Bellagio changes focus to visiting art exhibits

Beyond the gaming tables and slot machines, an adventure in art awaits visitors to the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.

When the Gallery opened in 1998, all the works on display were owned by the Bellagio or the hotel's former owner Steve Wynn.

When MGM bought out Mirage Resorts last year, Wynn purchased half of the art collection and many of the remaining pieces were sold to reduce the company's debt load.

As the not-so-permanent collection was broken up, the gallery's mission changed. Now the 2,600-square-foot space is dedicated to non-commercial exhibitions of art collections on loan from museums and collectors from around the world.

"Masterworks from The Phillips Collection at Bellagio" was the first exhibit brought to the space. Works by Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse, El Greco, Willem de Kooning, Pierre Bonnard, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Vincent Van Gogh, Alberto Giacometti, Edward Hopper and more were borrowed from the Phillips Collection art museum of Washington, D.C.

Rather than pay a rental fee for the loaned art works, the gallery donated all net proceeds from admission and a cut of the gift shop profits to the collection.

The current exhibit, "The Private Collection of Steve Martin," is on loan under a similar agreement. All net profits of the show that runs through Sept. 3 go to the Steve Martin Charitable Foundation. A portion of the gift shop proceeds will also be donated.

Gallery director Kathleen Clewell said both exhibits have been popular with visitors. While only around 10 percent of gallery patrons are local residents, Clewell hopes the ever-changing exhibits will increase those numbers.

"We want locals to come out and then come back for each new exhibit. We want to make them feel welcome. This gallery isn't just for tourists. We want everyone to come," Clewell said.

To entice local patrons, the gallery offers reduced rates for residents with valid Nevada state identification. Standard admission rates are $12 for adults and $10 for students. Nevada residents can get in for $6. Admission prices include a self guided audio tour.

For Steve Martin's exhibit, the audio tour features the performer's instantly recognizable voice providing a complete introduction to each work of art. The experience gives gallery visitors the sensation of having Martin personally chat with them about his favorite possessions.

Martin provides historical perspective, information about the artists and facts about each piece. He also shares his often humorous personal perceptions.

Visitors learn that Martin once bumped into the model for the anonymous "Naked Girl" in Lucian Freud's painting by the same name. They also find out that the art of David Hockney, represented in the collection by a painting titled "Little Splash," had a direct influence on Martin's movie "L.A. Story."

Martin's collection is one of those rare exhibits where the art collector is better known than many of the artists represented in the collection. But that doesn't mean the show isn't packed with art-world stars. The collection features work by George Seurat, Pablo Picasso, Eric Fischl and Francis Bacon, to name only a few.

Clewell said while caring for a permanent collection was great, loaned exhibitions have a charm all their own.

"It's like Christmas when a new exhibition comes and we unwrap all the pieces. To look at works you might have only studied in college art history, to get to hold them and be responsible for them is exciting," she said.

Responsibility for visiting works is taken seriously. Security is tight with alarm systems and four or more guards on the floor watching every move. Lean too far over the protective metal bars and the alarm sounds while lights flash around the nearest piece of artwork.

The snap of a covert photographer's flash sends the whole room into an alarmed frenzy.

Most patrons jump back quickly when the alarm wails. But security guard Joaquin Ichihara said not all museum guests are easy to deal with.

"I've been tackled before," Ichihara said. "I told a guy he couldn't lean in too far or he'd set off the alarms. He got upset, and when I walked into the other room he jumped on me."

Although most of the museum's visitors are adults, Ichihara said he's impressed with the children who come.

"The kids are more behaved than the parents. They will tell their parents, don't lean too far," he said.

The innovative lighting system at the gallery also serves to protect fragile works of art. A gentle wash of light is custom projected onto each piece. Metal projection frames are cut to size to limit the light to the piece.

"A lot of people ask us if they're back lit. We just laugh. We have to tell them no, they can't be back lit, they're works on canvas," Clewell said.

The gallery director said the site will continue to bring in exhibits unique to the Bellagio. These aren't traveling shows tourists can catch in the next participating city. They are shows specifically curated for the Las Vegas gallery.

Clewell said the Steve Martin exhibit has never been publicly displayed before, and may never be displayed again, making even the collection catalogue a keepsake item once the show closes.

The gallery's next exhibit will be "Alexander Calder: The Art of Invention." The show will feature approximately 35 pieces ranging from toys, jewelry and household objects to the larger mobile and stabile pieces for which the artist is known. The exhibit will open Oct. 6 and runs through Feb. 3.

With new shows constantly under development, Clewell isn't worried that the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art will lose business when the Venetian's upcoming Guggenheim and Hermitage museum spaces open in September.

"We're not competition, we're complimentary," Clewell said.

The director feels Las Vegas is becoming a culture destination. She said more than 50 museum groups a year come to see the art in the Bellagio gallery and dine in the hotel's restaurant, Picasso.

"They always ask us what else there is to see in town. Hopefully the more there is to see, the longer travelers will stay. It's a new Las Vegas," Clewell said.

The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art is open 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The last admission is sold at 10:30 p.m. Early hours are least crowded and reservations are recommended. Those interested can call 693-7722.