Exhibition Draws Record Numbers, Museum Hosts Collection Owner Paul Firos for Lecture
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA (Dec 1, 2015) – The Dalí Museum continues to engage and inspire visitors from around the world with its current “Escher at The Dalí” exhibit. The Escher show has built on the momentum set earlier this year by its blockbuster “Picasso/Dali, Dalí/Picasso” exhibit, capping off a banner year for Museum visitation and membership. “Escher at The Dalí” adds yet another inspiring perspective for visitors, and runs through the holidays, closing on Jan 3, 2016, prior to the Museum’s debut of “Disney & Dalí: Architects of the Imagination” on January 23rd.
Since opening to the public late this summer, the M.C. Escher exhibition created a 48% increase in attendance for the months of September and October versus the same period last year. The exhibit has received rave visitor reviews across social media, like these fan comments:
“This is a great exhibit of Escher’s work. I am so fascinated by his unusual perspective and mathematical genius.”
“I saw it last week. It was amazing! Escher found a way to portray eternity. What a mind and what a talent!”
Thanks to the ongoing momentum built by its unparalleled permanent collection and renowned exhibitions drawing out passionate fans from near and far, The Dalí will provide overall economic impact to the greater St. Petersburg/Clearwater area of more than $140 Million this year and will prompt direct spending in the community of more than $70 Million.
Dalí Museum Marketing Director Kathy Greif commented, “Attendance during the Escher show has surpassed expectations. The increase in visitation during this otherwise traditionally slow period speaks to the fascination and curiosity the public has for both Escher and Dalí. We continue to see strong interest from visitors in pairing Dalí with other artists – our upcoming Disney show will take that to a new level.”
The robust M.C. Escher exhibit features 135 works covering Escher’s entire artistic career. The show includes an array of the artist’s most famous works such as “Drawing Hands,” “Reptiles” and “Waterfall” alongside rarely exhibited early drawings of family members, panoramas of exotic landscapes and historic architecture of Italy and Spain, original preparatory sketches, mezzotints and more. This Escher collection has only been shown at a handful of locations in the U.S. and never before in Florida.
On Friday, December 4th from 6-7pm, Paul Firos – owner of this Escher collection and founder of its home at the Herakleidon Museum in Greece – will share his insights into the artist. Paul and his wife collected Escher works over a twenty-year period, developing an intimate understanding of Escher’s world, including his fascination with the interlocking patterns known as tessellations, and his “impossible worlds” series. Admission to the lecture is free.
About The Dalí Museum
The Dalí Museum, located in the heart of beautiful downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, is home to an unparalleled collection of Salvador Dalí art, featuring more than 2,000 works comprising nearly 100 oil paintings; over 100 watercolors and drawings; and 1,300 prints, photographs, sculptures and objets d’art.
The building is itself a work of art, featuring 1,062 triangular-shaped glass panels – the only structure of its kind in North America. Nicknamed the Enigma, it provides an unprecedented view of St. Petersburg’s picturesque waterfront. The Museum has attracted the world’s attention, and among the other distinguished awards it has received, it was listed by AOL Travel News as “one of the top buildings to see in your lifetime.”
The Dalí Museum is located at One Dalí Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Florida 33701. For additional information contact 727.823.3767.
MEDIA CONTACT
Lorin Konchak, lkonchak@paradiseadv.com, 954.815.2156