Release Date: August 21, 2007

Concerts in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden Extended through September 28, 2007
United States Navy Band Commodores Jazz Ensemble Celebrates the Art of "Edward Hopper"

Washington, DC—The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden will continue to come alive with music every Friday at 5:00 p.m. through September 28. As part of the Gallery’s 66th season of free concerts, five performances will take place in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. The special musical performances include four concerts that begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, September 7, 14, 21, and 28, and one midday concert that starts at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 15. Concerts will take place rain or shine.

The National Gallery Chamber Players Brass Ensemble will open the season on September 7, and the critically acclaimed United States Navy Band "Commodores" Jazz Ensemble will perform on September 14 and 21 in celebration of the art of Edward Hopper. Additional concerts include performances by jazz trumpeter Sean Jones (http://www.seanjonesmusic.com) and his quintet on September 15, and by jazz violinist Bruno Nasta and ensemble on September 28.

Gallery concerts are free and open to the public on a first-come, first-seated basis. Seating will be outside the Pavilion Café or inside in inclement weather. Monthly listings of concert programs can be obtained by calling (202) 842-6941 or by visiting www.nga.gov/calendar/concerts.html.

Edward Hopper Exhibition

This is the first time in more than 25 years that a comprehensive exhibition of Edward Hopper’s work has been seen in American museums outside New York and is the most complete survey of his career ever presented in Washington. The show will focus on the period of the artist's great achievements—from about 1925 to mid-century—when he produced such iconic paintings as Automat (1927), Drug Store (1927), Early Sunday Morning (1930), New York Movie (1939), and Nighthawks (1942).

Edward Hopper is organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, where it debuts May 6 through August 19, 2007; the National Gallery of Art, Washington, where it will be on view September 16, 2007 through January 21, 2008; and The Art Institute of Chicago, where it will be seen February 16 through May 11, 2008.

The exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington is made possible by a generous grant from the global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton Inc.

Sculpture Garden

The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, located on the National Mall at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, is bounded by Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive and by 7th and 9th Streets NW. Located in the 6.1-acre block adjacent to the West Building, the elegant yet informal garden includes seventeen post-World War II sculptures by such internationally renowned artists as Louise Bourgeois, Mark di Suvero, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, and Tony Smith. The six public entryways to the Sculpture Garden are accessible to visitors with disabilities. The Pavilion Café, with a panoramic view of the Sculpture Garden, offers pizzas, sandwiches, salads, desserts, and assorted beverages, and is open year-round.

Performances during September 2007

September 7, 2007
National Gallery Chamber Players Brass Ensemble
Friday, 5:00 pm

September 14, 2007
United States Navy Band “Commodores” Jazz Ensemble
Friday, 5:00 pm
Music of New York and Broadway from the 1920s and 1930s,
presented in honor of the exhibition Edward Hopper

September 15, 2007
Sean Jones, jazz trumpeter, and his quintet
(http://www.seanjonesmusic.com)
Saturday, 1:30 pm
Presented in connection with the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival (http://www.dejazzfest.org/)

September 21, 2007
US Navy Band “Commodores” Jazz Ensemble
Friday, 5:00 pm
Music of New York and Broadway from the 1920s and 1930s,
presented in honor of the exhibition Edward Hopper

September 28, 2007
Bruno Nasta, jazz violinist, and ensemble
Friday, 5:00 pm
Fusion jazz in the style of Jean-Luc Ponty, Django Reinhardt,
The Allman Bros., and Fats Waller