Entry No. 28 — the Las Vegas file — filed under: giant-sculpture
Big Edge (boat sculpture at Vdara)
Artist Nancy Rubins welded roughly 200 real canoes, kayaks, rowboats and surfboards into a 57-by-75-foot exploding-flower burst suspended over the hotel's valet entrance — a genuine boat graveyard hanging above the cars on the Las Vegas Strip that most people walk straight under without looking up.
The story
In 2009, when developers poured billions into erecting hyper-polished glass towers along Harmon Avenue, artist Nancy Rubins hoisted a nautical graveyard right over the hotel driveway. *Big Edge* is a chaotic, 57-by-75-foot massing of more than 200 real, full-sized canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and surfboards held in tension by a web of stainless steel cables. In a landlocked desert built on artifice, hundreds of sun-faded hulls float fifty feet above idling valet cars.
Rubins spent decades building these gargantuan structural assemblages, sourcing retired watercraft from across the country and treating aluminum and fiberglass hulls like brushstrokes in a mid-air explosion. Up close, the composition feels absurdly precarious—as if a flash flood swept through a marina and froze directly over the hotel entry. Because it hangs over a traffic loop rather than inside a carpeted casino gallery, thousands of pedestrians hustle right underneath it every day without ever bothering to look up.
What it's like
Walk up to the Vdara porte-cochère off Harmon Avenue at any hour of the day or night; there are no gates, tickets, or security guards turning you away. Standing directly beneath the centerpiece lets you look straight into the hollow bellies of aluminum canoes and rowboat keels fanning out like metal petals. Because *Big Edge* anchor points sit outside, you can easily pair it with a free walk through Vdara and Aria's climate-controlled lobbies to track down companion public art pieces by Maya Lin and Frank Stella.
The move: Walk the free, self-guided CityCenter fine art trail — Big Edge outside Vdara, then Maya Lin's and Frank Stella's pieces indoors — before or after dinner, no ticket required.
- 📍 CityCenter / Las Vegas Strip
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: 2600 W Harmon Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89158 (Vdara porte cochere)
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Bliss Dance — Pair this canopy of airborne kayaks with another colossal outdoor steel sculpture located just a short walk down the Strip at The Park.
- Sahra Spa + Hammam (The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas) — Duck two minutes down the pedestrian walkway to trade staring at windblown boat hulls for a silent steam in a stone hammam.
- REAL BODIES at Horseshoe Las Vegas — Swap an assemblage of dissected watercraft for a gallery of dissected human anatomy half a mile away.
Good to know
How much does it cost to see Big Edge?
It is completely free to view 24/7 since it is installed outdoors over the public valet entry.
What kinds of boats are used in the sculpture?
The piece incorporates over 200 actual aluminum, fiberglass, and plastic canoes, ocean kayaks, rowboats, and surfboards.
Who made Big Edge and when was it installed?
Artist Nancy Rubins designed and installed the piece in 2009 as part of the CityCenter public fine art collection.
Where is it located on the Las Vegas Strip?
It hangs directly over the main porte-cochère entry loop at Vdara Hotel & Spa (2600 W Harmon Ave), tucked between Aria and The Cosmopolitan.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Wikipedia · Atlas Obscura · Roadside America
last checked: 2026-07-20