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Long before humans or dinosaurs existed, ichthyosaurs, colossal marine reptiles, roamed the ancient seas of what is now Nevada. The Nevada Museum of Art is set to unveil a new exhibition, “Deep Time: Sea Dragons of Nevada,” beginning September 7, 2024. This groundbreaking display will feature spectacular, never-before-seen fossils of these 250-million-year-old sea creatures.

Spanning 9,000 square feet, this exhibition is the largest collection of giant ichthyosaur fossils ever assembled under one roof. It blends science, art, history, and design to narrate the rise and fall of the ichthyosaur and its unique ties to Nevada.

The Ichthyosaur’s Legacy

The ichthyosaur, meaning “fish-lizard” in Greek, thrived in prehistoric oceans for 160 million years before its extinction. These marine reptiles had the largest eyes of any vertebrate, measuring nearly a foot in diameter, and some species grew over 65 feet long. They are considered among the largest creatures to have ever lived on Earth.

Exhibition Highlights

Visitors will begin their journey through time with “Swell,” a room-sized light installation by contemporary artist Anthony McCall. The main exhibit space will feature displays representing Nevada’s mountain ranges and over 20 fossil specimens excavated from 1868 to 2022. A standout feature is a full-size visualization of an ichthyosaur that responds to human movement, allowing visitors to “swim” alongside this ancient reptile.

Fossils for “Deep Time” are sourced from prestigious institutions such as the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, University of California Museum of Paleontology at Berkeley, and the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, among others.

Celebrating Unsung Heroes and Artistic Collaboration

The exhibition also honors the contributions of Annie Alexander, a pioneering woman paleontologist, by showcasing her fossil discoveries in Nevada. The museum will publish a children’s storybook about Alexander’s expeditions.

The exhibit will be a prelude to the opening of the Charles and Stacie Mathewson Education and Research Center, which will work closely with the Museum’s Center for Art + Environment to promote creative interactions between people and their environment.

Additionally, the exhibit will feature paleoart, illustrating the collaboration between artists and scientists to visualize ancient sea creatures. Highlights from one of the nation’s largest collections of vintage dinosaur and prehistoric animal toys, collected by the late Jack Arata, will also be displayed.

Curatorial Excellence

The exhibition is co-curated by Ann M. Wolfe, Chief Curator of the Museum, and lead paleontologist Dr. Martin Sander. The design is by Nik Hafermaas, an award-winning exhibition designer from Berlin, Germany.

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