Passport to Europe!!!

In 1959 Ponce native and industrialist Luis A. Ferré (1904-2003) founded Museo de Arte de Ponce with the vision of creating a museum that would be a showcase of Western art. Advised by Dr. Julius Held, a leading art historian, Ferré assembled an encyclopedic collection of fine European Old Master and 19th century paintings, offering the citizens of Puerto Rico a first-hand look at the finest expressions of international culture. Extensive renovations at Museo de Arte de Ponce allow an unprecedented number of the museum's finest holdings to be shown at select North America institutions. This is a rare occasion for residents of the American Southwest to enjoy this unparalleled collection in their own backyard during its limited engagement here in Phoenix.

"Passport to Europe: Six Centuries of Treasures from Museo de Arte de Ponce, presents more than 50 works of the highest quality from every major school of European art," commented Cheryl Hartup, Chief Curator, Museo de Arte de Ponce. "The exhibition is a unique opportunity for new audiences to admire both the paintings in themselves and the pioneering vision of the museum's founder, Luis A. Ferré."

Museo de Arte de Ponce's Chief Excecutive Officer and Director, Agustín Arteaga, Ph.D, explained that "since the museum's inception, collaborative exchanges, including works on loan, have been a constant in Museo de Arte de Ponce's relationship with major international institutions. The paintings that comprise Passport to Europe: Six Centuries of Treasures from Museo de Arte de Ponce are representative of our European collection, and the exhibition exemplifies our interest in making our holdings available to the North American public".

"Picture by picture, Museo de Arte de Ponce's holdings rival great collections including those of the Frick Collection (New York), the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum (Boston) and even The Getty (Los Angeles)," said Thomas J. Loughman, Ph.D., Curator of European Art, Phoenix Art Museum. "Passport to Europe brings high-caliber paintings from Italian Renaissance artists such as Luca de Tommé, a stunning Reformation-era altarpiece by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, and one of Jean-Léon Gérôme's greatest paintings into one superb show."

Featured in Passport to Europe are notable works of the Northern Renaissance including Lucas Cranach's Judith with the Head of Holofernes and Joos Van Cleve's The Flight into Egypt; Italian and Spanish Baroque paintings by Jusepe de Ribera, Bernardo Strozzi and Francisco de Zurbarán; Dutch and Flemish Baroque paintings by Peter Paul Rubens, David Teniers and Anthony van Dyck; French paintings by Charles Le Brun and James Jacques Joseph Tissot; and major British paintings by Dante Gabriel Rossetti, James Ward and Edward Coley Burne-Jones.

The exhibition is organized by Museo de Arte de Ponce, The Luis A. Ferré Foundation, Inc. Ponce, Puerto Rico. This exhibition is supported by the Museum's Friends of European Art and the Museum's Connoisseurs Circle. Promotional support for has been provided by Cox Communications Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Latino Future Magazine and Scottsdale, Glendale, Mesa and Phoenix Public Libraries.

The Museum is offering a full schedule of programs and events relating to the exhibition, such as workshops, lectures, music and more. Updated information regarding public programs can be found on the exhibition Web site, www.passporteurope.org.

Admission to the exhibition is included in general museum admission, which is $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens (65+), $8 for full-time college students with ID, $4 for children ages 6-17 and free for children under 6 and for museum members. Admission is also free on Tuesdays from 3:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. and for everyone on First Fridays, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Phoenix Art Museum is located in downtown Phoenix at the corner of Central Avenue and McDowell Road. Museum hours are Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Wednesday - Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays.