Martin’s art takes spotlight

Kimberley McGee

Friday, April 6, 2001 | 7:40 a.m.

The "Private Collection of Steve Martin" will be revealed for the first time Saturday at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.

The exhibit is a rare chance to glimpse the personal passions of a very public person.

Martin, a screenwriter, comedian, actor and best-selling author, has said he preferred to secrete away his art adoration from the prying eyes of the public.

Now he's offering an eyeful.

The 28-piece show includes works by such artists as Francis Bacon, Georges Seurat and Pablo Picasso, as well as contemporary pieces by actor and comedian Martin Mull, and Eric Fischl, whose three paintings include a portrait of the tamer side of the wild and crazy comedian-turned-collector.

The silver-haired humorist has quietly nurtured and sheltered his impressive collection over the past 30 years.

In March Martin penned an article for the New York Times to answer nagging questions from the public and the media about the pieces.

"I kept silent about my art collection in an effort to keep something personal for myself," Martin wrote. "Recently, it occurred to me it was time to exhibit these few pictures. I can only guess why ... But I will tell you the reason I have agreed to show these pictures in Las Vegas: it sounds like fun."

The people at Bellagio thought so, too. The art gallery pursued Martin particularly for his impressive assemblage of art. They had no idea how wholly he would embrace the project.

"We knew that he had a wonderful collection," Kathy Clewell, director of the Bellagio Gallery, said. "He is respected in the art world as a collector with a fine eye."

Martin shared his collecting experiences, and what he enjoys about each piece, in a narrated audio tour that is included in the exhibit's ticket price.

He also wrote the text to the illustrated catalog, which can be purchased for $40, with his usual wit and wisdom.

"He's very much involved," Clewell said.

Proceeds from sales of the catalog, titled "Kindly Lent Their Owner," will benefit the privately run Steve Martin Charitable Foundation to assist the arts.

The comedian's serious enthusiasm for art led the Los Angeles County Art Museum to invite Martin to be a trustee in 1984. Since then Martin has loaned a few of his art pieces to the museum, as well as donated funds to the museum's contemporary art series.

"Las Vegas is very lucky to be able to see (the exhibit)," Keith McKeown, spokesman for the Los Angeles museum, said. "He is a very private person. The exhibit has never been seen in Los Angeles" by the public.

The exhibit is rare considering Martin's shy nature, McKeown said, and is only one example of Martin's dedication to the arts.