Media Contact:
Diane Bartlett
Director of Marketing Communications
Phone: (703) 777-2414
FAX: (703) 777-3282
E-mail: dbartlett@morvenpark.org

LEESBURG, VIRGINIA (May 2, 2003) The Museum of Hounds and Hunting at Morven Park in Leesburg, Virginia will host a Sporting Art Exhibition and Sale in the Ballroom of the park's historic Governor's Mansion from Sunday, May 24 through Monday, June 2, 2003, and will be open to the public each Friday through Monday from 12 Noon to 4:00 p.m.

Twenty-five contemporary artists from across the United States and Great Britain will display paintings and bronze sculptures depicting sporting art such as foxhunting and horseracing. Some of the Virginia artists participating in the exhibition and sale include Anita Baarns of Round Hill, Eve Fout of Middleburg, Sandra Forbush of Flint Hill, and Dana Thompson of Midland. All artwork will be available for purchase, with prices expected to range from $450 to $20,000.

"The Museum of Hounds and Hunting Sporting Art Exhibit and Sale has been a tradition at Morven Park for many years," said Will O'Keefe, the park's executive director. "Morven Park's historic sporting heritage makes the perfect backdrop for this art exhibit and sale. Enthusiasts of horses, hounds and foxes will find a variety of contemporary artwork suitable for any home or office."

The opening weekend of the Museum of Hounds and Hunting Sporting Art Exhibition and Sale corresponds with the annual Virginia Foxhound Club Show on May 25. The Foxhound show is free for spectators, and is the largest of its kind held in the United States, drawing an average of 1,500 attendees to the event at Morven Park each year.

Admission to the Art Exhibition and Sale is $7.00 for adults, $6.00 for senior citizens, $1.00 for children aged six-to-12 years, and free for children under the age of six. The admission fee includes a tour of the Governor's Mansion, the Museum of Hounds and Hunting, the Winmill Carriage Collection and the art exhibit. Morven Park is open to the public Friday through Monday from 12 Noon to 4:00 p.m. Morven Park is located off of Old Waterford Road northwest of Leesburg. For more information, call the Morven Park office at (703) 777-2414.

PHOTOS: Loudoun Hunt West in front of Morven Park Mansion, "Dreaming of Cubbing" original oil on linen by Anita Baarns