NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART OFFERS VARIETY OF PROGRAMS IN HONOR OF “GILBERT STUART” EXHIBITION

Washington, DC –Many special programs and resources will be offered in conjunction with Gilbert Stuart, on view at the National Gallery of Art from March 27 through July 31, 2005.

SUNDAY LECTURE

Gilbert Stuart: An Introduction to the Exhibition
April 3, 2:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium

Exhibition curator and catalogue author Ellen G. Miles, chair of the department of painting and sculpture, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, presents an overview of the exhibition.

PUBLIC SYMPOSIUM

The Edgar P. Richardson Symposium: Gilbert Stuart
Organized in conjunction with the National Portrait Gallery
April 16, 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
East Building Auditorium

Noted scholars of American history and portraiture present illustrated lectures in this day-long symposium on Gilbert Stuart. Moderated by the exhibition curators, the symposium will feature illustrated lectures by noted scholars of American history and portraiture, including Alex Kidson, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool; Joanne B. Freeman, Yale University; Linda J. Docherty, Bowdoin College; Wendy Bellion, University of Delaware; Susan Rather, University of Texas; and David S. Shields, University of South Carolina. A panel discussion led by William Pressly, University of Maryland, and Damie Stillman, University of Delaware, follows the lectures.

FAMILY WEEKEND

Saturday & Sunday
May 21 and 22

Enjoy a weekend of free drop-in programs exploring Gilbert Stuart. Children can learn about American history through a variety of performances, films, and hands-on art activities. Families are invited to meet George Washington, portrayed by an actor from Philadelphia’s American Historical Theatre; hear music from Stuart’s time on traditional instruments such as the glass armonica; create colonial wigs and bonnets; and more. This program is sponsored by Target as part of its commitment to arts and education. For details, call (202) 789-3030 or visit www.nga.gov/kids.

Gallery Concerts

Four concerts featuring music from Stuart’s time are being held in honor of the exhibition. All concerts will be held in the West Building, West Garden Court, Sundays at 6:30 p.m.

April 10
Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford, England
Music by Attwood, Crotch, Billings, and other British and American composers.

April 17
National Gallery Orchestra with guest conductor, Stephen Simon
Music by Hayden, Boyce, and other composers.

April 24
Fortepianist Penelope Crawford with organist Stephen Ackert
Music for harpsichord, fortepiano, and organ.

May 1
Glass armonicist Dean Shostak
Music for glass armonica and other 18th-century instruments.

Concertgoers are admitted first-come, first-seated at 6:00; concerts begin at 6:30, unless otherwise indicated. The entrance at 6th Street and Constitution Avenue NW remains open until 6:30. Please note that entry or reentry is not allowed after 6:30 p.m. For further information, call (202) 842-6941 or visit www.nga.gov/programs/music/index.shtm

PUBLIC READINGS

Manners, Morals, and Missives: Readings from Early American Writings
May 10 and 14, 10:30 a.m.–4:45 p.m.,
West Building East Garden Court.

Readers present passages from diaries, letters, pamphlets, poetry, and prose of Stuart’s time.

GALLERY TALKS

Unless otherwise noted, talks are given by members of the Gallery's education division, and begin in the West Building Rotunda.

Gilbert Stuart on April 5, 7, 10, 12, and 14 at 12:00 p.m. Philip Leonard.

Stuart and the Early First Ladies on April 16 and June 12 at 1:00 p.m.; May 6 and 25 at noon. Emily Burns.

The Anecdotal Stuart on April 23 and June 26 at 1:00 p.m.; May 11 and June 2 at noon. Emily Burns.

The American Presidents by Gilbert Stuart on June 8 and 24 at noon; June 16 and 28 at 1:00 p.m. Exhibition curator Ellen Miles, National Portrait Gallery.

Gilbert Stuart in Philadelphia and Washington, 1795–1805 on May 5 and 8 at noon; May 20 and 23 at 1:00 p.m. Exhibition curator Ellen Miles, National Portrait Gallery.

Gilbert Stuart on May 1, 4 and 20 at 1:00 p.m. Wilford W. Scott.

SCHOOL TOURS

April 20–June 2, 2005

School tours of Gilbert Stuart are limited to 45 students. For information on scheduling a school tour, please visit www.nga.gov/education/school.shtm.

NGAKIDS “INSIDE SCOOP”

The Spring 2005 edition of the quarterly publication NGAKids, available late March, will feature a special pull-out “Inside Scoop” section on Gilbert Stuart. The section can be downloaded from www.nga.gov/kids or you can request it sent via mail by calling 202-842-6254.

EXHIBITION CATALOGUE

Exhibition curators Carrie Rebora Barratt, curator of American paintings and sculpture and manager of the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Ellen G. Miles, chair of the department of painting and sculpture, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, are the authors of the exhibition catalogue, Gilbert Stuart. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art in association with Yale University Press, the book is available in the Gallery Shops, from the Gallery’s Web site at www.nga.gov/shop, or by phone at 1-800-697-9350 or (202) 842-6002 for $65 in hardcover and $45 in softcover (338 pages; 110 color,176 b&w).

AUDIO TOUR

Narrated by Gallery director Earl A. Powell III, the Gilbert Stuart audio tour includes commentary by exhibition curators Ellen Miles and Carrie Rebora Barratt along with Franklin Kelly, senior curator of American and British paintings, National Gallery of Art.

BROCHURE

There will be a free full-color brochure available at the entrance to the exhibition.

WEB SITE

The Gallery’s Web site will feature selected highlights from the exhibition and links to exhibition-related activities at http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/stuartinfo.htm.

Please note: All programs are free unless otherwise indicated and open to the public; seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. For more information, call (202) 737-4215, visit the Web site at www.nga.gov, or inquire at the art information desks.

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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