In one of the city’s most incongruous and pleasant surprises, you can serve an art-inspired menu and deliver intellectual stimulation.
By Carol Thomas
Showcasing magnificent works of art.
It’s not often that planners discover a truly unique venue, particularly one that jolts one’s sensibility about time and place. But that’s exactly what happens at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.
Although the 2,746 sq. ft. exhibit space, which is currently showcasing the works of “Lichtenstein, Warhol & Friends,” is not incongruous with the stately, sublime elegance of the 3,933-room, AAA Five Diamond, Mobil Four Star Bellagio, it is blatantly incongruous with the rest of Las Vegas, with the obvious exception of Wynn Las Vegas (Steve Wynn developed Bellagio as one of his early Las Vegas triumphs). That reality is reinforced by the fact that the gallery at Bellagio is the only gallery of fine art in the entire city.
Although no food or beverage is allowed in the intimate exhibit space, an 1,168 sq. ft. bookstore adjacent to the gallery can be used for pre- or post-viewing functions. The ticket sales area and a 568 sq. ft. “atrium” in the main hallway of the hotel, near meeting rooms, can be used for stating events. Up to three catering tables can be set up in the atrium/ticket counter area, with the area roped off for privacy.
Elegant, art-themed menus are offered by Bellagio’s award-winning F&B department. “The Aficionado” features an international cheese board, dried fruit, nuts and baguettes, with berry and melon skewers and ginger-honey yogurt dip, assorted truffles and chocolates and a hosted, house-brand bar for $55 per person. “The Masterpiece” features hand-passed cold hors d’oeuvres, hand-passed hot hors d’oeuvres including a New England crab cake with citrus mayonnaise and Croque Monsieur with tomato relish, truffles, chocolates and chocolate-dipped strawberries, with a select-brand hosted bar, for $68.00-plus, per person.
Las Vegas’ premier art gallery
“In today’s market, planners are looking for something different to do,” says H. Fletch Brunelle, senior vice president, hotel sales and marketing, at Bellagio. “When the creativity of our catering department is applied to a venue as creative as the gallery, you can do something really special, something that will stretch attendees a little bit, in a way they find very memorable.”
The gallery is available, based on its current exhibit, through September 7. Available times are 6 p.m. and later, Sunday through Thursday, and 7 p.m. or later, Friday and Saturday. Standard fee for use is $2,000 per hour, with each additional hour costing $500. Early closure of the public exhibit is available at a higher price. The fee includes an in-depth overview of the then-current collection and audio tours are another option for participants.
For more information, contact assistant gallery manager Sarah Johnson at (702) 693-7850, or e-mail her at sjohnson@bellagioresort.com.