FREE ADMISSION AFTER 3:30 P.M. ON THURSDAY, MAY 19, 2011 AS PART OF GLOBAL INITIATIVE TO HONOR MUSEUMS

PITTSBURGH, PA, May 11, 2011— Carnegie Museum of Art in collaboration with Carnegie Museum of Natural History announces that it will offer free admission after 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, 2011 as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day. Coinciding with International Museum Day on May 18, 2011, Art Museum Day will also focus around the theme of “museum and memory.” Please note: admission to Culture Club is still $10 per person and parking in the museums’ lot is $5 after 3:30 p.m.

Participation by AAMD member museums emphasize the lasting impact art museums have on their communities, highlights the value of the visual arts in society, and provides new opportunities for audiences to participate in the wide-ranging programs that art museums offer. In 2010, Carnegie Museum of Art and Carnegie Museum of Natural History, along with ninety other AAMD member museums across North America, participated in International Museum Day.

AAMD member museums—located across the United States, Canada, and Mexico—include smaller regional museums as well as large international institutions. International Museum Day is organized annually around the world by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). AAMD’s Art Museum Day is an opportunity to focus attention on the role of art museums in North America, as part of ICOM’s global celebration of museums.

“Art Museum Day is an opportunity to celebrate the collective memory of human creativity, both past and present, that art museums hold in the public trust,” said Kaywin Feldman, President of AAMD and Director and President of the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. “AAMD believes that art should be accessible and relevant to all, and we are so pleased that Carnegie Museum of Art as well as Carnegie Museum of Natural History are joining with us and the global community of museums to create new opportunities for audiences to engage with museum collections and programs.”

A comprehensive list of participating AAMD member art museums will be available in the newsroom of the AAMD web site (http://www.aamd.org/newsroom/). Note that while AAMD’s Art Museum Day and ICOM’s International Museum Day is formally held each year on May 18th, some institutions shift their celebrations to adjacent dates.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History

Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, is ranked among the top five natural history museums in the country. It maintains, preserves, and interprets an extraordinary collection of 20 million objects and scientific specimens used to broaden understanding of evolution, conservation, and biodiversity. More information is available by calling 412.622.3131 or by visiting the Web site, www.carnegiemnh.org.

Carnegie Museum of Art

Located at 4400 Forbes Avenue in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Museum of Art was founded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1895. One of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, it is nationally and internationally recognized for its distinguished collection of American and European works from the 16th century to the present. The Heinz Architectural Center, part of Carnegie Museum of Art, is dedicated to enhancing understanding of the physical environment through its exhibitions, collections, and public programs. For more information about Carnegie Museum of Art, call 412.622.3131 or visit our web site at www.cmoa.org.

Contact:

Jonathan Gaugler
412.688.8690
gauglerj@carnegiemuseums.org