Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art

The gallery's collection initially consisted of artwork owned by the company, as well as personal art pieces leased from Wynn.

Under the new ownership, the existing art collection was sold off and the gallery reopened on September 1, 2000, as a rotating exhibition space.

In late 1996, Steve Wynn began purchasing artwork to display in his upcoming Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip.

The commission ruled that, for educational purposes, any gallery taking advantage of the tax break must be free and widely accessible to the public, especially schoolchildren.

Wynn had argued that an admission fee was necessary to cover the costs of displaying the art, including transportation, security, and insurance.

[6][9] The gallery originally featured artwork that was leased from Wynn's personal collection, as well as art purchased by owner Mirage Resorts.

[23][24] In 1999, the gallery was moved to a larger space in the resort, to accommodate long lines and a growing collection of artwork.

The new space featured a larger retail store and black walls as opposed to the white coloring typically used in art galleries.

[40][41] The nearby Guggenheim Hermitage Museum closed later that year, leaving the Bellagio gallery as the only art facility on the Strip.

[45] In 2004, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA) provided a collection of Monet paintings to the Bellagio gallery for a 16-month exhibit.

[46][47][48] MFA was criticized for lending art to a for-profit facility and taking a percentage of the admission fee, going against standard museum practice.

MFA was also criticized for sending Monet paintings to be displayed in Las Vegas, which was considered inferior compared with the art culture in Boston.

MFA defended its loan, calling the Bellagio exhibit educational since Las Vegas did not have any major art museums.

[49][40] The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) lent 17 paintings to the gallery in 2009, including works by artists such as Ellsworth Kelly, Frank Stella, and Sol LeWitt.

The exhibit featured works from the 19th century to the present, from artists such as Renoir, Picasso, Judith Shea, and Yoshitomo Nara.

[58] In 2021, the gallery showcased an exhibit focused on the history of boxing in Las Vegas, made up of personal collections from people such as Dana White.