Art and Architecture of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, city in the desert, has an unexpected wealth of art and architecture. The campy early days of this boom town have given way to restaurants with paintings by Picasso and exhibits from the Guggenheim, plus a new art museum designed by Frank Gehry. Stay at the beautiful Bellagio and dine at fabulous restaurants.
Day 1
Arrival on your own at the Bellagio Resort and Casino. See the beautiful Chihuly Persian ceiling located in the reception area.
After arrival, proceed to Michael Mina where the group will have a welcome reception. Star chef Michael Mina creates an innovative seafood menu with a distinct blend of California and Mediterranean ingredients at his celebrated namesake restaurant. Dine in an elegant, yet relaxed atmosphere complemented by an extensive selection for distinguished wines from around the world.
Overnight at the Bellagio
Day 2
Breakfast (options above, left)
Morning overview of the Las Vegas art scene by your study leader Fred Sigman.
After the overview group will have a private tour of the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum. The state-of-the-art gallery space for the new Guggenheim Hermitage Museum is within the elaborate structure of Las
Vegas's Venetian Resort-Hotel-Casino. This enclosed exhibition space houses masterworks from the
Guggenheim and Hermitage museums in a unique setting. The museum's exterior and interior walls have
been constructed with panels of Cor-Ten steel, which has never before been used as the structure of a
museum gallery. The lightly textured industrial metal is intended to evoke the traditional velvet walls of the Hermitage Museum while providing a stark modern contrast to the ornate architecture of The Venetian.
(Exhibition to be announced at a later date. Currently they are exhibiting Robert Mapplethorpe and the Classical Tradition).
Lunch will be catered at the Water Street Artspace. Located in the "Heart of Henderson," the Water Street Artspace features the photography of Gary & Susanne Reese and Fred Sigman.
After lunch there will be a visit to the home of a collector (To be announced)
Back to the Bellagio for some free time. Dinner on your own. Suggestions will be made.
Evening show of KÀ, the unprecedented new theatrical show from Cirque du Soleil at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, brings together astonishing acrobatic performances, the thrills and action of martial arts from all over the world, plus astonishing innovations in puppetry, multimedia and pyrotechnics. Together, they tell the epic story of a set of twins on a perilous journey to fulfill their shared destiny.
Day 3
Breakfast (options above, left)
In the morning, there will be a private tour of the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art. Currently the Gallery is exhibiting, Ansel Adams: America.
After the tour, board the mini bus and head for Bally's for a behind the scenes tour of the Jubilee. Enjoy a private backstage visit to the spectacular show, Jubilee and experience a different kind of art form. The tour will be led by a cast member who, through the course of the tour, turns into a sequined starlet.
Lunch in town
Visit to the Neon Museum's Boneyard. The Museum keeps their collection of non-restored historic signs outdoors on a 3-acre site in Las Vegas. The signs have been donated or loaned by individuals, businesses and sign companies such as Young Electric Sign Company. Docent guided tour at the Neon Museum Boneyard.
Return to the Bellagio after the visit. Dinner on your own
7 pm – Meet at the Bellagio bus depot in the evening for the Lights of Las Vegas tour. This tour will be of the neon streetscape and will include a visit to Freemont Street to see the Neon Museums collaboration. Led by Fred Sigman
Overnight at the Bellagio
Day 4
Breakfast (options above, left)
Morning visit to the The Las Vegas Art Museum, originally established as the Las Vegas Art League, opened in 1950 and by 1966 was housed in historic Lorenzi Park. In 1974, the Art League changed its name to Las Vegas Art Museum. It then became the first fine-arts museum in southern Nevada and is listed in the National Registry of Art Museums. The Museum relocated to a newly constructed facility in January 1997 that is named, Sahara West Library/Fine Arts Museum. Dr. Libby Lumpkin, art historian/author and Consulting Executive Director of the Las Vegas Art Museum, will greet the group and talk about the Museum.
Return to town for a visit to the home of home of Dr. Lonnie Hammargren, Castillo del Sol. Dr. Hammargren is a recently retired brain surgeon, former Lt. Gov, and eclectic/eccentric collector of Nevada and world history. He occupies three contiguous properties in east/central Las Vegas and has configured
them as "The Hammargren Home of Nevada History", or alternatively "The Hammarsonian Institution." There is excellent art, a planetarium, valuable South Seas materials, an iron lung, cots from concentration camps, scud missiles, neon signs, a NASA space capsule to name a few items. (Pending confirmation)
Lunch will be in town
After lunch, there will be a guided tour of the new CityCenter. This is a 66-acre site on the Las Vegas Strip adjoining the Bellagio and Monte Carlo is estimated to have a cost of around $7 billion. A city-within-a–city, the 18 million square foot structure is designed by the worlds most acclaimed architects and urban planners. It is the largest privately financed development in the United States and will eventually employ around 12,000 people. We will try to have a private tour by one of the project architects.
5:15 pm – Farewell reception and dinner at Picasso in the Bellagio. Soaring cove ceilings, intimate nooks and great bursts of flowers make Picasso a dream of country elegance. Here, master Chef Julian Serrano's French-Mediterranean cuisine takes flight in a room that boasts an awesome profusion of original Picasso oils and ceramics.
Day 5
Breakfast (options above, left)
Departure
Itineraries are samples and may change according to availability of the speaker and locations. All itineraries may be customized and modified to suit circumstances.