The popular question that seems to have overshadowed the lively speculation about the Bellagio Gallery itself seems to be "Why?" Why, of all things to feature in a new resort hotel in Las Vegas (of all places!) would one select an enormously costly and potentially limited-appeal attraction such as a serious fine art presentation of paintings and sculptures? The choice would seem to be unorthodox at best, and risky at worst.

Well, I think the question itself is fair enough. I have always had a great deal of appreciation for Impressionist art since my days as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. That interest accounts for how the whole notion of fine art came to mind in the first place.

There are few areas of universal agreement about what is truly lovely, graceful or admirable. One of the subjects on which there is some general agreement, in spite of cultural, economic or social differences, is that of fine art. The works of the great painters and sculptors are held in high esteem by people throughout the world.

Attendance at museums in the past few years has exceeded attendance at professional sporting events throughout the United States. This surprising statistic seems to represent a popular and fundamental yearning in our diverse cultural souls for a glimpse of beauty, a desire to be near examples of singular creative energy.

For me, the acknowledgment of art’s deep attraction is not at all surprising. I believe that great art—whether in painting, sculpture, architecture, music or dance—has always had the power to deeply stimulate human consciousness. So why not focus on that simple idea?

So that’s how I came to the provocative notion of creating a gallery that would very well grace the resort with a certain degree of distinction or at least with a certain degree of curiosity.

The fine art housed at the Bellagio Gallery is even more noteworthy because of its location—in Las Vegas, of all places. What really matters is that by offering our guests (and my fellow Las Vegas residents) The Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, we are acknowledging their capacity to appreciate beauty and elegance. When someone does that for me, I am pleased and grateful. I feel a kinship with people who demonstrate that level of sensitivity, and I believe it is a worthy aspiration in business and life in general.

Incorporating great artwork into the surroundings at Bellagio was a natural way to express my vision for the hotel. I love to look at a landscape by Claude Monet. I feel romantic and transported by a scene in Montmartre painted by Auguste Renoir. I am provoked by a portrait by Pablo Picasso or Vincent van Gogh and delighted by the dancing colors of Henri Matisse. I am warmed when I am near the blazing creative heat of Jackson Pollock or Willem de Kooning. There is, for me, a palpable energy that radiates from their works.

All of these artists, regardless of chronology, share the most remarkable power to move us. I feel them and somehow am stimulated to think and feel more about the world around me than I did before. In a way, it’s habit-forming, and I’m betting that lots of intelligent, discriminating people who are prone to this lovely habit will join me to delight in the experience of the gallery—which just happens to be located in Bellagio.

---Stephen A. Wynn