Press Room:
"George Washington: A National Treasure"

For more information contact:
Shanta Nunn Baro, (501) 396-0308
snunn@arkarts.com
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
"George Washington: A National Treasure" National Portrait Gallery takes America's first hero on tour and will make stop at the Arkansas Arts Center April 23 - Aug. 22, 2004

(LITTLE ROCK, AR) - The Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery announces its most important exhibition to date: "George Washington: A National Treasure." For the first time in history, the Portrait Gallery is taking its most prized portrait on the road and will be on display April 23, through August 22, 2004, in the Strauss Gallery of the Arkansas Arts Center, 10th and Commerce Streets.

The famous portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart was recently saved from auction earlier this year by a generous gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation of Las Vegas, Nev. In celebration of its acquisition by and for the American people, the portrait will leave the nation's capital for a cross-country tour beginning in February 2002.

"George Washington: A National Treasure" represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance for millions of Americans to see this famous icon - one of the most significant visual documents of the founding of our nation - first-hand. The tour will stop at eight cities. The tour will open in Houston on Feb. 15, 2002 and will travel through 2005. Other museums hosting the tour are Las Vegas Art Museum, Las Vegas, Nev., June 28, through October 27, 2002; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Calif., November 8, 2002, through March 9, 2003; Seattle Art Museum, Wash., March 21, through July 20, 2003; Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minn., August 1, through November 30, 2003; Oklahoma City Art Museum, Okla., December 12, 2003, through April 11, 2004; and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City, September 3, 2004, through January 2, 2005.

"George Washington is one of America's most precious treasures, a man who not only helped define the national purpose, but also embodies it to this day," said Marc Pachter, director of the National Portrait Gallery. "The heroism, patriotism and self-sacrifice demonstrated by Washington have inspired many. And while we have been planning this tour for months, Washington's example may never be as relevant as it is today."

Education will be a key component of this inspiring exhibition. The National Portrait Gallery is finalizing a multi-tiered educational initiative that will bring both the portrait and the man behind the image to life. The educational component of the tour will enable visitors both at the host museums and across the country to experience this rare opportunity through on-site activities, interactive displays, as well as through the Web site www.georgewashington.si.edu/gw.html. The site will serve as a resource for teachers offering an array of free teaching materials at all grade levels. It will also serve the history buff, parents and children who would like to learn more about the man, the portrait and the country. The Web site will perform as an interactive teacher, allowing guests to download information, participate in online programs and order educational materials for the classroom.

An artifact whose historical and cultural importance has been compared to that of the Liberty Bell and the Declaration of Independence, the painting is an American treasure. Painted by Gilbert Stuart, the most prestigious portraitist of his day, the 205-year-old painting has a storied past. A fixture in Washington since 1968, the painting actually belonged to a prominent British family until very recently. In spring 2001, the National Portrait Gallery rescued the portrait from potential auction thanks to a $30 million gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation. This gift - as much an act of patriotism as of philanthropy - has allowed the National Portrait Gallery to preserve the iconic work for future generations. The gift has also provided for the creation of a special gallery at the museum, where it will make its permanent home following the "National Treasure" tour.

For information about "George Washington: A National Treasure," call Heather Haywood or email hhaywood@arkarts.com.