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Annapolis
Festive Venetian Carnival Celebrates “The Grand Tour”
FOR RELEASE: February 15, 2010
CONTACT: Patricia Dempsey, 410-626-2539
Patricia.dempsey@sjca.edu
A festive Venetian Carnival highlights the exhibition “From La Serenissima to the Eternal City: The Grand Tour in 18th Century Venice and Rome,” at St. John’s College’s Mitchell Gallery. “The Grand Tour” documents the luxurious educational journeys that aristocratic young men and women took to two of Italy’s most vibrant cities, and is on display at the Mitchell Gallery from March 14 to April 23. 
“Venetian Carnival: An Evening of Guilty Pleasures,” sponsored by the Mitchell Gallery’s Next Generation Committee, will be held in the Great Hall on March 13 from 7 to 10 p.m. There is an admission fee. Attendees must be 21 or older. For more information, contact Molly Burnett at 410-626-2881 or molly.burnett@sjca.edu
The Venetian Carnival celebrates “The Grand Tour” exhibition with lively music, food, and a festive casino atmosphere. This is a fundraiser and all proceeds benefits educational programs at the gallery.
Last year more than 10,000 visitors of all ages toured the Mitchell Gallery.
Among the educational programs are special tours and activities for school groups. The Mitchell Gallery’s Next Generation Committee encourages community members in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s to participate in the cultural, social, and educational offerings of the Mitchell Gallery.
For the artists of “the Grand Tour” the vibrant places, events and people of Venice and Rome are the subjects for their works. From 1763 to 1796 young men, and in later years women, from aristocratic British and American families, embarked on a Grand Tour visiting the major art centers of Europe with a tutor or “cicerone” as part of their classical education.
Lasting anywhere from a few months to eight years, the Grand Tour exposed student travelers to the roots of Western civilization and its cultural legacy. Italy was often the primary destination, with Venice and Rome in particular representing the highest ideals of both the educational and leisurely pursuits of travel.
Upcoming Events for “The Grand Tour”
March 13 “Venetian Carnival. An Evening of Guilty Pleasures Inspired by ‘The Grand Tour,’” A Venetian Carnival, hosted by the Mitchell Gallery’s Next Generation, features a festive, casino atmosphere, food and drink from 7 to 10 p.m. in the Great Hall. Attendees must be 21 or older. Tickets are $35 (gallery members) and $45 (non-members).
March 14 Opening Reception & Family Program. Art Educator Lucinda Edinberg will lead a tour of “The Grand Tour” exhibition followed by a hands-on workshop from 3:30 to 5 p.m.
March 18 Book Club. Join Mitchell Gallery Book Club Members for a tour of “The Grand Tour” followed by a discussion of “The Real Thing” by Henry James from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. For information and registration, contact Kathy Dulisse at 410-626-2530 or Kathy.Dulisse@sjca.edu.
March 24 Gallery Talk. Exhibit curators Eric Denker and David Gariff, both senior lecturers of adult programs at the National Gallery of Art, will give a lecture on “The Grand Tour” at 7 p.m.
April 14 Art Express. Join Art Educator Lucinda Edinberg for a lunchtime tour of “The Grand Tour” from 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.
April 20 Seminar. Artist Ebby Malmgren will lead a seminar related to “The Grand Tour” at 7 p.m. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Call 410-626-2556.
This exhibition is made possible by support from the Helena Foundation.