James Stanford

James Stanford is an American contemporary artist, photographer, and small press publisher based in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is best known for his work with vintage and historical Las Vegas marquees and signageand also for his leadership in the development of the Las Vegas arts community. Stanford is a Buddhist and his practice draws heavily on the principles and philosophies of Zen Buddhism.

Stanford attended the original 7th Street campus of Las Vegas High School from 1964 to 1966.

In 1971, Stanford earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He later attended the University of Washington, Seattle, earning a 1973 Master of Fine Arts in Painting.

In 1978, he returned to the UNLV campus as an instructor in the Fine Arts Department.

In 1985, Stanford received his Fresco Painting Apprenticeship under the instruction of Lucienne Bloch and Stephen Pope Dimitroff, College of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Stanford is a recognized leader and pioneer of the Las Vegas arts community. He served the City of Las Vegas as Chairman of its Arts Commission from 1999 to 2001, at which time he developed the Downtown Las Vegas "Lightscapes" installation, cited by Art in America as one of the top 20 public art projects of the era.

Stanford also served as President of the Las Vegas Contemporary Arts Collective (popularly known as The CAC; later renamed as Las Vegas Contemporary Arts Center). His Presidency ran from 1996 to 1999. In his time with the CAC, Stanford curated numerous exhibits and organized the collective's day-to-day operations.

In 2007, Stanford—with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, among others—was part of an important round-table event to discuss the future of the Las Vegas Arts District and the First Friday venue.

Stanford's artistic works had gallery representation via Trifecta Gallery Las Vegas until the gallery's closure in 2015.

In 2017, Stanford exhibited Shimmering Zen curated by Elizabeth Herridge Limited during Asian Art in London in conjunction with a book of the same title at the London Library.

Buddhism

Stanford was first introduced to Seon Buddhism (Korean Zen) as a young man and has since drawn inspiration for his art from his meditation practice. In 2019, Buddhist journal 'Tricycle: The Buddhist Review discussed the influence of Buddhism on Stanford's art.

Smallworks

In 1998, Stanford co-created Las Vegas-based Smallworks Gallery.

In 2006, Stanford also created Smallworks Press, a publishing company specializing in arts and culture publications. In 2018, Smallworks Press in collaboration with editor William P Shea, obtained international distribution through Midpoint (North America), and later IPG (Independent Publishers Group).

Smallworks Press has received critical acclaim for its publications. For example, Juxtapoz magazine praised Street Art Las Vegas by William Shea and Patrick Lai . The Guardian, Evening Standard and The Spectator , amongst others , featured Motel Vegas by Fred Sigman. In 2019, Elephant Magazine claimed that Compass of the Ephemeral: Aerial Photography of Black Rock City through the Lens of Will Rogershows "what Burning Man really looks like" .

Indra's Jewels

Stanford's Indra's Jewels series has received wide exhibition and critical praise. Based on the principals of Zen Buddhism, the series uses digital and traditional techniques to realize historic Las Vegas signage and neon as complicated mandala patterns.

In 2016, Los Angeles art critic and curator Mat Gleason reviewed Stanford's Indra's Jewels and related work in The Huffington Post, stating, "It is in the eternal nature of the multiple reflection that this artist has delivered the ultimate rendering of the Vegas experience without resorting to dated design motifs."

In 2017, Stanford exhibited the Indra's Jewels series during his Shimmering Zen exhibition at Asian Art in London 2017, His accompanying book entitled Shimmering Zen was released at The London Library and is part of the library's permanent collection. A book review by Juxtapoz Magazine’s Editor-In-Chief Evan Pricco states, "Stanford's modern take on the mandala creates a stream of dreamlike experiences, abstract but with tiny details that begin to look like familiar sites in every day life."

In 2018, Stanford will be recognized as a late-career artist for his photo-montage work and is a contributor to many art publications. The Shimmering Zen exhibition travels to The Studio, Sahara West Library and the North American book launch will be held at The Neon Museum in Fall.

In 2019, Stanford was responsible for a pop-up exhibition at the Quivx Building in the Las Vegas Arts District, featuring two rotating illuminated backlit lenticulars visible from street levels at all hours of the day.

A Phalanx of Angels Ascending

In 2019, Stanford designed a monumental site-specific mural to commemorate the iconic Blue Angel statue that watched over Downtown Las Vegas for 61 years from its mid-century perch at the Blue Angel Motel. Stanford's A Phalanx of Angels Ascending was commissioned by Alison Chambers, the owner of The 705 building, an arts incubator located at 705 North Las Vegas Boulevard. The original 16-foot statue was designed by Betty Willis, who also created the famed ‘Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas’ sign, and was taken down for restoration in 2017. Stanford’s new installation pays homage to the original and will span over 2,000 square feet, encompassing all three sides of the building, making it viewable from all angles.

The installation has received substantial critical acclaim.

Drawing upon his Buddhist and artistic backgrounds, Stanford and his wife, Lynn Morris, purchased a group of Las Vegas property in 2008 where they created The Zen Center of Las Vegas.

Currently known as Zen Garden Las Vegas, the 1.3 acres grounds were hand-designed by Stanford and its extensive gardens were created in collaboration with National Public Radio horticulturalist Norm Schilling.

• "A Phalanx of Angels Ascending", The 705 Building, Las Vegas, Nevada (2019)
• "Illuminated Portals", Quivx Building, Las Vegas, Nevada (2019)
• "Anthony James, Marc Denis, James Stanford", Melissa Morgan Fine Art (2018)
• “Shimmering Zen”, The Studio, Sahara West Library, Las Vegas, Nevada (2018)
• "Blue Angel: Between Heaven and Earth, Neon Museum," Las Vegas, Nevada (2018)
• "Shimmering Zen, Asian Art in London", London, England|]], England (2017)
• "Indra's Jewels", Goldwell Open Air Museum, Red Barn Gallery, Rhyolite, Nevada (2008)
• "Sense of Place", Reed Whipple Cultural Center, Las Vegas, Nevada; Las Vegas Contemporary Arts Collective (2007)
• "Vintage Point", Las Vegas Convention and Business Authority; Las Vegas, Nevada (2007)
• "Wonder", VURB (The Arts Factory), Las Vegas, Nevada (2007)