Haden Brown, 334/844-1582 (brownh1@auburn.edu)
AU'S JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM TO CELEBRATE FIRST YEAR
AUBURN - The Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University invites the public to celebrate the museum's first birthday on Sunday, Oct. 3.
A day of free admission and festivities begins at 2 p.m. and includes door prizes, birthday cakes created by area pastry chefs, face painting by AU art students, a puppet show by Walk-About Puppetry, an art scavenger hunt, sketching in the galleries and hands-on activities for children and adults.
All guests will receive a 10% discount on all Museum Shop purchases made during the celebration.
"We are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished in our first year and are excited about upcoming exhibitions and programs," said Michael W. Panhorst, director of the museum. "The birthday celebration is a way to show our gratitude to the community for their support and enthusiasm, as well an opportunity to welcome new visitors into the museum."
The museum opened to the public on Oct. 3, 2003, and has since hosted nearly 22,000 visitors, including area school children, AU students and faculty, community members and regional tourists. JCSM offers a robust schedule of exhibitions, educational programs and events to a variety of publics.
The upcoming exhibition of sculpture by artist Auguste Rodin - "Rodin: In His Own Words, Selections from the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation " - scheduled for Jan. 4 through March 13, 2005, is expected to draw visitors from across the region.
Here is a schedule of events for Sunday:
** 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Museum open to public, free of charge.
** 2:00 p.m. - Performance by Walk-About Puppetry
** 2:20 p.m. - Scavenger hunt, sketching in the galleries and other hands-on activities
** Face Painting by AU art students
** 3:00 p.m. - Auburn High Varsity Singers Performance
** 3:40 p.m. - AU Singers Performance
** 4:00 p.m. - Birthday cake cutting and serving
The JCSM birthday celebration is sponsored by Ursula 's Catering, Southern Hospitality, The Gourmet Tiger, Taylor's Bakery & Coffee Shop and Coca-Cola's Opelika Sales Center.
To learn more about the museums exhibitions, programming or membership please call 334.844.3081 or visit the award-winning website at www.julecollinssmithmuseum.com.
Auburn University is a comprehensive research institution with more than 23,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff. Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn is Alabama's largest educational institution, offering more than 230 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.
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Note to Editors: Photo available upon request.