Press release

The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
Saturday 3 – Sunday 11 July 2004
Installation Photocall: Friday 2 July, 9.30

This year’s Tring Festival Art Exhibition at the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum looks to be as diverse as ever. The annual exhibition is a much-anticipated highlight of the month-long Tring Arts Festival, inspiring work from many local artists and providing a fantastic chance for new talent to be displayed and collected. It has been running for more than 20 years and will again be hosted by the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum, from Saturday 3 July for one week only.

This year’s exhibition features work by more than 50 amateur and professional artists from Tring and the surrounding area. More than 500 original paintings of landscapes, portraits, still life, natural history and local scenes will be displayed alongside more abstract works, all of which are for sale.

Tring Festival Art Exhibition raises money for the wider community, and a percentage of the revenue from artwork sales is given to Oxfam. The exhibition attracts hundreds of visitors and donates on average £1,500–£2,000 each year to the charity.

‘The Museum is proud to host this significant local art exhibition,’ said Teresa Wild, Director of the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum. ‘It provides a chance for local artists and art lovers alike to view the vast range of styles and subjects on show and displays the talent of artists living and working in our area.’

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Notes for editors

• Photocall opportunity:
  A photocall for the installation of a selection of artwork will take place at 9.30, Friday 2 July. To attend, please contact Paul Kitching on 020 7942 6175.
• General information:
  The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum is the Natural History Museum’s sister museum in Tring, Hertfordshire. It opened in the late 1800s to house the collections of Lionel Walter, second Baron Rothschild. The Museum offers outstanding examples of nineteenth-century taxidermy at its very best and was bequeathed to the nation in 1938. It is now part of the Natural History Museum. The public galleries have been modernised, but the fascinating character of the Museum was retained.
• Visitor information:
  Museum, Zebra Café and shop opening times:
  Monday–Saturday 10.00–17.00 (Zebra Café 10.30–17.00, shop 11.00–17.00), Sunday 14.00–17.00
  
• Access:
  Step-free access to the ground floor of the Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum includes the shop, café, unisex toilet, Gallery 1, and The Rothschild Room in which temporary exhibitions and special events are held. Parking is also available, for details please
  Telephone: 020 7942 6171
  Closed: 24, 25, 26 December
  
• Admission: Free
  Address: The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Herts, HP23 6AP
  Telephone: 020 7942 6171
  Website: www.nhm.ac.uk/museum/tring

If you require further exhibition information, images or would like to interview any of the featured artists, please contact:

Paul Kitching or Alice Dowswell, The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum
Tel: 020 7942 6175/6160
Email: tring-enquiries@nhm.ac.uk (not for publication)

Visit the The Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum website for more information.

Issued June 2004