One of the most successful collaborative projects in the art world is undoubtedly the one between the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York City and the prestigious Hermitage Museum in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. The result can be seen in the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum in Las Vegas, situated in the Venetian Resort Hotel & Casino complex.
The Guggenheim Hermitage houses works from these two collections in a stunning setting, against walls constructed from Cor-Ten steel. The unique space was designed by the influential architect Rem Koolhaus and is a stark contrast to the ornate interior design of the Venetian complex. The museum occupies around 7,500 square feet of space just off the main lobby of the Venetian.
This museum showcases long running exhibitions of famous masterpieces that have traveled the world and thus provides visitors the opportunity to come face to face with some of the most extraordinary pieces of art ever created. Past exhibitions have included “ Russia! The Majesty of the Tsars – Treasures from the Kremlin Museum” which displayed 16 th and 17 th century fine, decorative and applied arts from the Kremlin Museum’s Armory Collection. In 2006, works by the famous Belgian painter, Rubens from the Hermitage Museum were displayed in Las Vegas and another exhibition in the same year was entitled, “Robert Mapplethorpe and the Classical Tradition”.
An exhibition that is due to run until at least mid 2008 is the collection of modern paintings from the New York Guggenheim Collection. Thirty seven of some of the most beautiful and impressive works from this period can be viewed by visitors to the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum. These paintings are a representation of the efforts made by painters of the time to interpret portraiture, landscape, still life and daily life (genre). Works by Georges Braque, Andre Masson, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, Edouard Manet and Marc Chagall are just some of the masters who contributed to this fascinating exhibition.
The Guggenheim Hermitage Museum is situated in the Venetian Hotel and Casino. It is open every day, including Saturday and Sunday, from 9.30 am to 7.30 pm, although the last ticket is sold at 7 pm. Public exhibition tours are offered during the afternoons and evenings, although visitors are encouraged to call ahead to ensure the exact times of these tours. Another option is to pay a small fee for an audio guide when purchasing entry tickets. Adults pay a nominal fee for access into the museum, while children under the age of 12 are admitted for free. There are special reduced rates for seniors, residents of Nevada and groups of over ten people (as long as these group tours are reserved in advance).
While the Guggenheim Hermitage has no museum store, visitors are welcome to place online purchases through the Guggenheim Store site which offers a wonderful range of art related products and gifts.
For anyone wishing to spend a couple of hours enjoying masterpieces in the true sense of the word, the Guggenheim Hermitage at the Venetian complex is a wonderful way to go about doing so. |
