Press Release

Woodmere Art Museum presents Friday Night Jazz series in April

Celebrate Jazz Appreciation Month with performances by Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble, Reiko Okuda, Warren Oree, Marina Vishnyakova, & David Joel, April 8, 15, 22, 29

PHILADELPHIA – Woodmere Art Museum in Chestnut Hill celebrates Jazz Appreciation Month with music, food and drink on Fridays in April. Museumgoers are invited to stroll Woodmere’s galleries, enjoy wine and cheese, and hear live jazz performances.

Four themed jazz nights will be presented in the series: Paris Nightlife with the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble (April 8), Cole Porter Night with pianist Reiko Okuda andbassist Warren Oree (April 15), Seine-suous Strings with violinist Marina Vishnyakova (April 22) and Django Night with guitarist David Joel (April 29). For visitors with children, the museum will offer the companion program Paris for Kids in conjunction with jazz nights on April 15 and 22, offering parents and family a little grown-up time to experience the museum and musical performances.

The jazz series is presented in conjunction with the inaugural Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts 2011 (PIFA) and offered in partnership with Lifeline Music Coalition, Inc. Woodmere, Philadelphia’s premier institution for interpreting the art and culture of the Philadelphia region, has five new exhibitions opening in early April. Visitors to the museum’s jazz series will have the opportunity to view new work on display throughout the museum.

FRIDAY EVENING JAZZ AT WOODMERE
and PARIS FOR KIDS

Admission to jazz series programs is $20 for Paris Nightlight and $10 for all other performances and includes museum admission to view all special exhibitions on display. Paris for Kids events are FREE for children with adult admission. For visitor information, call (215) 247-0476 or visit www.woodmereartmuseum.org.

Friday, April 8

Paris Nightlife, 7:00–9:00 p.m.
$20 ($15 members)
Visitors can travel back to turn-of-the-century Paris as Woodmere is transformed into an intimate and informal cabaret with cozy tables, a variety of French wines and cheeses, and performances by the acclaimed Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble. The ensemble features Warren Oree (acoustic, upright bass), Umar Raheem (tenor and soprano saxophone), Greg “Ju-Ju” Jones (drums), Doug ‘Pablow” Edwards (congas and percussion) and Frank Butrey (guitar).

Friday, April 15

Cole Porter Night, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
$10 ($5 members)
Pianist Reiko Okuda and bass player Warren Oree will play the music of the great American composer Cole Porter. A growing number of American musicians lived and worked in Paris as the city embraced American jazz. Among them was Porter, whose time in the French capital informed much of his later work. Wine and cheese will be served.

Paris for Kids: Story Hour, 6:00–7:00 p.m. (Free)
While the adults listen to the songs of Cole Porter, kids can join in a story hour featuring Bonsoir Lunne (Goodnight Moon) and Madaleine.

Friday, April 22

Seine-suous Strings, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
$10 ($5 members)
This evening features jazz violinist Marina Vishnyakova, who studied as a classical violinist in Russia, and later came to Philadelphia to study under world-renowned jazz violinist John Blake, Jr. at the University of the Arts. Wine and cheese will be served.

Paris for Kids: Circus Creatures, 6:00–7:00 p.m. (Free)
Kids can make their own circus creatures inspired by the work of artist Alexander Calder, while parents enjoy music, wine and cheese.

Friday, April 29

Django Night, 6:00–8:00 p.m.
$10 ($5 members)
Jazz guitarist David Joel celebrates the music of Django Reinhardt. Born in Belgium, Reinhardt grew up near Paris. He went on to invent a new style of jazz guitar and be- camea pioneering composer who influenced many other musicians. Wine and cheese will be served.

ON DISPLAY AT THE MUSEUM

Woodmere has five new exhibitions opening Sunday, April 3 which jazz series attendees will have the opportunity to view. Two exhibitions presented in conjunction with PIFA explore the artistic energy and brashly innovative spirit of Paris in the early twentieth century – Charles Demuth in the City of Lights, which explores the work of one of America’s greatest modernists, and Violet Oakley and the Women Artists of Paris, which offers an intimate look at the Philadelphia/Mt. Airy illustrator, muralist, and stained glass artist.

Visitors to Woodmere will also gain a fresh perspective on the museum through three new exhibitions showcasing objects from the permanent collection. Pennsylvania Impressionism and Landscape from the Collection of Woodmere Art Museum and the Promised Gift of Dr. Dorothy J. del Buenoshowcases Impressionist and landscape paintings of Pennsylvania. Violet Oakley: The Building of the House of Wisdom, a second exhibition exploring the murals of Violet Oakley, includes several large-scale murals on view for the first time since receiving conservation work. The exhibition Selections from the Charles Knox Smith Collection highlights objects from the personal collection of museum founder.

About PIFA

The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), inspired by the Kimmel Center, launches the city’s art and cultural scene onto the world stage with a three-week festival offering performances, exhibits and events for loyal fans and casual attendees. Based on the philosophy of collaboration, innovation and creativity, PIFA’s programs represent every arts discipline and include more than 100 partners. Offerings include newly commissioned works, classical performances and exhibits, surprising partnerships featuring local and international artists, and exciting explorations of traditional, non-traditional, new and emerging art forms. PIFA 2011, an homage to the artistic energy of Paris 1910-1920, celebrates works from that era and new creations inspired by the brashly innovative spirit of the period. The festival was made possible by an extraordinary grant from Philadelphia philanthropist Leonore Annenberg, whose vision for a city-wide celebration of the arts shaped its philosophy and programming. PIFA takes place April 7-May 1, 2011.

The full slate of PIFA programming as well as complete schedule of events can be accessed via www.pifa.org and at the Kimmel Center Box Office. Tickets to individual performances and events can be purchased on the PIFA website, in person at the Kimmel Center Box Office, or by phone at (215) 546-PIFA.Tickets prices are set by individual presenting organizations, ranging from FREE to the public to $125. For the most up to date information, visit www.pifa.org or contact PIFA at (215) 546-PIFA.

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About the client:

Housed in a 19th-century stone Victorian mansion on six acres in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, Woodmere first opened its doors to the public in 1940. The building, grounds and the nucleus of the Permanent Collection are the benefactions of Charles Knox Smith (1845 – 1916), who wished “to awaken the spirit of, the appreciation of, and the knowledge of art … in the City of Philadelphia and surrounding territory.” Today, the Permanent Collection consists of more than 3,000 works of art, celebrating the art and artists of Philadelphia.

Woodmere’s core collection includes important paintings by renowned artists such as Edward Redfield, Daniel Garber, Walter E. Schofield, Benjamin West, Frederic Edwin Church, Violet Oakley, Arthur B. Carles and many more. Woodmere’s nine galleries and salons, including a grand rotunda and a uniquely designated Helen Millard Children’s Gallery, provide space for exhibitions and programs that serve the entire family. In the George D. Widener Studio, a converted carriage house, a year-round roster of classes provides outstanding art training to children and adults. The recent addition of the Children’s Garden provides participants of Woodmere’s Summer Arts Community Program with outdoor space to display and enjoy works of art. The Helen Millard Children’s Gallery also showcases exhibitions of student artwork from local schools.

Visitor Information

Woodmere Art Museum
9201 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118
Corner of Germantown Avenue and Bells Mill Road in Chestnut Hill

Museum Hours:

Beginning Sept. 8, Woodmere offers free admission on Sundays, including all special exhibitions, but excluding special events such as Classic Sundays music series.

Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Friday, 10 a.m.-8:45 p.m.
Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Admission: Special exhibitions are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors, FREE for students, children and members. Related programs and events are FREE, unless otherwise noted.

Information: (215) 247-0476 or visit www.woodmereartmuseum.org

Accessible by public transportation: From Center City Philadelphia, take the R8 Chestnut Hill West regional rail train to the end of the line. Turn left on Germantown Avenue and walk for .8 miles to Woodmere. For detailed driving directions, click HERE.