Power outage affects Bellagio art gallery

The power failure that turned out the lights Sunday night at the Bellagio hotel-casino in Las Vegas and forced its closure Monday and Tuesday also shuttered “Claude Monet: Masterworks From the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston,” an exhibition of 21 Impressionist paintings at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.

The primary concern was a change in climate that would endanger the paintings, normally maintained at 70 degrees Fahrenheit and 50% humidity.

Gallery spokesman Matthew Hileman declined to state how much the gallery climate changed during the blackout but said the shift was insignificant, thanks to an auxiliary source of power.

A conservator from the Boston museum was scheduled to inspect the paintings Wednesday. To allow time for gradual re-acclimatization, the gallery is expected to reopen today, 24 hours after the power comes on.

“Luckily, we’re at a mild time of the year and the change in climate was not terribly dramatic,” Hileman said, “but a member of Boston’s conservation team will be on hand to advise and assist if needed.”