Jetsettersblog

Discover Europe on escorted holidays by rail

In response to the growing demand for ‘No Fly’ holidays which use rail travel to minimise customers’ carbon footprint, Treyn Holidays have a selection of tours for people looking for a more environmentally friendly way to travel.

The superb collection of great value holidays to Europe are also ideal for travellers wishing to escape frustratingly long check in queues, crowded airport departure lounges, delayed flights and the seemingly endless wait to collect luggage.

Quick and efficient European rail travel is becoming increasingly popular with travellers. With check-in time at St Pancras International only 30 minutes before departure and your holiday beginning the moment you step foot on the train, holidaymakers are able to escape the stresses and strains of flying and enjoy a more relaxed means of travel.

Treyn Holidays’ 12 itineraries which visit destinations such as Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, range from £245 for a four-day break to Bruges & Ghent to £815 for a nine-day holiday to the Italian cities of Venice, Florence and Bologna.

The Timeless Venice, Florence & Bologna escorted tour offers the opportunity to saviour the historic treasures of northern Italy’s elegant and romantic cities. Based in the mediaeval city of Bologna, highlights include a visit to romantic Venice and a trip to Renaissance Florence. Passengers are free to explore Bologna and the region at their own leisure and can take advantage of an optional sightseeing excursion to the historic city of Rome.

Available with selected departure dates between 28 May and 8 October, the cost is from £795 per person, based on two sharing. This includes return rail travel and transfers, eight nights’ hotel accommodation with breakfast (six in Bologna, one in Chambery and one in Mulhouse) and the services of a Tour Manager throughout.

Alternatively, discover the breathtaking beauty and spectacular scenery of the French Alps from our base in charming Aix-les-Bains, on a six-day Lakes & Mountains of the French Alps tour. Departing on a number of dates between 22 May and 16 October, highlights include an excursion to the lakeside resort of Annecy and the chance to explore Aix-les-Bains and the thermal spas for which the town is famed. Days at leisure provide you with the opportunity to travel further afield to locales such as Lake Geneva or to take advantage of an optional excursion to Lyon with its Old Town and its impressive galleries, stylish boutiques and snug bistros.

The cost is from £395 per person, based on two sharing. This includes return rail travel and transfers, five nights’ hotel accommodation with breakfast and the services of a Tour Manager throughout.

If you are passionate about France then why not enjoy the contrast between sophisticated coastal resorts and the unspoilt landscapes of the Provençal region on the seven-day Nice & The Glamorous Riviera holiday. Experience a journey aboard the charming Train des Pignes from our base in Nice to St André-les-Alpes in the heart of the Verdon canyons and lakes. Optional excursions include a visit to the tiny principality of Monaco or a tour of St-Paul-de-Vence and the hinterland of the Riviera. A French Rail Pass will also allow you unlimited rail travel to explore the region at your own pace.

 Available on selected departure dates between 11 May and 12 October, the cost is from £595 per person, based on two sharing. This includes return rail travel and transfers, six nights’ hotel accommodation with breakfast, a French Rail Pass and the services of a Tour Manager throughout.

For further details and to request a copy of our Classic European Rail Holidays Summer 2008 brochure please call our reservations team on 01904 734 899 or visit www.treynholidays.co.uk

WHAT’S ON IN ATLANTIC CANADA IN 2008?

A SUMMER-LONG NON-STOP PARTY RIGHT NEXT DOOR

Celebrate Heroes & History; Ceilidhs & Kitchen Parties and Mussels & Lobster

ATLANTIC CANADA,– This summer, history will come alive, literary heroines and heroes will be celebrated and plenty of Celtic fiddling, Scottish step dancing and some of the world’s most pristine seafood will be on display in Atlantic Canada. Fancy a taste of Irish, Scottish, English or French (Acadian) culture without crossing the pond? The four provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island are less than two hours away from most East Coast gateways. Maxxim Vacations offers many value-added packages starting as low as $725 for a six-night land package,* or $1265 with airfare

www.maxximvacations.com

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND – ANNE’S 100TH AND PLENTY OF SEAFOOD

This year Prince Edward Island is commemorating the 100th anniversary of “Anne of Green Gables.” For over a century, Lucy Maud Montgomery’s spunky heroine has charmed millions, and to celebrate, the island is hosting a year-long series of ceilidhs, or kitchen parties, concerts, picnics, barn dances and firelight story-telling sessions. Come June, this welcoming island in Atlantic Canada will be a non-stop, open-air festival for the whole family with historical re-enactments, theatrical performances, parades and a country fair (July 3-6). Homemade ice cream and raspberry cordial will be in plentiful supply.

www.anne2008.ca

Billed as the “biggest kitchen party in Atlantic Canada,” the 13th annual PEI International Shellfish Festival in Charlottetown will be the place for seafood lovers September 19-21. Chowder cook-offs, oyster shucking contests and a chef’s challenge are on the menu along with plenty of mussels and other delicious seafood.

www.peishellfish.com

And a few days later, the entire 2,000 square miles of Prince Edward Island will be Chef Michael’s kitchen. From September 30 to October 10, “Fall Flavours,” a new island-wide food festival with more than 100 culinary events, will take place with native son Michael Smith, one of Canada’s leading chefs, hosting a gala dinner and cooking classes. Visitors can learn about wine and cheese pairing, how to pickle and preserve or opt for a more hands-on experience – digging clams, catching lobsters, harvesting oysters, or even picking the island’s famed potatoes, Visit this link.

NOVA SCOTIA – LOYALISTS, LOBSTERS AND LOUISBOURG’S 250TH

Fancy reliving the life of an 18th century soldier – skirmishing in the hot sun, sleeping on the hard ground, with music, dancing and tall tales till dawn? Nova Scotia and New Brunswick are throwing a year-long celebration for the 225th anniversary of the United Empire Loyalists landing. After the Revolutionary War, 3000 Loyalists fled to Shelburne, Nova Scotia, while others continued on to New Brunswick. The population quickly swelled to 10,000, making Shelburne the fourth largest city in North America, while nearby Birchtown became Canada’s first free black settlement. In July, the city is hosting three weekends of boat races, tall ship tours, treasure hunts, concerts and fireworks. The re-enactment – featuring 500 costumed characters – kicks off on July 17, and visitors who don’t want to play soldier can get in the spirit at the annual provincial Town Crier Competition or attend the Loyalist Garden Party, complete with a pageant of 18th century dress.

http://www.loyalistlanding2008.org

 From June to August, Nova Scotia will also commemorate the 250th anniversary of Louisbourg’s second siege. The Fortress of Louisbourg will host a series of encampments – with North America’s first nighttime siege re-enactment – and military displays (July 25-27), complete with fireworks, parades, chowder cook-offs, street dances, concerts and quilt displays. www.louisbourg2008.com/index.asp

Did someone say lobster? Lobsterpalooza promises 35 days of “feasts and fun” including lobster suppers, whale watching tours and Gaelic music. www.lobsterpalooza.ca

Albert Bigelow Paine’s tale of a canoe journey through the wilds of Nova Scotia, Tent Dwellers, marks its 100th anniversary this year. From May through October, there will be a “public paddle” day, an outdoor arts festival and a recreation of the original journey. At the Canoe Festival (August 15-17), visitors can learn canoe building, paddling, fly-fishing, wilderness preparation, basket making and more.

NEW BRUNSWICK – LOYALISTS AND LOBSTERS, ACADIAN STYLE

Since 1949, the self-proclaimed “lobster capital of the world” has hosted the Shediac Lobster Festival (July 2-6) with parades, entertainment and feasting on this delicious crustacean. The Loyalist Heritage Festival (July 14-18) will offer activities for the whole family including organized walks, visits to historic houses, parades, re-enactments and artistic performances.

 Known as one of North America’s top festivals, the Acadian Festival (August 1-15) draws 100,000 spectators to see some 200 artists perform – concerts, theater, dance performances – and comes with the blessing of the fishing fleet by the local Catholic clergy. There’s plenty of Acadian food and drink capped off by the Tintamarre, a massive – and very loud – street celebration with fireworks on August 15, Acadia Day.

www.festivalacadien.ca

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR – MUSIC, MAGIC AND A REGATTA

St. John’s Time in Newfoundland’s capital is an 11-day, non-stop party. This lively celebration kicks off with the George Street Festival (July 31-August 5). Streets are closed, pubs throw open their doors and bands rock into the night. Celebrated since 1826, the Royal St. John’s Regatta, one of North America’s oldest continuing sporting events, is a series of rowing events on Quidi Vidi Lake – cheered on by 50,000 many garbed in outlandish dress. From August 8 to 10, the Newfoundland and Labrador Folk Festival features singers, dancers, storytellers and musicians performing traditional Newfoundland music, Celtic tunes handed down through the centuries and modern rock. At the Buskers Festival visitors can see up to 30 shows a day watching jugglers, acrobats and magicians on four stages.

www.stjohnstime.ca

Maxxim Vacations offers packages to all four provinces. A six-day/five-night “St. John’s Time” package starts at US$1186 per person ($1209 CAD), double occupancy and includes hotel accommodations in a 4 ½ -star hotel, roundtrip airfare from New York, a midsize car rental with unlimited mileage, city tour and entrance to the Johnson Geo Center and The Rooms, the province’s museum and leading art gallery. Taxes are not included.

Call 1-800-567-6666 or go to www.maxximvacations.com.

The Atlantic Canada Tourism Partnership (ACTP) is a nine member pan-Atlantic partnership comprised of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the four Atlantic Canada Tourism Industry Associations and the four departments responsible for tourism for the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Go to www.tourismnewbrunswick.ca (1-800-561-0123), www.novascotia.com  (1-800-565-0000),

www.newfoundlandlabrador.com  (1-800-563-NFLD) and for Prince Edward Island, go to www.gentleisland.com  (1-800-463-4PEI).

Maxxim Vacation’s “Nova Scotia Sampler” features stays in Halifax, Lunenberg and the Western Shore and Baddeck with six nights’ accommodation at select hotels, country inns and B&B’s, seven-day midsize rental car with unlimited mileage, admission to the Fisheries Museum of the Atlantic, Pier 21 National Historic Site and the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. The land-only package starts at $725 per person, double occupancy and covers: 4½ -star Canada Select accommodations, or $823 with deluxe accommodations. The price is $1265 with airfare, or $1363 for the deluxe package with airfare and taxes are extra.

Delaware Art Museum Presents Fernando Botero

Wilmington, DE — The Delaware Art Museum presents “The Baroque World of Fernando Botero” (through June 8), a major retrospective exhibition featuring 100 paintings, sculptures, and drawings.

Fernando Botero (b. 1932), well known for his extravagantly rounded figures, is one of the most internationally popular artists working today. Using a broad range of media, the Colombian-born Botero has created an accessible and enigmatic world.

“Botero’s brilliant colors and massive forms make you stand up and take notice immediately,” said Dr. Mary F. Holahan, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the Delaware Art Museum. “But then his paintings and drawings and sculptures take you through a more subtle range of emotions—empathy, outrage, curiosity, and just plain good humor. The result is that you just keep wanting to come back to look again and again!”

The exhibit presents selections of the best works from various stages in Botero’s development as an artist. Drawn from his private collection and assembled over the past 50 years, this exhibition includes favorite works that the artist was unable to part with, as well as pieces reacquired years after they left his possession. Many have never before been exhibited in public. Three of Botero’s sculptures are being mounted in the Museum’s Copeland Sculpture Garden: Hand, Smoking Woman, and The Rape of Europa.

Fernando Botero’s roots are in Medellín, and his earliest artistic impressions were molded in a Colombian town near the Andes. His first images drew upon the Spanish colonial Baroque, a movement of extravagant richness, featuring the sumptuous decorations that flourish on the walls of churches in South America. Latin American Baroque imagery is reflected in Botero’s work when portraying himself as a small boy in the arms of Our Blessed Lady of Colombia, carrying a diminutive flag with the national colors, or in depictions of his mother as a widow, in her desperate struggle to survive with her three young children. Botero can also shock viewers with images of terror and violence, referring to political instability, attacks, kidnappings, and torture.

The exhibition follows Botero in his extensive studies of the history of European art, focusing on the influence of Velazquez in Spain; Ingres, Delacroix, and Courbet in France; and Renaissance artists in Italy. He also turned his attention to Mexico, where the monumental murals by Diego Rivera and David Siqueiros had a profound impact..

Botero’s superb craftsmanship is evident in his drawings, especially those executed in pastel. His pastels have a thoroughly finished look and a richness of color, and they have been compared to early etchings by Picasso. Botero has also worked in bronze and marble sculpture, a seminal element in his oeuvre. His monumental bronzes were seen along the Champs Elysées in Paris, in front of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and along Park Avenue in New York.

Founded in 1912, the Delaware Art Museum holds a world-renowned collection that focuses on American art and illustration from the 19th century to the present as well as the British Pre-Raphaelite movement. The Museum offers the outdoor Copeland Sculpture Garden, the Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, studio art classes, the interactive Kids’ Corner learning area, the delART Café featuring free Wi-Fi access, and the Museum Store.

Delaware Art Museum Presents Iraqi/U.S. Art Initiative

Wilmington, DE — The Delaware Art Museum presents “Bridge of Hope: Iraqi/U.S. Art Initiative,” an exhibition featuring approximately two dozen mostly abstract works by nine Iraqi and nine American artists (March 29-May 4).

This exhibition is part of the Museum’s new Outlooks Exhibition Series and is guest curated by Rosemary Lane of Delaware, Coordinator of the International Cultural Arts Network (ICAN). Lane chose the American artwork, and the Iraqi works were chosen by Lamia Talebani of Baghdad, a founding member of ICAN and an Iraqi artist. Most of the Iraqi works were brought to the U.S. through Jordan by Claudia Lefko of Massachusetts, an ICAN founding member.

ICAN grew out of the 2006 Global Peace Initiative of Women Iraq-US Summit: Creating a Common Dialogue in New York City. This organization has initiated working relationships and collaborations between Iraqi and American artists. The purpose of ICAN is to engender hope, transcend barriers, and foster goodwill between our countries.

Exhibitions in the Outlooks Exhibition Series are created by residents and organizations of our surrounding area, contributing to the Museum’s mission of providing an inclusive and essential community resource.

Founded in 1912, the Delaware Art Museum holds a world-renowned collection that focuses on American art and illustration from the 19th century to the present as well as the British Pre-Raphaelite movement. The Museum offers the outdoor Copeland Sculpture Garden, the Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives, studio art classes, the interactive Kids’ Corner learning area, the delART Café featuring free Wi-Fi access, and the Museum Store.

New Hampshire 2008 Money Saving Deals

With spring on the way and the chance to spread tax rebate checks a little bit farther with frugal Yankee deals to save money and gas, New Hampshire is definitely the place to “go green.” Especially for those planning to vacation in their New England “backyard” this summer.

Known for its New England thrift, authentic hospitality and pristine natural environment, it makes sense that New Hampshire lodgings, restaurants and attractions should come up with creative ways to stretch visitors’ dollars – and gas. Starting with year-round tax-free shopping and a compact geography that brings mountains and seashore within range of one tank full of gas, these added offers make New Hampshire the perfect choice for a classic summer vacation, or a weekend getaway. New Hampshire hotels are primed to ease the pain at the pump.

With gasoline generally priced at or below the national average reported by AAA, motorists find fuel readily available and, even better, many highly-walkable towns where they can park their cars and enjoy the New Hampshire environment on foot. On the Seacoast, Portsmouth was just named the state’s most walkable city by Prevention Magazine. A 2008 National Trust for Historic Preservation “Distinctive Destination,” it’s the perfect place to wander historic streets, take a self-guided tour of the Black Heritage, Portsmouth Peace Treaty or Harbour Trail, browse in individualistic boutiques and soak up sunshine in a sidewalk café. Berlin, in the Great North Woods end of the state, was just named to Outdoor Life’s list of top towns for outdoorsmen. Here, visitors replace their cars with kayaks, canoes and hiking boots to appreciate the pristine wilderness. For the many campers who enjoy the state’s rivers, lakes and trails, the New Hampshire Campground Owners’ Association lists sites where RV owners can park their trailers for a week, or a season, instead of towing them back and forth in between.

The official New Hampshire Travel & Tourism Development website, www.VisitNH.gov notes some special gas- and money-saving deals and is updated continuously with more.

Gas Deals and Green Vacations

In Meredith, The Inn at Mill Falls “April Travel NOW” promotion includes accommodations, a $20 (per night) gas voucher good at the local Meredith Mobil and a voucher for a Tanger Outlet tote bag and coupon book. Offer starts at $109 per room, per night, available Sunday through Wednesday nights. 800-622-6455, www.millfalls.com

In Bradford, The Candlelite Inn’s special midweek package pays for the gas. On two-night stays, Sunday through Thursday the discount is $25 off the bill; for more than two nights’ stay, the discount is $10 per night. 888-812-5571, www.candleliteinn.com

In Bethlehem, The Highlands Inn Gas Credit is worth 25 cents a mile (up to $50) rebate on the gas it takes to get there. The rebate is 30 cents a mile for hybrid drivers. The Spring Fling Special discounts the third night of a three-night stay by 50 percent, through May 31. Free women’s music concerts every Sunday. Special Women’s Singles Weekend, June 6-8. 877-LES-B-INN (537-2466), www.highlandsinn-nh.com

Truly green Appalachian Mountain Club Destination Deals stretch the tax rebate even further. Book five nights or more and save 20 percent at any combination of AMC Huts or lodges, Sunday through Friday. Kid’s First Adventure at Lonesome Lake is 12 percent off on Sunday-Friday nights and includes a spectacular view of the Franconia Range and in naturalist programs for kids. Pick 3 and Save gives a 10 percent discount at the Highland Center or Joe Dodge Lodge, and 12 percent off at the Huts, The 50+ Midweek Spring Special, available Sunday through Thursday for age 50+ starts at $87 per member per night for private rooms at Highland Lodge and includes lodging; dinner, breakfast, and a choice of buffet or trail lunch, daily programs, and complimentary use of gear from the LL Bean Gear Room. 603-466-2727, www.outdoors.org/lodging

Gas-Saving, Eco-Friendly “Bike the Whites” cycling tours, May 1 through October 31 let guests abandon their cars for a 4 night/3 day trip along New Hampshire’s back roads. 800-421-1785, www.bikethewhites.com

Barrington Shores campground “Double Delight” offer is two weekends for the price of one and gas-saving in between. For just $120, book the weekend of May 9th and return on 16th, free, leaving the trailer on site. Or choose the weekends of September 5th and 12th. www.barringtonshores.com  

Attitash Grand Summit Hotel has a Tax ReFUNd deal of 50 percent off every third night when booking three nights or more in May, June and July. Park the car for the duration of the stay and enjoy the Attitash Slide and Ride, horseback riding and local attractions. 800-223-7669, www.attitash.com

Waterville Valley Resort’s “Summer Unlimited” package, ranging from $130-145 per night, represents a 50 percent saving for families who take full advantage of the fun: boating, mountain biking, tennis, golf, a scenic chair lift ride up Snow’s Mountain, and access to the Waterville Valley Recreation’s open gym program. One free day of Kids Camp for children aged 6-12 for families who stay three nights or more. 800-GO-VALLEY, www.visitwatervillevalley.com

Mountain Edge Resort & Spa and the Best Western Sunapee Lake Lodge Discount Coupons offer deals for dining, day care, spa treatments and extended stays. Book directly to receive the coupons. 800-606-5253, www.sunapeelakelodge.com

Seven Maples Campground in Hancock offers a third night free for those who book two consecutive nights. 603-525-3321, www.sevenmaples.com

Cedar Pond Campground in Milan gives a 10 percent discount on stays of 7 nights or longer, at a campsite or in one of their cabins or campers. 860-663-2268, www.cedarpondcamping.com

Colonel Spencer Inn in Campton offers a Mid-Week Bonus: 10 percent off for any two consecutive nights, Sunday through Thursday night; 15 percent off four consecutive nights. 603-536-1755, www.colonelspencerbb.com

Shaw’s Supermarkets and Irving Oil gas stations at participating locations in New Hampshire are offering a gas discount. For every $50 spent on groceries by May 22, 2008, shoppers receive a coupon for 10 cents off the per gallon price (up to $20 savings.) A free Shaw’s Rewards Card is needed to qualify and redeem the discount at participating Irving Oil gas stations through June 5, 2008. www.irvingoil.com/pr_retail/shaws_promo.asp

Reduced Admission to New Hampshire Attractions

The Children’s Museum of Portsmouth offers discount admission through pass programs with more than 40 libraries throughout New Hampshire. The passes admit up to 4 people at a cost of just $2 instead of standard admission of $6 per person, a 66 percent discount. 603-436-3853, www.childrens-museum.org

The 2008 White Mountains Attractions Value Pass allows two adult admissions to all 16 major attractions in the White Mountains. Just $295, the pass has a value of over $650. The card is transferable, but not for resale. 800-FIND-MTS, www.visitwhitemountains.com

Story Land Guest Appreciation Days offer early-season admission rates of just $20 per person (instead of $24, on weekends from Memorial Day to Father’s Day. The discount rate covers unlimited rides, shows, and attractions. Children aged 2 and under are always admitted for free. Guests purchasing admission at the park after 2pm on those days receive a pass valid for a complimentary visit to Story Land later in the season. 603-383-4186, www.storylandnh.com

Tour the Moffett House Museum & Genealogy Center at 119 High Street in Berlin, FREE. Open Tuesday through Saturday year round. 603-752-4590 or 603-752-7337.

Kids eat free and kids stay free in many places. The Top Notch Inn in Gorham is one that offers a Story Land gift for those who mention the offer when making reservations. The Inn also offers guests who book two consecutive nights, Sunday through Friday, one free Moose Tour with the tour guide providing the transportation. 603-466-5496, www.topnotchinn.com

 Check Hospitality Maps in North Conway for maps and guides with more money-saving coupons for food, clothing and golf. www.hospitalitymaps.com

New England Sampler at 42 Hanover Street in Manchester is one of the best options for tax-free shopping New Hampshire-made souvenirs. $10 off all gourmet gift baskets. 603-626-4477, www.thenewenglandsampler.com

Admission is Free at the Fun Family Festival at the Cheshire Fairgrounds. The Sixth Annual Richmond Blueberry Fiddle Festival, August 8-9, 2008 offers great performers, music workshops, fiddle and picking contest, dancing, traditional folk games and races, blueberry bake-off, auction, car show and other events. There is a $5 parking fee. 603-239-6495, www.blueberryfiddlefestival.com

For more ideas, itineraries, a calendar of events and online reservations, go to www.VisitNH.gov

Howard Pyle The Father of American Illustration exhibit

Chadds Ford, PA - The Brandywine River Museum has received a gift of more than 100 paintings and drawings by Howard Pyle, as well as hundreds of books written and illustrated by the artist and rare archival materials related to his career. The items were donated by the artist’s grandson, Howard P. Brokaw, and his wife Mary Taylor Brokaw. The first group of approximately 40 paintings and drawings, including the well-known The Wolf and Dr. Wilkinson (1909) and The Shell (1908), are now on view at the Museum; all other works will rotate in the gallery through the end of 2008.

Howard and Mary Taylor Brokaw began collecting works by Howard Pyle in 1964 at the suggestion of Andrew Wyeth. Starting with only a few pieces of art, the collection grew to include paintings, books written by or about Pyle, magazines, written ephemera of the period, and important letters to and from Pyle. Brokaw has served on the Board of Trustees of the Conservancy for many years.

“The Brokaws have been devoted supporters of the Conservancy for nearly 40 years, and this outstanding collection, which beautifully represents the depth of Howard Pyle’s genius, will delight all who see it,” said George A. Weymouth, Chairman of the Brandywine Conservancy’s Board of Trustees.

“We are deeply grateful to the Brokaws for this extraordinary and very generous gift, which makes the Brandywine River Museum’s collection of Pyle’s work one of the most important,” said James H. Duff, executive director of the Brandywine Conservancy. “These wonderful works will be central to our holdings of regional art because of Pyle’s direct influence on his many students, including N.C. Wyeth, and his continuing influence on Andrew Wyeth, Jamie Wyeth, and a great many illustrators working today.”

Howard Pyle was a seminal figure in American illustration, renowned for his historical accuracy and realism. An expert in all forms of media, including oil, watercolor, pen and ink, and pencil and charcoal, his work was admired by such contemporaries as William Morris and Vincent Van Gogh, and is now influencing a fourth generation of artists. Born in Wilmington, Delaware, Pyle (1853-1911) was a painter and muralist as well as a prolific writer and illustrator of books and magazine articles, which often featured tales of action and adventure and such characters as pirates, Robin Hood, and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.

Pyle taught at the Drexel Institute of Art, Science, and Industry in Philadelphia (now Drexel University); formed his own school of art in Wilmington; and for several years conducted summer sessions in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania. He trained more than 100 artists, including Maxfield Parrish, Frank Schoonover, Jessie Willcox Smith, and N.C. Wyeth, many of whom are represented in the Brandywine River Museum’s collection.

NANTUCKET SHIPWRECK & LIFESAVING MUSEUM

JULY 2008

FOLLOWING AN EXTENSIVE $3 MILLION RENOVATION

Former Nantucket Life-Saving Museum to Showcase Exciting New Exhibits and Family-Friendly Programs in Expanded Space

Nantucket Island, MA – Celebrating rescues and heroism at sea, the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum will reopen on July 1, 2008 following an extensive $3 million renovation. Drawing on its collection of over 5,000 objects – including period surfboats, beach carts, vintage photographs, and more – the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum will feature new exhibits and family-friendly programs appealing to all ages. Visitors to the newly expanded museum will immediately be engaged by the fascinating stories of people in peril at sea and those who risked their lives to rescue them.

Marshall, a friendly Newfoundland dog who was rescued along with 16 people at the island’s Surfside Life-Saving Station in 1877, will serve as the museum’s mascot. His real-life tale of animal rescue will unfold through captivating displays designed for younger visitors.

Marshall’s heroic rescue also has inspired a new children’s book that is accompanied by an adorable plush toy, available through the museum’s gift shop. Retailing for just $6.50, Marshall: A Nantucket Sea Rescue (by Whitney Stewart, published by Soundprints 2008) is destined to become a cherished memento for those who visit the museum.

“Considered a major hub along what was then a modern-day sea highway similar to I-95, Nantucket’s shipping lanes once boasted over 1,200 boats per day – all navigating without the advantages of today’s technology,” said best-selling author Nathaniel Philbrick, founding director of the Egan Maritime Institute, which spearheaded fundraising for the museum. “Treacherous shoals and inclement weather led to over 700 shipwrecks in the surrounding waters, causing the area to be dubbed the ‘graveyard of the Atlantic.’”

A long-time Nantucket resident, Philbrick is best known for such books as Mayflower, a finalist for the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in History, and In the Heart of the Sea, winner of the 2000 National Book Award for Non-Fiction.

Formerly known as the Nantucket Life-Saving Museum, the museum is being rechristened to better reflect the impact of shipwrecks on Nantucket and elsewhere in the fledging United States, when maritime travel was in its heyday. The ambitious renovation project was made possible by an 18-month capital campaign led by Egan Maritime, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the study and appreciation of Nantucket’s maritime heritage.

The Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum is located at 158 Polpis Road, just 3.5 miles from Nantucket Town.

The museum and gift shop will reopen Tuesday, July 1 and close on Columbus Day, Monday, October 13, 2008. Hours of operation are 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for children 5 – 18, and free to children under 5, and also includes admission to Egan Maritime Institute exhibits at the historic Coffin School, located at 4 Winter Street in Nantucket Town.

For more information prior to the museum’s opening July 1, please call (508) 228-2505; as of July 1, call (508) 228-1885, or visit online at www.nantucketshipwreck.org

Come to San Francisco for art

San Francisco will have the works by some of the most recognizable names in the art world simultaneously on display in the summer of 2008. Frida Kahlo, Dale Chihuly, Mary Cassatt and the Ming Dynasty are all names synonymous with the pinnacle of their art forms and they all can be experienced and enjoyed from June to September 2008…only in San Francisco www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com. Right on the heels of the 75th anniversary season of the San Francisco Ballet, the opening of a new museum, and a quartet of major exhibitions include:

• San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum; opens June 8

• Frida Kahlo at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; June 14-Sept. 28

• Chihuly at the de Young; June 14-Sept. 28

• Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès and Marie Bracquemond at the Legion of Honor; June 21-Sept. 21

• Power & Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty, at the Asian Art Museum; June 27-Sept. 21

San Francisco’s Contemporary Jewish Museum Slated to Open June 8

The new home of the Contemporary Jewish Museum (CJM), 736 Mission St., opens June 8, 2008. Under the creative direction of architect Daniel Libeskind, the 63,000-square-foot museum is an adaptive reuse of the landmark 1907 Jessie Street Power Substation with an extension clad in 3,000 vibrant blue steel panels. Opening exhibitions include In the Beginning, Artists Interpret Genesis, a contemporary look at Genesis Chapter I through commissioned work by contemporary artists, and From The New Yorker to Shrek: The Art of William Steig, an exhibition of original drawings from the award-winning cartoonist and beloved author of children’s literature. The highly acclaimed musician John Zorn will also curate and commission sound pieces based on letters of the Hebrew alphabet for the soaring, 65-foot high Special Events Gallery. For more information, call 415-655-7800 or visit www.thecjm.org. Media contacts: Stacey Silver, 415-655-8833, ssilver@thecjm.org or Wendy Norris, 415-307-3853, wendy@norriscommunications.biz.

Frida Kahlo Show at SFMOMA Draws from International Collections June 14-Sept. 28

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), 151 Third St., will present the exhibition Frida Kahlo. The presentation will include approximately 50 paintings from the beginning of Kahlo’s career in 1926 to her death in 1954. While concentrating on Kahlo’s hauntingly seductive and often brutal self-portraits, the exhibition also will include those particular portraits and still-life paintings that amplify her sense of identity. The exhibition will also feature photographs that once belonged to Kahlo and Diego Rivera from the Vicente Wolf Photography Collection, many of which have never before been published or exhibited. The paintings in the exhibition come from some 30 private and institutional collections in France, Japan, Mexico and the United States. For more information, visit www.sfmoma.org or call 415-357-4000. Media contact: Sandra Farish Sloan, 415-357-4174, ssloan@sfmoma.org.

Chihuly at the de Young Offers a Comprehensive Look at the de Young Museum June 14- Sept. 28, 2008

Chihuly at the de Young presents the most ambitious exhibition ever staged of the work of glass artist Dale Chihuly. The exhibition, on view June 14 – Sept. 28, offers a broad look at Chihuly’s work through his different periods and includes drawings and installations from his Macchia, Venetian, Persian, Ikebana, Niijima Float, Chandelier and Mille Fiori series. For the first time, the public will be able to view a portion of Chihuly’s private collection of objects that inspire him including vintage Pendleton blankets and Northwest baskets. The exhibition will be supplemented by site-specific outdoor installations: the 30-ft tall Saffron Neon Tower in the Pool of Enchantment at the de Young and a 12-ft diameter Yellow Sun in the Court of Honor at the Legion of Honor. (Note: outdoor installations available for photography after April 4). For more information, visit www.famsf.org or call 415-750-3600. Media contact: Jill Lynch, 415-750-3553, jlynch@famsf.org.

Women Impressionists Presents a Rare Opportunity at Legion of Honor June 21 – Sept. 21, 2008

Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond breaks new ground as the first exhibition in the United States to collectively represent the four major women artists who shared similar aesthetic ideas embodied by Impressionism. The Legion of Honor in San Francisco will be the exclusive venue in the United States for this exhibition, on view from June 21 to Sept. 21, 2008. The distinct works of the four painters—three French women and an American in Paris—reflect their diverse backgrounds and careers. By bringing many works together for the first time, this exhibition offers a rare opportunity to evaluate and compare directly the work of the women painters of Impressionism as independent and innovative. For more information, visit www.thinker.org or call 415-750-3600. Media contact: Media contact: Jill Lynch, 415-750-3553, jlynch@famsf.org.

Power & Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty at Asian Art Museum June 27-Sept. 21, 2008

For centuries, Ming porcelain vases have been regarded as the epitome of priceless beauty. Power & Glory: Court Arts of China’s Ming Dynasty demonstrates why not just vases but Ming art of many types has earned such acclaim. On view from June 27–September 21, 2008, this major groundbreaking exhibition explores the grandeur and opulence of one of the most important dynasties in Chinese history. Power & Glory marks the Asian Art Museum’s first collaboration with three of China’s most prestigious institutions — The Palace Museum (Forbidden City) in Beijing, the Nanjing Municipal Museum, and the Shanghai Museum. The unequaled collection of more than 240 objects — porcelain, paintings, textiles, lacquer, jade, jewelry, architectural elements, and more — provides a rare opportunity to experience the artistic achievements of the Chinese dynasty most renowned for its refined aesthetic and standards of perfection. Many of the artworks will be on public view for the first time. For more information, visit www.asianart.org or call 415-581-3500. Media contact: Michele Dilworth, 415-581-3713, mdilworth@asianart.org.

The San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau promotes the destination’s arts and cultural programs in concert with presenting sponsor CityPass San Francisco; VISA; official airline sponsor Virgin America; and official hotel sponsor Starwood Hotels. For general information on hotel packages and reservations; events; activities and transportation in San Francisco, visit www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com. For lodging reservations, call 800-637-5196 within North America or 415-391-2000 elsewhere.

The San Francisco Visitors Planning Guide is available at the Visitor Information Center, 900 Market St., at the corner of Powell and Market streets, lower level, Hallidie Plaza. To receive a copy by mail, order the free visitors kit online at www.onlyinsanfrancisco.com  call 415-391-2000, write to the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau, 900 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94102, or send an email to vic1@sanfrancisco.travel. International shipping charges will apply for requests from outside the United States.

Nation’s First Gangster Museum in Hot Springs

A new museum scheduled to open this month in Hot Springs will reveal a slice of history that up until now has mostly been stuff of legend. The Gangster Museum of America will focus on the 1920s-40s era of the town, when gangsters such as Al Capone and Lucky Luciano vacationed there.

According to Robert Raines, director of the museum, there are no other gangster museums in America. “Las Vegas will have a museum slated to open in 2012 that will begin, time-wise, where we leave off,” he said. “We are in contact with their designers and plan a lot of cross-promotion. Unlike other museums, our artifacts are all indigenous to the area, and we are located on the very street where all of our history took place. That’s why we’re on Central Avenue, because this is where it all happened.”

The idea for the museum came about when Raines was helping a friend move into a business on the infamous street. ”I fell in love with the “New York feel” of the downtown area and was fascinated by its history,” said Raines. “Then came the last season of The Sopranos, and I guess I wasn’t ready for the series to end, so I created my own, and called it the “The Gangster Museum of America.” Believe it or not, just at the right time in my life, doors began to open that revealed Hot Springs’ legacy as a gangster/mob “hangout.”

According to Raines, the endeavor is a new kind of museum that the industry refers to as “edu-entertainment.” “It will be Arkansas’s newest attraction and located in a very pleasant section of Central Ave. on Antique Row,” he said. “We will also be one, if not the only, downtown attraction open at night.”

Since news of the museum first hit the underground grapevine, Raines said there has been ongoing interest in the endeavor from around the country.

The museum will highlight the stories of many notorious gangsters such as Lucky Luciano. Luciano was an Italian-American gangster who, according to the FBI, “organized” organized crime in the U.S. In many ways, he was the inspiration for the character Don Corleone in The Godfather. He evaded arrest and survived attempted assassinations only to meet his downfall while vacationing in Hot Springs in 1936.

The city was well known as neutral territory for gangsters from Chicago and New York who visited the town to enjoy the baths and racing. In Chicago, Detroit, New York - when the FBI and police were after criminals because of a robbery or murder - gangsters knew where to go to find a safe haven. Hot Springs was a sanctuary from both prosecution and enemies. When visiting, Al Capone and members of his mob frequently occupied the entire fourth floor of the Arlington Hotel. During one stay, as the popular story goes, Capone’s archenemy (Bugs Moran and his gang) checked in to the Majestic Hotel, just one block away. Contrary to what one would expect, there was neither conflict nor violence since both were on vacation.

The museum’s galleries are set to host photographic displays, audiovisual presentations and artifacts (such as weapons) related to this era when the healing powers of the city’s hot mineral baths attracted visitors from around the world. During this period, the city was a popular destination for the rich and famous, drawing the likes of Babe Ruth and Andrew Carnegie. According to Raines, the museum will tell the story of a political dynasty and its ultimate upset. Visitors will get an inside look at the lives of Owen Vincent Madden, the kingpin of crime in Hot Springs, as well as Capone, Luciano, Frank Costello, Bumpy Johnson, Maxine Harris and many others.

It is Raines’ hope that the museum’s stockpile of intriguing stories associated with the city will not only enhance visitors’ appreciation of the area’s history, but also create a unique “wow” experience unlike any other. So what is the most misunderstood aspect of the city’s mysterious “gangster” era? “That will be up to each guest to determine,” said Raines. “I can only say that if I told ya, I might have to kill ya!”

More information about the museum can be found at www.tgmoa.com

Dinosaur Museum Brings Triceratops Skeleton To Britain

Dorchester’s award winning Dinosaur Museum has received an offer from an anonymous backer to bid for a rare skeleton of Triceratops that is being auctioned by Christies in Paris on April 16th.

DORCHESTER, UK, - The rare skeleton is the property of a private collector in Europe and is the star attraction of a sale of dinosaur and other fossils at the auction in Paris. It is expected to fetch around 500,000 Euros but may go much higher as it has attracted worldwide attention.

Jackie Ridley, the Director of the Dinosaur Museum said the Triceratops is simply spectacular. “It would be really wonderful if we could bring the dinosaur to Britain and in particular The Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester”

She continued, ” Not only is it the only one of its kind in Europe, but generally Britain does not have any complete skeletons of this calibre. Most of the excavated dinosaurs in Britain are fragmentary in comparison. Triceratops was not native to Britain but it would be great for people to see such an important skeleton in the U.K”

The 7.5 metre (24 foot long) Triceratops, is the only one of its kind in Europe. The skeleton, Triceratops horridus a three-horned giant dinosaur was found in 2004 by rancher in the United States in North Dakota. The fossil skeleton is 70 percent complete and is mounted as a complete beast with the missing bones cast in resin from other specimens. It’s the fourth most complete skeleton of Triceratops yet found and is only the second almost complete dinosaur skeleton to go for sale by public auction.

The last fossil skeleton to be sold by auction, a Tyrannosaurus rex, was sold in New York by Sotheby’s in 1997. It was sold to a Chicago Museum for $8 million.

Unlike T rex that was a carnivore, Triceratops was a herbivore or vegetarian, however with its massive frilled skull and three long horns it was a formidable animal and in any battle with T rex could more than hold its own. The Triceratops skeleton weighs over 200 kilos or 440 lbs and dates to the late cretaceous period over 65 million years ago.

The museum is talking to another sponsor as it fears the funds offered from the anonymous backer may not be sufficient.

The Dinosaur Museum in Dorchester in the heart of Dorset’s World Heritage Jurassic Coast is the only museum in mainland Britain exclusively devoted to dinosaurs. Opened 24 years ago it attracts tens of thousands of visitors to Dorchester every year. Exhibits include dinosaur fossils and skeletons, full size dinosaur models and multi-media displays and has won awards for its hands-on exhibits.

About World Heritage

World Heritage administers a range of exhibitions and museums of international stature. It also organises travelling and temporary exhibitions which are available for hire.