Founder of renowned Las Vegas art fortress dies

Robert Rock Belliveau was an ambassador for Rita Deanin Abbey Art Museum, often welcoming and chatting up visitors to the space. But he was much more, the museum’s founder, an accomplished physician, philanthropist, artist himself and husband to the museum’s namesake.

The prominent and passionate community figure died on July 3 in Las Vegas. He was 92. His wife, the renowned artist and UNLV professor Rita Deanin, died in March 2021 at age 90. The influential artist was posthumously inducted into the UNLV College of Fine Arts Hall of Fame this past March.

Belliveau established the wondrous museum, located at 5850 N. Park St. in northwest Las Vegas, which just opened to the public just two years ago. The work represented some of the finest pieces created in Las Vegas. Among Abbey’s works is “Spirit Tower,” an 11-ton, 20-foot steel sculpture that she created in 1993.

The piece was commissioned by the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District for the Summerlin Library and Performing Arts Center. In 2000, Abbey completed “Isaiah Stained-Glass Windows” for the main sanctuary of Temple Beth Sholom.

Asked if he agreed with the assessment that the museum represented the most important unknown artist ever in Southern Nevada, Belliveau said, “Absolutely … but we do have a few things that she’s done in the public that are prominent. The front of the Summerlin Library is a major piece of sculpture. The work at Temple Beth Shalom, with 16 stained-glass windows and 10 feet tall, is a remarkable piece of art for the whole community.”

Belliveau and Abbey married in 1985, two decades after moving to Las Vegas. Together, they established the Robert Rock Belliveau and Rita Deanin Abbey Foundation to support community programs, developing a path for Abbey’s art to become a lasting legacy.

Abbey Art Museum Executive Director Laura Sanders noted Belliveau’s personal interest and history in the museum’s indoor-outdoor exhibit.

“Robert enjoyed interacting with museum visitors and felt that the art created a sense of unity among them,” Sanders said in a statement. “He would come to the museum, sit with a piece of art, and say, ‘I saw something I’d never seen before in this work,’ and then talk about the work’s rich color, nuances, and complexities. He was a constant companion, and I will dearly miss him.”

Belliveau was a physician whose work benefited countless people in Southern Nevada, and internationally around the world. He studied pathology and received his medical degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

Belliveau was Chief Pathologist at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada for more than 25 years. He published numerous research articles advancing insights into structures in the kidney. He received the 1990 Nevada State Medical Association Distinguished Physician Award, among additional accomplishments.

In retirement, Belliveau’s love of botany and skill with the microscope led him to explore the micro-photography of plants. He produced thousands of unique photographs. His photos of plants were featured in such publications as Smithsonian and The New York Times, and was featured in a solo exhibition at the Springs Preserve.

The museum is offering free entry to all visitors on July 20, Abbey’s birthday. A buy-one-get-one-free admission package is offered from July 21 to July 31. For information on all of the ground-breaking museum’s activities, go to ritadeaninabbeymuseum.org.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.