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Press Details
Kick-Off Events Celebrate Free Admission to Baltimore Museum of Art and Walters Art Museum
8/29/2006
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Anne Mannix
The Baltimore Museum of Art
443-573-1870
Amy Mannarino
The Walters Art Museum
410-547-9000, ext. 277
FREE ADMISSION TO THE BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART AND WALTERS ART MUSEUM BEGINS ON OCTOBER 1
Baltimore’s two world-class art museums become free year-round
BALTIMORE, MD (August 28, 2006) — The Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum are opening their doors with year-round free admission for all beginning on Sunday, October 1. This is the first time in more than two decades that each museum will be free on an ongoing basis, and both the BMA and the Walters will be celebrating this momentous occasion with special events in October.
“We are so pleased to be able to “go free” so that people from the local community, as well as visiting tourists, can be touched by art without any financial barriers,” said Walters Director Gary Vikan.
“The museums will become more vital and vibrant as everyone—from families and seniors to students and teachers—can enjoy these magnificent collections for a few minutes or hours, anytime they choose,” said BMA Director Doreen Bolger.
Greater access to two world-class museums is made possible thanks to a lead gift from Baltimore City and Baltimore County, with additional support from the William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, Anne Arundel County and T. Rowe Price Associates Foundation, Inc. Free museum admission is also being launched in conjunction with Free Fall Baltimore, an innovative citywide program under the direction of The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts designed to make the arts available to everyone.
The free admission celebrations begin with the BMA ArtBlast on Sunday, October 1. This fun outdoor festival features live music, dance, film, art activities for kids and more. The BMA will feature three new exhibitions, including A View toward Paris: The Lucas Collection of 19th-century French Art, all free of charge.
The Walters Wide Open Weekend kicks off free admission and the new evening hours with live music, local celebrity tours, a fashion show, storytellers and films presented October 6–8. The Walters is also offering free admission to Courbet and the Modern Landscape, opening on October 15.
Members at each museum will continue to receive a host of benefits ranging from free VIP tickets to special exhibitions to gift shop discounts to exclusive members-only preview parties. They will also receive substantial program discounts and invitations to other special events.
FREE FALL BALTIMORE
Free Fall Baltimore is a new arts initiative and cultural tourism program that showcases extraordinary performances, art experiences and unique collaborations in Baltimore—all for free. Held October and November 2006, more than 70 area attractions and art institutions are participating with hundreds of free cultural activities throughout the city. Free Fall Baltimore is made possible by a grant from Mayor Martin O’Malley and the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts. Visit www.freefallbaltimore for more information.
Special thanks to Free Fall Baltimore media sponsors: The Baltimore Sun, Maryland Public Television, WBAL-TV, 92Q-FM, Magic 95.9-FM, WYPR, and Mission Media.
THE BALTIMORE MUSEUM OF ART
The Baltimore Museum of Art is home to an internationally renowned collection of 19th-century, modern and contemporary art. Founded in 1914, the BMA’s outstanding collection encompasses 90,000 works of art, including the largest and most significant holding of works by Henri Matisse in the world, as well as masterpieces by Pablo Picasso, Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh. An expanding collection of contemporary art features iconic post-1960 works by Andy Warhol and Sol LeWitt, as well as exciting acquisitions by artists such as Kara Walker and Olafur Eliasson. The BMA is also recognized for an internationally acclaimed collection of prints, drawings and photographs from the 15th century to the present; grand European painting and sculpture from Old Masters to the 19th century; distinguished American painting, sculpture, and decorative arts and Maryland period rooms; one of the most important African collections in the country, and notable examples of Asian, ancient American and Oceanic art. The BMA’s sculpture gardens feature a 100-year survey of modern sculpture on nearly three landscaped acres.
THE WALTERS ART MUSEUM
The Walters Art Museum is located in Baltimore’s historic Mount Vernon Cultural District at North Charles and Centre streets and is one of only a few museums worldwide to present a comprehensive history of art from the third millennium B.C. to the early 20th century. Among its thousands of treasures, the Walters holds the finest collection of ivories, jewelry, enamels and bronzes in America and a spectacular reserve of illuminated manuscripts and rare books. The Walters’ Egyptian, Greek and Roman, Byzantine, Ethiopian and western medieval art collections are among the best in the nation, as are the museum’s holdings of Renaissance and Asian art. Every major trend in French painting during the 19th century is represented by one or more works in the Walters’ collection. Peabody Court is the official hotel of the Walters Art Museum. This historic property is just around the corner from the museum and features George’s, a full-service restaurant. For hotel reservations, call 1-800-292-5500 and ask for the special Walters discounted rate.
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