National Gallery of Arts 2009 Jazz in the Garden Concert Series Celebrates the American Collection

National Gallery of Art's 2009 Jazz in the Garden Concerts Coincide with Reinstallation of Renowned American Collection

As the National Gallery of Art celebrates the unveiling of its newly renovated American galleries and the return of its acclaimed American paintings collection to public view, the Gallery presents its ninth consecutive year of the free summer concert series, Jazz in the Garden. Top local and regional artists will perform a diverse mix of jazz, from swing to progressive to Latin, in the National Gallery of Art's Sculpture Garden each Friday from 5:00 to 8:30 p.m., May 22 through September 11, rain or shine.

The annual National Gallery of Art Jazz in the Garden summer concert series began in May 2001 and quickly became a favorite after-work destination for professionals and weekend activity for families and retirees. To date, nearly 900,000 people have enjoyed the various styles of live jazz in the Sculpture Garden, a verdant oasis in the heart of the nation's capital. Musicians perform in front of the Pavilion Café, while visitors relax around the grand central fountain or arrange picnic blankets on the beautifully landscaped grounds.

Jazz in the Garden is sponsored by Guest Services, Inc., and the National Gallery of Art.

Performances
In case of inclement weather, concerts are held inside the Pavilion Café. The schedule for this season's Friday evening concerts:

May 22
Lady A (jazz and R & B vocalist)

May 29
Young Lions (fusion rock / jazz)

June 5
Afro Blue (a capella ensemble), Duke Ellington Jazz Festival

June 12
Deanna Bogart ("bluesion")

June 19
Origem (Brazilian jazz)

June 26
Junkyard Saints (contemporary zydeco)

July 3
Bio Ritmo (hot salsa)

July 10
Days Ahead (jazz and R & B vocalist)

July 17
Marty Nau (jazz saxophonist)

July 24
Young Lions (fusion rock / jazz)

July 31
Dixie Power Trio (traditional jazz)

August 7
Krupa-Pilzer Quintet (women in jazz)

August 14
Bruno Nasta / U.S. Army Blues (jazz violinist / big-band jazz)

August 21
Robert Boguslaw (jazz pianist)

August 28
Tom Williams (jazz trumpeter)

September 4
Phil Mathieu (jazz guitar)

September 11
Robert Redd / U.S. Navy Commodores (jazz pianist / big-band jazz)

To learn more about Jazz in the Garden concerts and performers, please visit www.nga.gov/programs/jazz.htm or call (202) 289-3360.

"The Great American Picnic Basket" and the American Collection
While a special menu of light fare and full beverage service is available inside the Pavilion Café or from carts located on the two paved patios outside the café, savvy concertgoers can skip the lines by preordering "The Great American Picnic Basket," presented in celebration of the reopened American paintings galleries. An incredible value at $25, the keepsake basket serves two with American picnic fare to include sparkling water, gourmet meats and cheeses from the American heartland, fresh-baked artisan breads, local seasonal fruit, and dessert, as well as a stamped postcard of an American masterpiece from the Gallery's collection, a pen, and a current Calendar of Events. Guests may preorder the baskets and wines by the bottle at www.jazzinthegarden.com or by calling (202) 289-3360.

The National Gallery of Art has reopened its American galleries after a two-year period of ongoing repair, restoration, and renovation. Located in the magnificent West Building, the newly installed galleries display some 150 paintings by virtually every important figure in American painting from the 18th to the early 20th century and will include many of these artists' greatest masterpieces. The Gallery's collection of approximately 1,000 American paintings from these centuries represents the largest holding of any school in the Gallery.

For more information about the Gallery's American collection, visit: http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/amer.shtm.

Sculpture Garden
Designed to offer year-round enjoyment to the public in one of the preeminent locations on the National Mall, the 6.1-acre National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden opened to the public on May 23, 1999. The richly landscaped setting provides a distinctive backdrop for 17 monumental works of 20th-century sculpture by internationally renowned artists such as Louise Bourgeois, Roy Lichtenstein, Tony Smith, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, and others. Visitors may enjoy spacious seating and walking areas amid the native American canopy and flowering trees, shrubs, groundcovers, and perennials. The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden was given to the nation by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. More information about the Sculpture Garden is available at www.nga.gov/exhibitions/sculpture.

Hours and Location
The summer hours of the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, May 22 through September 11, are as follows:

Monday through Thursday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The Pavilion Café remains open until 8:30 p.m. on Fridays during the Jazz in the Garden concert series, and until 6:00 p.m. the rest of the week.

Located on the National Mall at Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW, in the block adjacent to the West Building of the Gallery, the Sculpture Garden has six entrances and is accessible to visitors with disabilities.

The nearest Metro stations are Archives/Navy Memorial (Green/Yellow Lines), Smithsonian (Blue/Orange Lines), and Judiciary Square (Red Line). The DC Circulator Bus stops at Fourth Street and Madison Drive NW, and on Seventh Street and Constitution Avenue NW.

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