MGM’s New Art of Gambling

Evolving beyond the endless rows of slot machines, poker tables, and choreographed shows, Las Vegas will soon be home to a new $40 million fine art program at the new city center of the MGM Mirage, one of Sin City’s institutional casino and hotel complexes.

Slated to open in late 2009, MGM’s mammoth city center has collated an impressive roster of artists to collaborate with the center’s architects to commission art tailored to the new structure. Some of the notable artists include Maya Lin, Jenny Holzer, and Nancy Rubins, and their creations will mark the highest caliber of artistry ever created specifically for Las Vegas.

The size of the works of art is reportedly thematic. Mary Lin has fashioned a 120-foot silver cast of the Colorado River that will be suspended over the reception area of the gaming resort, while Nancy Rubins’ work will be a montage of various rowboats, kayaks, canoes, and small sailboats that will measure 40 feet tall, 50 feet wide, and 70 feet long.

These masterpieces are about the only thing in the city that cannot be gambled.

Via Hotel Chatter