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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The 1999 Carnegie International will be sponsored by Mellon Financial Corporation according to Richard Armstrong, Henry J. Heinz II Director of Carnegie Museum of Art. "We cannot imagine a more welcome or suitable partner than Mellon," said Armstrong. "This exhibition is unique in North America and integral to the history of the museum and the city. "The world-famous Carnegie International is one of the premier visual arts events in the country," said Martin G. McGuinn, Mellon Chairman and Chief Executive Officer." As a corporation committed to this region, we believe this support will strengthen its cultural and educational fabric, enhance economic vitality on behalf of our customers and employees, and heighten the visibility of our great city around the world." This exhibition first began in 1896 as an annual survey of paintings by American and European artists and has evolved into an overview of contemporary art. A beneficiary of an endowment established by the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in 1980, it is the longest running survey of contemporary art in North America, and, with the Venice Biennale, the senior such exhibition. Milton Fine, chairman of the Board of Carnegie Museum of Art, cited the show’s impressive history, adding "the International is unique for its long support by Pittsburgh patrons, and for its impact on the collection decisions of this and other museums, as well as countless private collections. We welcome Mellon’s corporate leadership and involvement in the organization of the 1999 International." Ellsworth H. Brown, president of Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, saluted Mellon’s significant underwriting of the project. "Mellon’s commitment to this region is enthusiastic and enlightened," he said. "Their support enables us to bring works from the world’s foremost contemporary artists to the people of this region, and, in turn, to showcase Pittsburgh as a place with an exceptional cultural dimension." The 53rd version of the show will be on view November 6, 1999 — March 26, 2000 in 60,000 square feet of exhibition space at Carnegie Museum of Art. Madeleine Grynsztejn is its curator. Previous sponsors include PNC Bank Corporation (1995), Miles Inc., now Bayer Corporation (1991), The Hillman Co. (1988), United States Steel Foundation, now USX Foundation, (1985), and Alcoa Foundation (1982). The premier museum in the region, Carnegie Museum of Art boasts a distinguished collection of American art from the mid-nineteenth-century to the present, French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist paintings, and late twentieth-century works, including film and video in its collection. Other collections of note include European and American decorative arts from the late seventeenth-century to the present. The Heinz Architectural Center, opened in 1993, is dedicated to the collection, study, and exhibition of architectural drawings and models. Carnegie Museum of Art is located at 4400 Forbes Avenue in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. Ample parking is available in the six-level garage directly behind the building at the corner of Forbes Avenue and South Craig Street. For more information about exhibitions, programs, and admission, call 412/622-3131 or visit our Web site at www.cmoa.org. |
