About 11 paintings by Spanish painter Pablo Picasso will be auctioned on October 23 at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, as the MGM Resorts group of hotels and casinos seeks to diversify its rich art collection.
The sale could fetch up to $100 million and is believed to be the most valuable auction for Picasso's work.
MGM Resorts' collection includes nearly 900 works by 200 artists, including recent pieces by artists such as Bob Dylan and David Hockney, on display in its hotels around the world.
Picasso's works up for auction include five paintings, some of which have been on display for years in the opulent dining hall of the Hotel Blagio, named after the Spanish artist. Another 12 Picasso paintings will continue to be displayed in the hall.
In the wake of a widespread cultural awakening about racism across all levels of American society in 2020, museums and art galleries are diversifying their collections and hiring more women and people of color.
A study published by the Public Library of Science in 2019 included 18 of the most important American museums, and revealed that 85 percent of the artists whose works are displayed are white, and 87 percent are male.
Source: "Reuters"
