The Art of Romare Bearden: Related Activities

SUNDAY LECTURE PROGRAM, PANEL DISCUSSION, AND BOOK SIGNING
September 14
2:00-4:00 p.m.
East Building Large Auditorium

Slide Lecture
An illustrated slide overview of the complex and colorful images that recall and document the world of Romare Bearden will introduce the exhibition The Art of Romare Bearden to the public. Ruth Fine, curator of the exhibition, National Gallery of Art, will illuminate the career of one of America’s most distinctive 20th-century artists.

Panel Discussion: A Bearden Celebration
Original members of Spiral-a group of African American artists, including Romare Bearden-who gathered in the 1960s in response to the Civil Rights Movement, and other experts will present a lively discussion about the Spiral experience and its importance to their work. Participating Spiral members are Emma Amos, Reginald Gammon, and Richard Mayhew. Other panelists are Camille Billops, Hatch-Billops Collection; Floyd Coleman, Howard University; and moderator Mary Schmidt Campbell, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University.

Book Signing
Ruth Fine and other authors will sign copies of the richly illustrated 348-page exhibition catalogue-the most comprehensive to date on the artist-with some 225 full-color plates and approximately 85 black-and-white plates. It will be available for sale in the Gallery Shops in September. The hardcover catalogue will be sold for $50 and distributed by Harry N. Abrams, Inc. The softcover version, published by the National Gallery of Art, will be available for $35 in the Gallery Shops, on the Gallery’s Web site at www.nga.gov, and by calling 1-800-697-9350. The Shops also will offer a large selection of books for children and adults, poster reproductions, postcards, note cards, calendars, and a holiday card.

SPECIAL LECTURE PROGRAM

Bearden Remembered
Saturday, October 18
Sunday, November 2
1:00-5:00 p.m.
East Building Large Auditorium

Artists and colleagues discuss Romare Bearden, his art, his career, and his influence on their work.

FILMS

The Art of Romare Bearden
September 14-January 4
Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays (30-minute version)
11:30 a.m.-12 noon
East Building Large Auditorium
Daily (30-minute version)
12 noon to 3:00 p.m.
East Building Small Auditorium

A 30-minute film produced by the National Gallery of Art and narrated by Danny Glover and Morgan Freeman, traces the artist’s career using new and archival footage to demonstrate the artistic impact of Bearden’s memories and impressions of North Carolina, Pittsburgh, New York, and the Caribbean. Ruth Fine, exhibition curator; Richard Powell, Duke University; Emma Amos, artist; Wynton Marsalis, musician, composer, and educator; and the artist’s friend, writer Albert Murray, discuss Bearden’s distinctive blend of cultural influences from Harlem, Europe, and Africa as well as his stance as an artist in two worlds: the contemporary art scene in downtown Manhattan and the African-American perspective uptown in Harlem. The 30-minute version will be available for sale in the Gallery Shops. A 10-minute version is shown continuously in the exhibition. The film is made possible by the HRH Foundation.

Bearden Plays Bearden (1981, 60 mins., Nelson E. Breen and Billie Allen)
October 1-3 and 8-10; December 17 and 18
12:30 p.m.
East Building Large Auditorium

The classic documentary on Bearden with extensive footage of the artist.

A Great Day in Harlem (1995, 60 mins)
November 29, December 3, 4, and 5
East Building Large Auditorium
Visit www.nga.gov for times.

The recent documentary was inspired by a celebrated photograph of 57 jazz musicians who assembled on a Harlem stoop one August morning in 1958.

Oscar Micheaux Film Series
A program devoted to African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, one of the first independent producers to make popular movies with black actors during the Harlem Renaissance, will begin on October 4. Included in the series are Body and Soul (1925), The Symbol of the Unconquered (1920), and Within Our Gates (1920). Visit www.nga.gov for a complete schedule and times.

Children’s Film Program
Jazztime and Duke Ellington
September 20 and November 28 and 29
10:30 and 11:30 a.m.
East Building Large Auditorium

The Gallery will present two animated films about jazz: Jazztime (Michael Sporn, 25 mins.) and Duke Ellington (Ray Messecar, 15 mins.). Set in Harlem in 1919, Jazztime tells the story of two girls-one black, one white-who form a lifelong friendship through a chance encounter and the jazztime music of young “Fats” Waller. Duke Ellington is a tribute to a Washington, DC, native and one of the greatest musicians of all time. For information, call (202) 789-4995.

TOURS OF THE EXHIBITION

Public Tours: Regularly scheduled and special appointment tours of the exhibition led by staff and graduate students from local universities will take place on an ongoing basis. Visit www.nga.gov for specific dates and times.

Special Appointment and Group Tours: Group tours, including foreign language tours, can be arranged in advance for adult groups of 20 or more by calling (202) 842-6247, and for school groups (limit 45 students on even-numbered weekdays) by faxing a request to (202) 789-4974.

Audio Tours
The Art of Romare Bearden, narrated by National Gallery of Art director Earl A. Powell III, includes commentary by Ruth Fine, exhibition curator; Wynton Marsalis, musician, composer, and educator; and David Driskell, artist, collector, and professor emeritus, University of Maryland, College Park. Acoustiguide hand-held audio players are available at the entrance to the exhibition for a $5 rental fee.

CONCERT

Sunday, October 12
7:00 p.m.
West Building, West Garden Court
In honor of the exhibition The Art of Romare Bearden, the Gallery presents a jazz concert featuring The Stanley Cowell Jazz Trio. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.; first come, first seated. No admittance after 7:00 p.m.

EXHIBITION BROCHURE

A full-color brochure will be available free of charge at the entrance to the exhibition. A large-print version will be available also from the audio tour desk at the entrance to the exhibition and from the art information desk.

FAMILY AND CHILDREN’S PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES

Bearden Exhibition Children’s Guide: A 16-page, full-color brochure on the artist’s life and work, with interactive text and activities, is available free of charge at the entrance to the exhibition. A PDF version will be available online at www.nga.gov.

NGAKids: Find uniquely-kid ways to understand Bearden and his art at www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm

Fall 2003 NGAKids Guide: The Gallery’s quarterly newsletter highlights family activities, including family workshops, children’s films, storytelling, and children’s books. The fall 2003 issue will highlight The Art of Romare Bearden with a pullout section. Available free at the art information desks or call (202) 842-6880 to receive by mail.

Community Street Festival
September 20
10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
East Building
Festivities include hands-on art activities, storytelling, films, music, book displays and sales, book signings, and food concessions.

Bearden Family Weekend
November 8, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
November 9, 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Celebrate the art of Romare Bearden with the entire family during this weekend of drop-in programs: films, storytelling, hands-on art projects, and live music. Tour the exhibition and learn about Bearden’s life and work through a free 12-page, full-color, Family Guide. For information, call (202) 842-6880.

Family Workshops
October 12, 19, and 26
1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.; Ages 9-11
East Building Entrance
Explore different collage techniques, tour the exhibition, and make a work of art to take home. Preregistration is required: (202) 789-3030.

SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Teachers’ Workshop: The National Gallery of Art and The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts host a Bearden workshop for approximately 400 regional teachers, offering them a preview of the Bearden exhibition; teaching guides produced for the exhibition; a musical performance; and a concluding reception. Call (202) 842-6796 for information.

Teaching Packet: This classroom teaching guide on Romare Bearden includes workbook, timeline, slides, and 11-by-14 inch color reproductions of the artist’s work.

Teacher In-Services: In-service sessions for K-12 educators may be scheduled during the run of the exhibition. For information, call (202) 842-6796 for additional information.

High School Days
December 9, 10, and 11
Workshops on Romare Bearden, his life, and work will be presented at the National Gallery for area high school classes. Call (202) 842-6880 for specific times and location.

SCHOOL TOURS

Arrange tours for school groups (limit 45 students on even-numbered weekdays) by faxing a request to (202) 789-4974.

WWW.NGA.GOV

The National Gallery of Art is planning a special section on The Art of Romare Bearden for its award-winning Web site, which had more than ten million visitors last year. A Bearden segment also is planned for the NGAKids site. For more information, visit www.nga.gov/exhibitions/beardeninfo.htm.

RESTAURANTS

Cascade Café - Southern Regional Cuisine
In celebration of the exhibition The Art of Romare Bearden, the Cascade Café offer a rotating selection of southern regional cuisines, in addition to regular menu items. The Cascade Café, with a view of the waterfall, is located in the East Building on the concourse level. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Terrace Café - Weekend Jazz Brunch
Enjoy a buffet-style brunch influenced by the Harlem Renaissance, while listening to live jazz performed in the Terrace Café on the Mezzanine level of the East Building overlooking the atrium and the National Mall. Hours will be 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, September 14 through January 4.

General Information

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. For information call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery's Web site at www.nga.gov.

Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon entering the East and West Buildings. Checkrooms are free of charge and located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances. For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried into the Gallery on a visitor's back. Any bag or other items that cannot be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 x 26 inches cannot be accepted by the Gallery or its checkrooms.

For additional press information please call or send inquiries to:

Press Office
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, MD 20785
phone: (202) 842-6353 e-mail: pressinfo@nga.gov

Deborah Ziska
Chief of Press and Public Information
(202) 842-6353
ds-ziska@nga.gov

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