What's New on NGA Web-December 2006

December 2006
In this Issue:

1. Holiday Festivities 2006

2. The Fifty-fifth A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts: Simon Schama

3. Lecture: Rockets and Blue Lights (Close at Hand): Celebrating the Publication of Kirk Varnedoe's Mellon Lectures

4. Publication and Video Segment: Kirk Varnedoe's Mellon Lectures

5. Sculpture Garden Ice Rink Community Day

6. NGAkids Dutch Dollhouse Interactive

7. Children's Film: Laura's Star

8. December Calendar of Events

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1. Holiday Festivities 2006

The National Gallery of Art will celebrate the 2006 holiday season with free programs that include caroling, concerts, gallery talks, and a special lecture. The Gallery Shops will offer seasonal items and art-related gifts, and the restaurants will serve a selection of holiday favorites from around the world. In addition, the Sculpture Garden's outdoor ice-skating rink is now open, with refreshments available in the nearby Pavilion Cafe.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/holfest.htm (Holiday Festivities)
http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/skating.htm (Ice Skating)

2. The Fifty-fifth A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts: Simon Schama

Simon Schama, professor of art history at Columbia University, is presenting the 55th Mellon Lectures, Really Old Masters: Age, Infirmity, and Reinvention. His December lectures focus on the last works of Turner and Monet, Picasso and Matisse, and Willem de Kooning. Lectures are free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Book signings follow the lectures on December 10 and 17. Video recordings of each lecture will be presented twice in the week following the lecture.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/abstracts/schama.htm

3. Lecture: Rockets and Blue Lights (Close at Hand): Celebrating the Publication of Kirk Varnedoe's Mellon Lectures

John Elderfield, chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, will give an illustrated talk at the National Gallery of Art on December 16 to celebrate the recent publication of the highly acclaimed Mellon Lectures given here by the late Kirk Varnedoe in 2003. Varnedoe, who was chief curator at MoMA before Elderfield, died several months after presenting six lectures before overflow audiences on the theme of abstract art.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/lecture.htm#dec16

4. Publication and Video Segment: Kirk Varnedoe's Mellon Lectures

All six of Kirk Varnedoe's 2003 Mellon Lectures have been recently published as Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock, now on sale in the Gallery Shops. An exciting public speaker, Varnedoe brilliantly communicated his passion for modern and contemporary art, arguing eloquently for its power and importance. View a segment from his first Mellon Lecture, "Why Abstract Art?" delivered at the National Gallery of Art on March 30, 2003.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/abstracts/varnedoe/varnedoevideo.htm (Video Segment)
http://www.nga.gov/shop/index.htm (Gallery Shop)

5. Sculpture Garden Ice Rink Community Day: Sunday, December 3, 10:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

On Sunday, December 3, 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Washington Capitals ice hockey players and skaters from the Fort Dupont Ice Arena and the Ashburn Ice House will treat National Gallery visitors to ice skating and hockey demonstrations on the Sculpture Garden’s ice rink. Free hot chocolate in the Pavilion Cafe and free admission to the first 200 skaters in line promise a fun-filled day. Gallery staff will give short talks about Gilbert Stuart’s painting The Skater in the West Building and will hand out coupons for free self-guided family audio tours of Dutch and Flemish art ("Adventures in Art").
http://www.nga.gov/press/2006/ice-comm.shtm (Press Release)

6. NGAkids Dutch Dollhouse Interactive

NGAkids presents Dutch Dollhouse, an interactive inspired by 17th-century Dutch paintings. Works by well-known artists such as Pieter de Hooch and Johannes Vermeer spring to life as children mix and match a variety of colorful characters and traditional decorative objects, exploring elements of contemporary domestic life in the kitchen, living quarters, artist's studio, and courtyard.
http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/dollhouse.htm (Requires Shockwave plug-in)
http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm (NGAkids)

7. Children's Film: Laura's Star

One night seven-year-old Laura watches a shooting star land in a nearby park and decides to find it. When she does, she brings the star home, and the two begin a fantastic friendship. But when Laura realizes that the star yearns for its old home, will she let her new friend go? After each screening of the film, families are invited to decorate star-shaped ornaments to take home.
http://www.nga.gov/programs/flmchild.htm#dec02

8. December Calendar of Events

Plan your visit to the Gallery with the help of the December Calendar of Events. Schedules of films, lectures, gallery talks, family activities, and concerts are listed along with detailed information about each event.
http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/calendar.htm

FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO A FRIEND

PLANNING A VISIT / GENERAL INFORMATION
http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/index.htm

This page provides links to the Gallery's hours and location, Calendar of Events, restaurant hours, accessibility information, Gallery history, and news releases.

The National Gallery of Art, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 7th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, is 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.

Admission is free. For general information, call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176.

To obtain a free bimonthly Calendar of Events by mail, call (202) 842-6662 or contact us by e-mail at calendar@nga.gov. Please include your mailing address.

To receive a free quarterly Film Calendar by mail, contact us by e-mail at film-department@nga.gov. Please include your mailing address.

SUPPORT THE GALLERY
Learn how you can become involved in supporting the vital activities of the National Gallery of Art.
http://www.nga.gov/support/index.htm

TO CONTACT US
If you would like to contact us, please submit our Web feedback form at: http://www.nga.gov/feedback/webfeedback.htm

TO MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
If you would like to change your e-mail address for receipt of this newsletter, go to:
http://subscribe.nga.gov/subscription_manage_NGart.cfm

PROBLEMS WITH THE LINKS?
If you are unable to get results by clicking directly on a link, highlight the URL, then copy and paste it in the "Location Bar" at the top of the browser window.

This is a post-only mailing address. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY.


December 2006 In this Issue: 1. Holiday Festivities 2006 2. The Fifty-fifth A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts: Simon Schama 3. Lecture: Rockets and Blue Lights (Close at Hand): Celebrating the Publication of Kirk Varnedoe's Mellon Lectures 4. Publication and Video Segment: Kirk Varnedoe's Mellon Lectures 5. Sculpture Garden Ice Rink Community Day 6. NGAkids Dutch Dollhouse Interactive 7. Children's Film: Laura's Star 8. December Calendar of Events Forward this Newsletter to a Friend
	1. Holiday Festivities 2006 The National Gallery of Art will celebrate the 2006 holiday season with free programs that include caroling, concerts, gallery talks, and a special lecture. The Gallery Shops will offer seasonal items and art-related gifts, and the restaurants will serve a selection of holiday favorites from around the world. In addition, the Sculpture Garden's outdoor ice-skating rink is now open, with refreshments available in the nearby Pavilion Cafe. http://www.nga.gov/programs/holfest.htm (Holiday Festivities) http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/skating.htm (Ice Skating)
	2. The Fifty-fifth A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts: Simon Schama Simon Schama, professor of art history at Columbia University, is presenting the 55th Mellon Lectures, Really Old Masters: Age, Infirmity, and Reinvention. His December lectures focus on the last works of Turner and Monet, Picasso and Matisse, and Willem de Kooning. Lectures are free and open to the public. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Book signings follow the lectures on December 10 and 17. Video recordings of each lecture will be presented twice in the week following the lecture. http://www.nga.gov/programs/abstracts/schama.htm
	3. Lecture: Rockets and Blue Lights (Close at Hand): Celebrating the Publication of Kirk Varnedoe's Mellon Lectures John Elderfield, chief curator of painting and sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York, will give an illustrated talk at the National Gallery of Art on December 16 to celebrate the recent publication of the highly acclaimed Mellon Lectures given here by the late Kirk Varnedoe in 2003. Varnedoe, who was chief curator at MoMA before Elderfield, died several months after presenting six lectures before overflow audiences on the theme of abstract art. http://www.nga.gov/programs/lecture.htm#dec16
	4. Publication and Video Segment: Kirk Varnedoe's Mellon Lectures All six of Kirk Varnedoe's 2003 Mellon Lectures have been recently published as Pictures of Nothing: Abstract Art since Pollock, now on sale in the Gallery Shops. An exciting public speaker, Varnedoe brilliantly communicated his passion for modern and contemporary art, arguing eloquently for its power and importance. View a segment from his first Mellon Lecture, "Why Abstract Art?" delivered at the National Gallery of Art on March 30, 2003. http://www.nga.gov/programs/abstracts/varnedoe/varnedoevideo.htm (Video Segment) http://www.nga.gov/shop/index.htm (Gallery Shop)
	5. Sculpture Garden Ice Rink Community Day: Sunday, December 3, 10:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. On Sunday, December 3, 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Washington Capitals ice hockey players and skaters from the Fort Dupont Ice Arena and the Ashburn Ice House will treat National Gallery visitors to ice skating and hockey demonstrations on the Sculpture Garden’s ice rink. Free hot chocolate in the Pavilion Cafe and free admission to the first 200 skaters in line promise a fun-filled day. Gallery staff will give short talks about Gilbert Stuart’s painting The Skater in the West Building and will hand out coupons for free self-guided family audio tours of Dutch and Flemish art ("Adventures in Art"). http://www.nga.gov/press/2006/ice-comm.shtm (Press Release)
	6. NGAkids Dutch Dollhouse Interactive NGAkids presents Dutch Dollhouse, an interactive inspired by 17th-century Dutch paintings. Works by well-known artists such as Pieter de Hooch and Johannes Vermeer spring to life as children mix and match a variety of colorful characters and traditional decorative objects, exploring elements of contemporary domestic life in the kitchen, living quarters, artist's studio, and courtyard. http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/dollhouse.htm (Requires Shockwave plug-in) http://www.nga.gov/kids/kids.htm (NGAkids)
	7. Children's Film: Laura's Star One night seven-year-old Laura watches a shooting star land in a nearby park and decides to find it. When she does, she brings the star home, and the two begin a fantastic friendship. But when Laura realizes that the star yearns for its old home, will she let her new friend go? After each screening of the film, families are invited to decorate star-shaped ornaments to take home. http://www.nga.gov/programs/flmchild.htm#dec02
	8. December Calendar of Events Plan your visit to the Gallery with the help of the December Calendar of Events. Schedules of films, lectures, gallery talks, family activities, and concerts are listed along with detailed information about each event. http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/calendar.htm
	FORWARD THIS NEWSLETTER TO A FRIEND PLANNING A VISIT / GENERAL INFORMATION http://www.nga.gov/ginfo/index.htm This page provides links to the Gallery's hours and location, Calendar of Events, restaurant hours, accessibility information, Gallery history, and news releases. The National Gallery of Art, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 7th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, is 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. Admission is free. For general information, call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176. To obtain a free bimonthly Calendar of Events by mail, call (202) 842-6662 or contact us by e-mail at calendar@nga.gov. Please include your mailing address. To receive a free quarterly Film Calendar by mail, contact us by e-mail at film-department@nga.gov. Please include your mailing address. SUPPORT THE GALLERY Learn how you can become involved in supporting the vital activities of the National Gallery of Art. http://www.nga.gov/support/index.htm TO CONTACT US If you would like to contact us, please submit our Web feedback form at: http://www.nga.gov/feedback/webfeedback.htm TO MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTION If you would like to change your e-mail address for receipt of this newsletter, go to: http://subscribe.nga.gov/subscription_manage_NGart.cfm PROBLEMS WITH THE LINKS? If you are unable to get results by clicking directly on a link, highlight the URL, then copy and paste it in the "Location Bar" at the top of the browser window. This is a post-only mailing address. PLEASE DO NOT REPLY.