MONTCLAIR ART MUSEUM JOINS ASSOCIATION OF ART MUSEUM DIRECTORS' SEVENTH ANNUAL CELEBRATION OF ART MUSEUM DAY

MONTCLAIR, NJ, May 6, 2016—Montclair Art Museum (MAM) announced today that it will offer free admission on May 18 as part of the Association of Art Museum Directors’ (AAMD) Art Museum Day, coinciding with International Museum Day on Wednesday, May 18, 2016. Last year, MAM—along with more than 150 other AAMD member museums across North America—participated in Art Museum Day.

By providing new opportunities for participation in the diverse range of programs offered by AAMD member museums, Art Museum Day celebrates the value of the visual arts and the important role art museums play in their communities. This year, MAM will open its doors for free to the public during regular gallery hours, 12–5 p.m. including access to the current special exhibition American Visions: 1870–1940, Works from the Bank of America Collection. In addition, the Museum’s Park Bench program will be held from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. This event takes place the second Wednesday of every month, but will occur on May 18 to mark Art Museum Day. It introduces children to the Museum and serves as an artistic social outing for children and caregivers. The admission cost of $6 for members and $18 for nonmembers includes a themed art project, guided tour, and storytelling.

MAM also invites visitors to share their experiences on Art Museum Day via social media, with the hashtags #ArtMuseumDay and #mammontclair. This year, AAMD is working with Snapchat to showcase Art Museum Day and the variety of special activities and offerings provided by participating member museums. On May 18, International Museum Day will be featured on Snapchat as one of their “Live Stories” and geo-filters, enabling users to share their experiences and to see how others around the world are celebrating Art Museum Day. In conjunction, MAM is launching its own Snapchat at MAMmontclair.

“AAMD is delighted that the Montclair Art Museum is joining us in celebration of Art Museum Day,” said Chris Anagnos, Executive Director of AAMD. “In AAMD’s 100th-anniversary year, we are especially proud to celebrate the vital role art museums play in the civic and creative life in our communities.”

AAMD represents 242 art museums across the United States, Canada, and Mexico—from regional museums to large museums in major urban centers. International Museum Day is organized annually around the world by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). AAMD’s Art Museum Day is an opportunity to focus attention on the role of art museums in North America, as part of ICOM’s global celebration.

A comprehensive list of participating AAMD member art museums will be available on the AAMD website. Note that while AAMD’s Art Museum Day and ICOM’s International Museum Day are formally held each year on May 18, some institutions shift their celebrations to adjacent dates.

About the Museum

The Montclair Art Museum, a notable, community-based institution with an international reputation, boasts a renowned collection of American and Native American art that uniquely highlights art making in the United States over the last three hundred years. The collection includes more than 12,000 objects: paintings, prints, original works on paper, photographs, and sculpture by American artists from the 18th century to the present, as well as traditional and contemporary Native American art and artifacts representing the cultural developments of peoples from all of the major American Indian regions. The Museum’s education programs serve a wide public and bring artists, performers, and scholars to the Museum on a regular basis.

MAM’s Yard School of Art is the leading regional art school, offering a multitude of comprehensive courses for children, teens, adults, seniors, and professional artists. The Yard School has been recognized in the Discover Jersey Arts People’s Choice Awards as the Favorite Adult Art Class and Favorite Art Camp two years in a row.

The Montclair Art Museum is located at 3 South Mountain Avenue in Montclair, N.J. Information and directions are available on the Museum website, montclairartmuseum.org, or by calling 973-746-5555. MAM is open Wednesdays through Sundays, Noon – 5 p.m., and on the first Thursday night of the month (October–June), from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. It is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, and major holidays. Museum admission is $12 for nonmember adults, $10 for senior citizens and students with I.D., and free for members and children under 12. Free First Thursday Nights and Free First Fridays are free for everyone. The Store at MAM is open Tuesdays through Sundays, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. and has extended hours until 9 p.m. on Free First Thursday Nights.

All Museum programs are made possible, in part, by the New Jersey State Council on the

Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, and by funds

from the National Endowment for the Arts, Carol and Terry Wall / The Vance Wall Foundation, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, and Museum members.

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