Letter: Art exhibit a proud moment for Vegas

Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2006 | 12:30 p.m.

With regard to the Sun's Feb. 10 editorial, "Vegas is fine with being Baroque," allow me to clarify two of the references it makes.

The first work that the editorial refers to, "Massacre of the Innocents," certainly caused quite a sensation when it was sold at auction several years ago. As it is in a private collection and not in the collection of the State Hermitage Museum (partner with the Guggenheim in this museum), it is very unlikely that I would have the great pleasure of showing it in Las Vegas.

"Samson and Delilah" is in the collection of the National Gallery in London and was featured in their recent Rubens exhibition alongside the previously mentioned "Massacre of the Innocents." They had not been seen together since they were painted in Rubens' studio. Again, we have the problem of borrowing from a major collection that is not a lender to the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum at this time.

I fully endorse the editorial's view that Las Vegas has a seat at the fine arts table, not only because of the work of the Guggenheim Hermitage Museum but also because of the numerous enormously talented artists and arts groups that call Las Vegas home.

It is amazing that we have been entrusted with such a high profile and extremely significant and otherwise valuable show. I think this is a credit to all of us in Las Vegas and another indication of our increasing stature in the international cultural community.

Elizabeth Herridge

Las Vegas