Opening day celebration features film, music, tours and presentations

SALEM, MA – The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) presents the largest U.S. exhibition of Joseph Mallord William Turner’s maritime paintings. Turner & the Sea features more than 100 works spanning the 50-year career of one of Britain’s most celebrated painters. Encompassing oils, watercolors, prints and sketches from the 1790s to the mid-1800s, this first full-scale examination of Turner’s lifelong attraction to the sea follows the artist’s evolution from precocious young painter to one of the most important, controversial and prolific masters of his art. Dramatic and roiling, sunlit and cloudstruck, the power of Turner’s glorious canvases changed the maritime aesthetic and influenced countless painters hundreds of years after his time. Turner & the Sea is on view at PEM May 31 – September 1, 2014.

OPENING DAY CELEBRATION | SATURDAY, MAY 31

11:30 am | FILM | J.M.W. Turner (30 minutes) | MORSE AUDITORIUM

This documentary chronicles the rise of Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775-1851). Known for his technical skills and use of light, he is considered one of the greatest landscape painters of all time. In an overview of Turner’s career and influences, this film includes footage of locations important to him in Wales, Switzerland and England, and readings from writers and artists of the era, including John Ruskin and Lord Byron. Narrated by Jeremy Irons. For reservations, please call 978-745-9500, ext. 3011 or book online at pem.org/calendar.

Noon | DOCENT-LED GALLERY TALK | EXHIBITION GALLERIES

Sign up on the day of the event and meet at the information desk.

Noon – 4 pm |ARTIST DEMONSTRATION WITH HANDS-ON ART-MAKING | ATRIUM

Stop by for a watercolor demonstration given by Christopher Pullman, who looks to the seashore, the houses of Cape Ann and the marine railways of Gloucester for inspiration. Then try your hand at painting.

1 – 2 pm | CURATORIAL PRESENTATION | MORSE AUDITORIUM

Christine Riding, senior curator and head of arts at the National Maritime Museum, discusses the vision behind the exhibition and how the process of organizing it generated new insights into Turner’s work. Following her presentation she’s joined by Daniel Finamore, PEM’s Russell W. Knight Curator of Maritime Art and History, for a conversation about Turner’s impact on marine painting internationally, from his time right up to today.

2:30 pm| DOCENT-LED GALLERY TALK | EXHIBITION GALLERIES

Sign up on the day of the event and meet at the information desk.

3 pm | CONCERT BY THE HANDEL AND HAYDN SOCIETY | MORSE AUDITORIUM

Hear what was happening musically in the early 19th century, Turner’s time period, as the renowned Handel and Haydn Society Period Instrument Orchestra and Chorus perform stunning works by Mendelssohn, Haydn and British composers working at the same time as J.M.W. Turner. This Boston ensemble is known for providing audiences the opportunity to hear the unique textures and dynamics of period instruments. Join us for this intimate and gratifying musical experience.

PRESS RECEPTION

Press reception and exhibition preview of Turner & the Sea on Thursday, May 29 from 9:30-11:30am. Kindly respond by Thursday, May 22, to Caryn Boehm at [email protected] or by calling 978.542.1646.

EXHIBITION CREDIT

Turner & the Sea has been produced by the National Maritime Museum, part of Royal Museums Greenwich, London. Supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation, and The Manton Foundation provided generous support. The East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum also provided support.

ABOUT THE PEABODY ESSEX MUSEUM

Founded in 1799, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) presents outstanding works of artistic and cultural creativity in ways that transform people’s lives. The museum’s collection is among the finest of its kind, showcasing an unrivaled spectrum of American art and architecture as well as outstanding Asian, Asian export, Native American, African, Oceanic, maritime and photography collections. In addition to its vast holdings, the museum offers a vibrant schedule of changing exhibitions and an interactive education center. The museum campus features numerous parks, period gardens and 22 historic properties, including Yin Yu Tang, a 200-year-old house that is the only example of Chinese domestic architecture on display in the United States. Currently, a comprehensive $650 million Campaign is underway to advance PEM’s mission, fortify its endowment, improve infrastructure and build a 175,000-square-foot expansion. HOURS: Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 am–5 pm and the third Thursday of every month until 9 pm. Closed Mondays (except holidays), Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. ADMISSION: Adults $18; seniors $15; students $10. Additional admission to Yin Yu Tang: $5. Members, youth 16 and under and residents of Salem enjoy free general admission and free admission to Yin Yu Tang. INFO: Call 866-745-1876 or visit our Web site at www.pem.org