Red Rock Canyon NCA Birthday Art Contest

It’s that time of year again when we celebrate the start of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area’s establishment in 1990. This year marks Red Rock Canyons 35th birthday. Last year, we held an art contest that brought in so many local artists that really embodied the community involved with Red Rock Canyon through sculpture, painting, written word, and more. This year, we want to bring back that enthusiasm and showcase our local artists once more. 

Our submissions were wonderful! Every artist put in a little piece of themselves with every piece. Our visitors greatly enjoyed the experience and the winner will be announced on 11/17 once the votes have been counted! 

2025 Guidelines: 

All art must be appropriate for all ages, non-political, non-discriminatory and focused on the resources found at Red Rock. The theme for this year’s celebration is: “Give the gift of conservation, enjoy the gift of recreation, share the gift of public lands.” Your art piece must connect to this years theme for the birthday celebration. If a connection is not made, your art may not be selected for display at the celebration. Acceptable art mediums are visual and written word and can be submitted as a .png, .jpeg, and .pdf file. Please make sure to fill out your name and a description of your submission in the form below.

2025 Red Rock Canyon NCA Birthday Contest Winner!

Angela C. 

“This painting portrays several of the elements that make Red Rock Canyon such a special place. The red rocks, the wild life and the visitors make this a celebratory piece. You can see the hat of someone walking on a trail, and the rams perking up their ears as they hear the sounds of the person intruding in their environment.” – Angela 

Instagram: @Caballero_fields

Facebook: @Angela.caballeroFields

2025 Other Entries: 

Jeremy G. “Red Rock Awakening” 

“My piece connects to the theme because it was inspired by the unforgettable experience of visiting Red Rock with a friend — a moment that truly felt like a gift. Through this painting, I wanted to capture that magic and express my hope that Red Rock will remain conserved so future generations can enjoy and share in its beauty and inspiration.” – Jeremy 

Instagram: @arte_fil2023

 Erika M. “Locals” 

“I made the piece after donating to the Save Red Rock Foundation. It focuses on considering all residents of the desert in our community and conservation acts. With utmost importance being toward the true locals of our desert life, native plants and animals. We do not conserve and care for this land for ourselves but the whole of nature to enjoy and thrive in. My piece features our state bird the Mountain Bluebird in a realistic portrait against an abstracted red rock background.” This is one piece that is originally part of a triptych. – Erika

Instagram: @erika_muecke_

Irene Y. 

“This photograph celebrates the power of human ability and the beauty of our shared lands. As a climber pushes their limits on glowing desert sandstone, it’s a reminder that recreation on public lands isn’t just about adventure — it’s about connection. Photography allows us to share these feats of strength and spirit, inspiring others to both enjoy and conserve the places that make them possible.” – Irene

Instagram: @ladylockoff

Eric W. 

“I have been hiking through Red Rock since I was a kid growing up here in Las Vegas. The magnificent beauty of the rock formations, and diverse fauna is a gift to be appreciated. I aspire to encourage the public to engage in conservation efforts here at Red Rock. By admiring my painting, viewers can be emboldened to protect the lands it is inspired by for many birthdays and generations more.” – Eric

Instagram: @erockzi

Judy H. 

“I depicted the beautiful red rocks as a literal and symbolic gift – the suggestion of hands can be seen as giving or receiving, but always cherishing this immense gift and holding it gently. I added tiny people and big horned sheep, inspired by petroglyphs, to remind us that we share this gift not only with each other but with the ancient souls.” – Judy

Cincin R. “Red Rock Canyon: A Gift for All” 

“In this art piece, I envision Red Rock Canyon as an enjoyable place to visit for people of all ages, regardless of their reason for visiting. You may be a student on field trip learning about Red Rock Canyon’ s history or a hiker on a mission to complete all the trails here. You enjoy camping and want to share your passion to your family and friends. Perhaps you’re training for biking rallies. Your loved ones come to town and you want to bring them to off the beaten path experience. All of you are welcome!

I also envision Red Rock Canyon as pretty place, a delightful feast for the eyes. Just look at the array of colors in the rocks! You could possibly spot various types of flowers along with tiny creatures, or even larger ones as well. It is easy to miss this kind of beauty, especially if you have a negative experience in the summer heat or come across unfriendly animals. After all, it’s a rocky desert, a harsh and wild environment. Therefore, it is important to respect nature at all times when visiting. Adhering to rules and regulations is for your own benefit. Keeping the wildlife wild and leaving no trace are among these guidelines. By following them, you contribute to conservation efforts. If we all participate, we can significantly impact conservation. For conservation represents the most meaningful gift that benefits both nature and humanity.”

– Cincin

Candace W. 

“My piece connects to the theme by celebrating the breathtaking views one can take in while recreating at Red Rock, whether its by car, bike, or hike.” – Candace

Mia R. 

“I’ve chosen to paint an abstract piece inspired by the vibrant colors and textures that can be seen on some of the rock formations when spending time in Red Rock Canyon. The three figures are immersed in the organic beauty and vastness of the National Park. They could represent anyone of any age, gender, or walk of life who enjoys and appreciates being here, togetherness in nature, and bonding over recreational activities. The poses of the three figures are meant to suggest happiness, freedom, celebration, and a state of inner calm induced by the outer calm one can feel when a time is well spent and shared in Red Rock. The land gives the gift of her beauty freely!” – Mia

“Charlie” Jason A. 

“This piece is named after my late dog, Charlie. Him and I would hike on Red Rock’s trails almost every week for 6 months when I was in high school so I have a personal love for Red Rock. When I read “enjoy the gift of recreation” it reminded me of all those warm mornings spent with Charlie. Red Rock’s beauty is indescribable and never got old to me. On my piece, I have added on some petroglyphs because they can be found around Red Rock. Petroglyphs give us a peak into the lives of people in the past showing us how they interpreted the people and creatures around them. This is why I feel strongly about the section “Give the gift of conservation” because Red Rock has a rich history regarding those who used to live in Valley. I also firmly believe that Red Rock should be respected as a conservation area. People should take care of such a rich piece of land. A public land full of fun activities, beautiful scenery, a diverse ecosystem of plants and animals, and memories for those who call the Valley home. I’m glad Red Rock is able to celebrate its 35th birthday and I hope it can continue celebrating future birthdays for a long time.” – Jason

Instagram: @jasonabregoceramics

Tiktok: @jasonabregoceramics

2024 Entries: 

Winner! 

Water color marker art that is titled: To the Next Chapter, Red Rock Canyon and three hand prints next to the title. The image is of a joshua tree, cactus, turtle and other desert bush coming out of the pages. A lizard is on the bottom corner on a rock and the red rock mountains are in the background with a purple and orange sunset view. Michelle H. “To The Next Chapter 

On November 16th, many of our local artist participated in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area’s 34th birthday! While not everyone was able to make it, we would like to showcase the amazing effort and skill that went into the art submitted for this years contest. Our winner is Michelle H.! Her art is titles: To The Next Chapter and depicts a book with a Joshua Tree growing out of it and the desert and Red Rock mountains in the background. Please make sure to check out our winners other art on her instagram page: @artsychiclv

Here are our other entries: 

title of the painting is a place to cross. The painting depicts a stream with sandstone rocks along the sides and a few pine trees in the distance. Paulette B. “A Place to Cross” 

water color painting depicting a red rock trail with green bushes along the side of the trail, a tree with no leaves, and sandstone hills in the background. Paulette B. “Sleep Terrain” 

Acrylic painting with a scenic view of the cascades. There is blue water and green and yellow plants and flowers along the sides. Clouds are depicted in the sky. Cynia S. “Cascades” 

Water color painting of calico basin. rounded mountains are dark brown/red and orange. there is sloping green landscape and green yucca. The sky is painted blue with a few clouds. Barrie F. “Unnamed” 

Large painting with a blacklight pointed at it. Painting had colorful twists that are reacting to the blacklight and looks like neon lights. Erik G. “Eternal Rythms” 

acrylic painting on canvas that has thick brush strokes making it look abstract, the painting depicts the calico basin with yucca on the sides. Taylor P. “Calico Basin” 

acrylic painting of a large joshua tree and rainbow mountain in the distant background. the sky is painted a light blue and white. Tracy M. “Rainbow Mountain with Joshua Tree” 

watercolor painting with desert cholla and its budding and blooming flowers that are orange, yellow, pink, and red. The red rock mountains are distant in the background and there is a green sloping landscape. Tracy M. “Juniper Canyon Chollas” 

acrylic painting with a red vase that has monarch butterflies around it and a green snake like creature coming out of the top. The snake like creature is viewed at a side profile and has its mouth open with fangs on the botto and top of the mouth and a hummingbird near the mouth. The bottom of the painting shows blooming cactus and the background is dark blue and has a large moon that takes up the entire background of the snake like creature. Steven P. “Desert Twilight” 

water color painting of the red rock conservtion area. The mountains are a light brown with the distinct red line across them and slopes down into the saltbrushes. The sky is blue with light white clouds. Christine P. “Unnamed” 

three wood panels that have the calico basin hills printed onto them in color. the hills range from tan, light brown, red, and light red. Katie J. “Calico I, Calico II, and Sandstone Quarry” 

Water color painting with abstract colors. Trees are red, yellow, and green. The mountain side is blue and shaded in dark blue. ground is yellow, blue, mixed with some brown. There is a stream running in the middle that reflects the trees and has the artist signature on the bottom that says S Menary Nuws Sharon M. “Exploring Nature” 

Canyon streem painting with grey and red rock ssurrounding the ground, a small ash tree to the left and grasses all around with the red mountain in the background. Sharon M. “Canyon Stream” 

picture frame collage. The top 3 panels from right to left are the bumblebee, rabbit, and butterfly. The middle row has 3 panels from right to left a hummingbird, owl, and tarantula. On the lower row 3 panels from right to left a bobcat, tortoise, and coyote. Jacqui V. “Habitat of the Heart: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area”

panoramic photo of red rock valley with the aurora on the right along with the sun setting. Nataniel S. “Red Rock Pink Aurora” (Instagram: @natanielsart)

black and white photo of a joshua tree in Red Rock Canyon, you can see faint mountains in the background. Noemi F. “Stillness” 

A photo looking down a canyon with sandstone on the left and right side. There are green trees and puple bushes, light tan sandstone far in the distance down the canyon and a blue sky with puffy white clouds. Steven B. “Springtime in First Creek Canyon”

picture of sandstone quarry after rainfall and there is a pool of water taking up half the picture and the photo is angled up towards the sky. There is heavy clouds covereage in the sky and sandstone hills to the left, both are being reflected by the pool of water. Steven B. “Rainwater Pool Reflection in the Sandston Quarry Area” 

picture from the trail to turtlehead peak looking down onto the red rock canyon national recreation area. The red striped mountain ranges are visible in the distance and there is a close up pine tree on the left side of the photo. Brandi H. “Heading up to Turtlehead!”

Red rock trail water color painting with green bushes lining the trail and sandstone on the outside of the bushes. There are skinny dark trees with no leaves. Name tag on the bottom right corner, Kathy Schular Kathy S. “Red Rock Trail” 

Painting of the ocean and a woman with a brown top with blue dots splashing in the waves. Pam L. “Out of the Blue” 

image is of the henderson bird viewing preserve's pond. There is a large tree branch hanging over the pond and some indistinguishable water fowl in the water. Rocks are at the edge of the water on the bottom of the image. In the distance you see the other side of the pond which has more trees and what looks like the building to the left side. Pam L. “Secluded and Shady” 

Water color painting of the calico basin and big horn sheep jumping up the hill. Cesar C. “Family of Nature Celebration” 

water color painting of the calico basin hills and the color of the hills change from brown/red to a light tan and there are green paths in between some of the smaller rock formations towards the bottom of the painting. Cesar C. “Redrock Calico Basin” 

abstract water color painting of red rock canyon with mixes of red, brown, green, yellow and grey. Cesar C. “Abstractions of Red Rock Canyon” 

water color painting of grey mountains of red rock canyon and green grassy valley below with a large sanstone rock on the right bottom corner. Cesar C. “Celebration of Light at Red Rock Canyon” 

pen and ink drawing of a creosote or cliffrose. Jennifer K. “Twists and Turns of Life” 

five separate pictures of a pottery vase. There is a theropod dinosaur made of clay on the front of the vase.   Heather L. “Theropod Dinosaur at Red Rock Canyon” 

A picture of the poem. The poem says: Firefall, Bell's vireos bloom like staccato thought clouds, and they ask us if, now, we are caught between spring and summer beneath the light of the only sun we can know. When might we become breathless of merely voicless or needing of more than our want. Say yes tot eh choral-throated canyons, quiet only in expectation. Unquiet arches like sunrise behind Keystone Thrust, moonrise, by always city0lights, hushed. Gathering water at the root like warm hands map the birdcage of the heart, the storm waits beyond the wash, where olive-gray wings chatter, and this chamber of sandstone sings. Heather L. “Firefall” 

 

Thank you to everyone that submitted their art for Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area’s 34th birthday. Ever piece was amazing, enjoyable, and we loved them all! While not everyone was able to have their art physically on display, each piece was still able to be voted on the day of. We hope that all of you continue your art and we want to see more of you next year! 

 

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