Fact Sheet
Exhibition
Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece
When
Oct. 11, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010
Where
The Walters Art Museum, 600 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
What
Heroes play a vital role in most present and past cultures. What makes a person a hero or heroine, what was expected of them, how were they portrayed and worshiped? This exhibition will explore the inherent human need for heroes through the arts of one of the oldest and most influential cultures in history. Sometimes heroes are portrayed as superhuman protagonists while at other times they emerge as average people who rise above the ordinary. Heroes are acknowledged with admiration by the mass media and sometimes even with offerings, rituals or monuments. Statues, reliefs, vases, bronzes and jewelry will be combined with literary quotes to illustrate the lives of heroes and heroines, including their tasks, adversaries, challenges, failures and private moments. The exhibition will feature over 100 objects from U.S. and European museums as well as pieces from the Walters' collection.
Hours
Wednesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Closed on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Walters will be open to the public on New Years Day.
Admission
Free
Venues
- The Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville, Tenn., Jan. 29-April 25, 2010
- San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego, Calif., May 22-Sept. 5, 2010
- Onassis Cultural Center, New York, N.Y., Oct. 5, 2010-Jan. 3, 2011
Sponsors
This exhibition is dedicated to the memory of Christine Dunbar Sarbanes (1935-2009), a true and abiding hero of our time. Odysseus-like in her commitment to the Walters Art Museum, she was a compassionate advocate for the audiences we strive to serve. The planning and implementation of this exhibition have been generously supported by grants from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation. The exhibition catalogue received a leadership grant from the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation (USA). The exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. The presentation in Baltimore has been made possible by the Women's Committee of the Walters Art Museum, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation and generous individual donors. Through the generous gift of Mr. and Mrs. Peter G. Angelos, this exhibition is offered at the Walters Art Museum free of admission charge.
Contact
General museum information: 410-547-9000 or www.thewalters.org
For press inquiries, email amannarino@thewalters.org or call 410-547-9000, ext. 277.
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