(LITTLE ROCK, AR) – The Arkansas Arts Center will present the exhibition World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed from September 25, 2009, to July 5, 2010.
“World of the Pharaohs will be the biggest exhibition ever in Arkansas and the first exhibition of Egyptian art to come to Arkansas,” said Arkansas Arts Center Executive Director Nan Plummer. “The Arkansas Arts Center is committed to bringing the best art to our state. The art and objects of ancient Egyptian culture are fascinating to humans all over the world. We are very pleased to offer this extraordinary exhibition,” she said.

World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed explores the long-vanished world of ancient Egypt. The exhibition features more than 200 magnificent objects, spanning 3,000 years of dynastic history, including a majestic colossus of Ramses II, beautiful amulets, exquisite jewelry, splendid furnishings, elegant stone vessels, graceful statues, intricate art and funerary artifacts. The objects were selected for the exhibition to dramatically exemplify the rich and diverse characteristics of one of the world’s great civilizations.

The exhibition is particularly strong in excavated material from the Pyramid Age, also called the Old Kingdom (2675-2130 B.C.), widely regarded as Egypt's finest hour. Artifacts include a royal decree carved in limestone (Decree of Neferirkare), the false door of Inty, a Priestess of Inty and a relief scene from the tomb of Qar and Idu. Funerary objects are also well-represented. Among them are a Ptolemaic sarcophagus lid, a selection of stelae and several shawabits of officials.

World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed is presented by the Arkansas Arts Center and organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. The Egyptian collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Today, it is best known for the works excavated from 1905-1947 by the Harvard University-Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition directed by George Andrew Reisner (1867-1942). Reisner is recognized as a pioneering force in the application of scientific methodology in archaeology. Under his supervision, these excavations provided the MFA with the best collection, outside Egypt, of art from the Old Kingdom.

The exhibition is on view September 25, 2009 through July 5, 2010. The Arkansas Arts Center will extend its hours of operation to accommodate visitors to the exhibition. The show will be on view Tuesdays from 8:30 a.m. until 8:30 p.m.; Wednesday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00; and Saturdays and Sundays 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Group Tour discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. Group tickets are $17 each. A companion audio tour is also available for $3 each with a Group Booking. Individual tickets to the exhibition are $22 Adults, $20 Seniors, $18 College Students, $15 Military, $14 Youth, age 5 and under free.

Ancient Egypt and its art continue to inspire people all over the world. Plummer said that the exhibition will draw visitors from the six-state region, making Little Rock a travel destination.

She said, “The Arkansas Arts Center is the only museum in Arkansas that can host an exhibition of this size and magnitude. We are excited to host this major event that will put Arkansas on the map of the art world in a whole new way.”

GENERAL INFORMATION
Contact: 501-372-4000
Location: Arkansas Arts Center – 9th and Commerce, Little Rock, AR 72202 Gallery Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Closed Monday & Major Holidays

Funded in part by:
Arkansas Arts Center programs are supported in part by: the City of Little Rock; Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage and the National Endowment for the Arts. 

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