I also go there for the arts, believe it or not. Not the
first thing you think of when you list “things to do in Las Vegas,” is it? One of the many surprising things for the curious seeker to discover in “hidden Las Vegas.” The Bellagio is known for its famed fountains and
the magnificent Dale Chihuly lobby piece called Fiori di Como, which is made of 2,000 colorful hand-blown glass flowers. A lesser known wonder there is the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, which presents world- class exhibitions of objet d’art, drawn from private collections as well as internationally-recognized mu- seums. The current exhibit, “Painting Women: Works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” is a collection of 34 paintings of female artists including Georgia O’Keeffe, Mary Cassatt and Berthe Morisot. Next door at CityCenter, the complex that houses
the Aria and Vdara Hotels, as well as The Crystals mall, is teeming with original works by some of the world’s best-known contemporary artists. It is the first major permanent art collection integrated into a public space and one of the largest corporate collections in the world today. Maya Lin’s “Silver River” graces the Aria’s registration desk, Henry Moore’s “Reclining Connected Forms” is just outside Vdara’s lobby, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen’s “Typewriter Eraser, Scale X,” on the Mandarin Hotel’s terrace, “Big Edge” by Nancy Rubins, suspended precariously center court and Bolt, / Bent of Mind, 2009/ Untitled (Tall Column), by Tony Cragg in the Atrium at Aria. Just a few of the wonders hidden in the vast complex. Let’s not forget to mention the truly unique and mind-blowing architecture. You can’t help but be im- pressed, especially by the awe-inspiring Treehouse in the heart of Crystals that rises three stories in height, visible from almost every location and the dual “Veer” towers, leaning like the famed antique version at Pisa. More hidden jewels: The Neon Museum is a junk-
yard time capsule of every Las Vegas “has been.” It is a tin and neon tube bone yard, chronicling the lights that graced the ever-changing strip since the ‘30s when the city erupted in the desert. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas is another rich source for art; with six galleries that feature exhibits of major worldwide collections, faculty and student works from the UNLV College of Fine Arts and the broader Las Vegas community as well. The Cosmopolitan’s P3Studio features rotating exhibitions focused on the con- temporary digital world. Rock Paper Photo fine art gallery is housed at The Hard Rock Hotel and, like its landlord, focuses on rock’n’roll photography and its famed players. Then there’s the Venetian, with the famed Madame Tussaud’s wax figures. Oye, I need another week here... There is so much more to see. Hotels are truly over-the-top and nobody does it
better than they do it in Vegas, baby. Especially re- garding the renovated and recently opened Delano (opened September 2, formerly known as The Hotel). Beautiful rooms (suite only), soothing finishes and
sounds, all in all, a delightful, relaxing experience. Art is a centerpiece there as well; a dramatic stone installation greets you at the entry. A 10-foot tall, 126,000-pound divided boulder that was sourced from the Nevada desert—stunning—I was com- pelled to run my hand across its smooth face every time I passed. At the opposite end of the entrance hall is a gravity-defying installation, comprised of hundreds of small rocks, by Korean artist Jaehyo Lee. Delano is part of the Mandalay Bay complex owned
by MGM Resorts International. The 1.117 suite-only resort is a collaboration between that organization and Morgans Hotel Group, with the renovation liter- ally top to bottom. The advantages of the hotel’s loca- tion are evident from the moment your suite’s drapes are opened. The views are stunning as you take in the entire Las Vegas strip. Even better when night falls, the endless lights are mesmerizing. Make sure to visit the spa, cheekily named the Bathhouse… I took in Cirque du Soliel’s Michael Jackson ONE
at Mandalay this time around. Though I have never been the greatest MJ fan, his talent was impressive. The show chronicles Jackson’s career in a carefully crafted timeline, surprising me with how much it had personal memories attached to each song. I guess his short life did have an impact on me, one of the millions he touched with his talent. You will find the same experience holds true for Love, the Cirque’s tribute to The Beatles… when the “diamonds” fall out of the sky during “Lucy in the sky with diamonds…” just thinking of it, makes the gooseflesh rise on my arms. Another part of my Las Vegas arts journey was
attending Kinky Boots at the newly opened Smith Center, the city’s premiere Art Deco-inspired per- forming arts venue. Aside from the wonderful show, the hall is beautifully crafted and the acoustics were sublime, as was the show. Gay travelers to the famed city will find that the
offerings are ever evolving. I was in the city during Las Vegas Pride and for the most part, Pride events were typical. There was not a LGBT club open on the strip during my stay, but, I understand that Victor Drei and Eduardo Cordova have just opened a new nightclub called Liason inside Bally’s (alas, I guess I’ll just have to return to investigate). That being said, there are several venues to choose from, all just a short cab ride away; Share and its “private dancer” rooms, Piranha Night- club (voted best gay nightclub by the Las Vegas Review Journal) with its Boylesque nights and Charlie’s for the country and western crowd are just a few of the many local offerings. The pool parties are what I recommend for the gay
traveler, especially during the much busier and gayer Las Vegas Pride weekend. The Luxor seemed to be the gathering point for most of the LGBT visitors and the Saturday and especially, Temptation Sundays pool parties were a sunny, sexy time. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon, lounging in a warm pool, with beautiful Adonai, a great DJ and music, thirst-quenching cocktails, with someone to serve them and a whole lot of sunscreen… and did I mention a sculpted man to apply it?
“Hey, you over there, come do my back…” OCTOBER 2014 | RAGE monthly 51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80