LV casino executive promoting art in New Zealand

David Strow

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000 | 10:54 a.m.

Steve Wynn started the trend toward fine art on the Las Vegas Strip when he placed $400 million in artwork in the Bellagio. Sheldon Adelson continued it earlier this year, announcing plans to host artwork from the Guggenheim and the Hermitage at the Venetian.

Glenn Schaeffer, president of Mandalay Resort Group, has become the latest Las Vegas figure to promote art and culture -- but he's doing it in a town half a world from the Strip.

Schaeffer recently became a financial backer of the Suter Art Gallery, a 100-year-old museum located in the city of Nelson, New Zealand. That museum, New Zealand's third largest, has launched a $4 million expansion and renovation project. Schaeffer did not disclose how much he contributed to the project, though he said it's the first such contribution he's made in the art world.

"The dominant strain of painting in the history of New Zealand has come from the South Island, with Nelson being foremost as a home place of New Zealand painters," Schaeffer said. "I'm a sometime collector of New Zealand art, and offered to be one of a number of patrons that would help the museum expand in the next decade."

About a quarter of the museum's funding comes from the city, with the remainder coming from private donations.

Schaeffer has ties to the town -- three years ago, he purchased a historic house in Nelson and converted it into a bed and breakfast inn. Schaeffer still owns the property, and his in-laws operate it half the year.

The country does have several casinos, though Schaeffer said his attraction to New Zealand is based purely on his attraction to the country. He said Mandalay has no plans to expand to that country.

Schaeffer said there are no current plans to develop an art exhibit or attraction at any of Mandalay's Las Vegas casino resorts, which are Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, Circus-Circus and half of the Monte Carlo. He wouldn't speculate on whether such an exhibit will be considered in the future for Mandalay's Las Vegas properties.