The Lost City Museum presents wildlife paintings and jewelry of Joan Rainey Day

Wildlife paintings and jewelry made by artist Joan Rainey Day are featured in the December art exhibit at the Lost City Museum in Overton.

Day has always had a love of the natural sciences and art. She majored in zoology and minored in art in college. Later, she began a career in biological illustration, then went into wildlife art and later opened a gallery in Cambria, Calif.

Day’s murals can be seen in Moapa Valley and Mesquite, and at the Muddy River Café and Roos N More Zoo, both in Moapa. Mesquite boasts a large mural on the Golden West Casino. Day also painted a number of murals at private homes. She has received commissions from many states. Day moved to Nevada in 2002. She said living in a vast desert environment with an abundance of wildlife gave her many subjects to paint and she believes nature is soul nourishing. “Symbols of earthly beauty can add vibrancy, joy and esteem to your life. Breathe deeply; you are surrounded by beauty,” she said.

The Lost City Museum actively engages people in understanding and celebrating Nevada’s natural and cultural heritage. One of seven museums managed by the Nevada Division of Museums and History, an agency of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, it is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily at 721 S. Moapa Valley Blvd. in Overton.. Admission is $5, children 17 and younger and members enter free. Take Interstate 15 to exit 93. Access is also available from Lake Mead National Recreation Area or the Valley of Fire State Park. For more information, call the museum at (702) 397-2193 or visit Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Lost-City-Museum/110614428959606>.