Hidden Treasures

Where to discover fine art in Las Vegas

Contemporary Las Vegas is awash with world-class art — and not just in the city’s many galleries (see next page).

Installations, paintings, murals and sculptures by A-list artists are hidden in plain sight in Sin City’s hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and boutiques — even in a parking garage.

CityCenter CityCenter’s Fine Art Collection, the first gathering of contemporary art in a Las Vegas public space, includes “Silver River” by Maya Lin (the designer of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.) behind the front desk of Aria Resort and Casino, as well as works by similarly renowned artists including Jenny Holzer, Henry Moore and Coosje van Bruggen.

Two arresting installations by James Turrell, whose explorations of light and space are currently the subject of a retrospective exhibition at LACMA, grace CityCenter’s glitzy Crystals shopping center: a very public untitled creation above the monorail station (and visible from the shopping area) and the immersive, appointment-only “Akhob” on the private top floor of the Louis Vuitton store (call 702.730.3150 to schedule a viewing).

Bellagio An extraordinary blown-glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly hangs above Bellagio’s lobby, while the property’s high-end Picasso restaurant lives up to its name with original Pablo Picasso masterpieces and a collection of his lesser-known ceramic creations amidst its elegantly rustic décor.

Across the hall from Picasso, Bellagio’s Prime Steakhouse features a prominent tapestry by celebrated pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, as well as carpet and furniture designed by Claude Picasso (son of Pablo).

Elsewhere on the Strip A series of murals collectively dubbed “Wallworks” enlivens the parking garage of the chic Cosmopolitan Las Vegas. Graffiti-inspired pieces by renowned contemporary artists Shepard Fairey, Curtis Kulig, Retna, Kenny Scharf and Shinique Smith can be found throughout the structure.