Las Vegas might be best known for gambling, drinking and other excesses – but a high amount of money also attracts high culture. Or maybe, vice versa. Whichever way the proverbial wind blows across the Nevada desert, there is no doubt that Las Vegas has, genuinely, one of the best selections of contemporary art in the world.
Where else could you down a $30 margarita at three in the afternoon, on top of a million dollar Damien Hirst artwork? Or eat a Michelin star pasta meal overlooked by a real Picasso? That’s Vegas baby. Sin City’s artwork collection is huge, but fragmented and, crucially, not (for the most part) in museums. If you’re going to see it all, it’s going to cost you – but the sights may well be worth it.
MGM’s Fine Art Collection at the Bellagio and Aria
The Bellagio – now owned by MGM but previously owned by rival Las Vegas operator Wynn Resorts – has hosted some of the finest contemporary and modern artworks in world history. Wynn Resorts founder Steve Wynn’s personal art collection was one of the most valuable in the world. But when he left Las Vegas after a scandal in 2019, he sold the Bellagio to MGM. And the new management sold off a lot of the art.
Today it hosts rotating exhibits of contemporary, classical and modern artists from around the world and it is usually stocked with a few big names.
If that sounds.. fine, but really you’d rather be playing roulette – we have news for you. Modern live casino games have all the atmosphere of Las Vegas gambling, streamed right to your device. See every real card flip or roulette spin play out in real time, or try one of the fantastic new live casino game shows with high production values and potential big payouts to match.
Of course, Las Vegas is about more than gambling to some. The following renowned paintings that were once owned by MGM and have called the Bellagio Gallery home:
- Pablo Picasso’s Femme au béret rouge-orange (1938)
- Various pieces Claude Monet’s Waterlilies (1870s)
- Van Gogh’s Peasant Woman against a Background of Wheat (1890)
- Henri Matisse’s La Robe Persane (1940)
- Edgar Degas: Dancer Taking a Bow (The Prima Ballerina)
- Andy Warhol’s portraits of Wynn Resorts founder Steve Wynn
Damien Hirst Takes Over at The Palms Las Vegas
The Palms Las Vegas has the distinction of being the only tribally run casino in Las Vegas, as it is owned by the San Manuel Mission Indians.
Former owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, however, left the new management with some very expensive artworks from their friend Damien Hirst decorating the property
The renowned British provocateur built an entire suite at the Palms. He also installed one his trademark cut up sharks in formaldehyde pieces as the backdrop for the casino resort’s Unknown Bar. The Unknown (Explored, Explained, Exploded) and its 13-foot severed tiger shark sure makes a statement photo spot while you have a cocktail.
Other art highlights at The Palms include:
- A Jean-Michel Basquiat triptych in one of the suites
- Several KAWS sculptures are throughout the site
- Andy Warhol’s Dollar Sign in the main reception
- Pieces designed by Damien Hirst for the Unknown Bar, including coasters and matchstick packets
Land Installations Out in Las Vegas Offer Quieter Moments
If all the legendary razzmatazz and 24/7 excitement of Las Vegas is wearing you down, cultured art lover, there are quieter options not too far from Sin City.
Plus, you know, the Las Vegas Strip technically isn’t in Las Vegas at all, but the unincorporated community of Paradise, Nevada. The more you know. Anyway…
Seven Magic Mountains is an installation of seven rock towers painted in bubble gum and pastel colors, standing strikingly in the middle of the desert. It is located 50 miles south west of Las Vegas towards the California border. It attracts lots of tourists at some points of the year though, and there are few facilities nearby, so be warned.
For something even more out of the way you could try to become one of only a few people in the world to have seen an artwork. Michael Hezier’s City is a 1.5 mile sculpted… city, of sorts.
Hezier, as a one man crew, built the entire site out of the earth and materials available from the land around the huge site. To add to the challenge it is located 150 miles away from Las Vegas, the nearest large city, in rural Lincoln County, Nevada.
Visitors – of which there are only a few, who are allowed only through organized tours running every couple of weeks – recount an awe inspiring experience of stillness, solitude and mystique.
So, there you have it – just a few of the amazing art pieces to be found in and around Las Vegas. Hopefully you find this useful to add some culture to your trip the next time you’re in Sin City.