The Art of Richard MacDonald Presented by Cirque du Soleil

World-renowned artist Richard MacDonald brings his bronze circus statues to Bellagio's "O" Theatre lobby, a perfect theme for the show.

MacDonald has received numerous international business awards for his sculptures, paintings and drawings. In addition to the United States, Japan, Korea and Italy are just a few of the places that have displayed MacDonald's exquisite pieces.

The inspiration behind this gallery was spawned from Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil, and MacDonald, a master at figurative sculpture. Both have a strong appreciation of the grace, strength and poise of dancers.

MacDonald's gallery at the "O" Theatre features more than 50 bronze sculptures along with his original sketches. Many of his sculptures celebrate the flexibility of dancers by presenting unique poses. MacDonald also showcases a series of mime statues. Some of his pieces took him eight years to complete. 

"Figurative art is a very difficult thing to do," MacDonald said. "I take no shortcuts." 

While figurative art is definitely a challenging task, MacDonald seems to grasp the concept of it quite well. Another interesting fact is that he doesn't have a preconceived idea for any of his projects. He studies his models and dancers, sketches a few of the poses and develops from there. His photographic memory comes in handy when his models have to leave.

"Creating a piece of artwork is like a baby -- a piece of life," he said.

MacDonald has not only studied and sculpted the human body, but animals as well. Visitors can see the intricate details of his piece, "Diana and the Cursing Cheetahs" inside the gallery.

His sculptures stand on a revolving platform so people can see his work from every angle. Patrons can also flip through books featuring his work and even watch a video of his work in progress.

Each sculpture is available for sale, but they come with a hefty price tag -- these art pieces can range anywhere between $900 and $4,000.

In addition to the "O" Theatre lobby, visitors can find more art pieces by MacDonald near the Bellagio Conservatory. MacDonald also has another location at Gallery Row, just across the bridge outside of Crystals at CityCenter. This gallery showcases more than 50 bronze sculptures. Bellagio offers a tram that takes guests directly to Crystals shopping mall.

-- Review by Jeannie Borbe