveling Artist Grant, and the American Architecture Prize. His civic works have been recognized for design excellence by Americans for the Arts, the American Society of Landscape Architects and CODAworx Awards. For more information, visit https://www.cliffgartenstudio.com/.
About the city of Las Vegas Public Art and Gallery Program
The city of Las Vegas Public Art and Gallery Program supports the commissioning, preservation and presentation of artworks that enrich public spaces and foster civic engagement. Through partnerships with artists, community organizations and cultural institutions, the program advances Las Vegas' commitment to creativity, accessibility and cultural innovation.
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Editor's Note: High-resolution renderings are available here.
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