PHILADELPHIA, PA.- The Philadelphia Museum of Art today announced that the popular Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris exhibition will be extended through Sunday, May 2, 2010. The Museum will have extended hours during this time, and the exhibition and select galleries will also be open on Monday, April 19th. Made possible by GlaxoSmithKline and originally scheduled to close on April 25, the exhibition opened on February 24 and will be seen only in Philadelphia. As of today, Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris has attracted more than 120,000 visitors from across the United States and around the world, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Portugal, Russia, South Korea, and the United Kingdom.

“Everyone at the Museum is thrilled that we are able to extend this exhibition through May 2,” said Timothy Rub, the Museum’s George D. Widener Director and CEO, adding “there are many great works in this exhibition assembled in ways that enhance our understanding of this seminal period in the history of modern art. Adding another week to the presentation of this exhibition will enable many more people to share this once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

“We are especially indebted to our corporate sponsor, GlaxoSmithKline, without whose philanthropic support the Museum would be unable to present such rich and inspired exhibitions,” said Gail Harrity, the Museum’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “We are also grateful to our ongoing collaborations with NBC 10 WCAU, the Philadelphia Visitors and Convention Bureau, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News, Philly.com, and Amtrak.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer called Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris “a remarkable exhibition…igniting the glory years of modern art”; The Wall Street Journal said it “makes us think about how modernism’s key developments were communicated when those ideas still could startle”; and The Washington Post wrote that works in the exhibition are “masterpieces by the great modernist.”

TICKETS
Advance purchase of tickets is highly advised. Ticket prices for Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris include a complimentary audio tour. For further ticket information, call 215-235-SHOW (7469) or visit the Museum’s website at www.philamuseum.org.