Release Date: February 16, 2001

National Gallery of Art Launches New Audio Tour of Dutch and Flemish Paintings for Young Visitors

Washington, DC--The National Gallery of Art is introducing Adventures in Art, a new family audio tour especially for young visitors ages five and up. Using exciting dramatization, interactive games, music, and poetry, the new audio program, written and produced by Acoustiguide, helps children explore the Gallerys Dutch and Flemish collection. Young narrators and a resident expArt (art expert) interact with characters in the paintings and explain symbolism, provide historical information, and help children study scenes found in these world-famous works of art. The audio program covers twenty-one paintings, including Johannes Vermeers A Lady Writing (c. 1665) and Rembrandt van Rijns Self-Portrait (1659).

The new family audio tour of Dutch and Flemish paintings is another opportunity for young people to examine the nations art, said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art. With this audio tour and our children's Web site, NGAkids, the Gallery continues to explore ways to capture the imagination of the younger generation and introduce them to the principles of art history.

Since Thanksgiving Day 2000, when the family audio tour debuted, Sir Peter Paul Rubens Daniel in the Lions Den (c. 1613/1615) has emerged as a favorite of many young visitors. The audio program covers the biblical story of Daniels life-threatening encounter with lions and gives interesting background information about the artist.

The audio program is offered on Acoustiguide's state-of-the-art MP3 digital players and is available for rental in the West Building Rotunda for $3.

For an additional $2 adults may rent headphones to follow along.

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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