King Tut Heads to Denver Art Museum for Colorado Debut

Last week, the Denver Art Museum (DAM) and VISIT DENVER launched a Web site and unveiled hotel packages and group tour information for the much-anticipated summer exhibition, Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs.

Featuring more than 100 treasures from ancient Egyptian sites including 50 objects from the tomb of King Tut, this exhibition will have its sole Rocky Mountain appearance at the DAM starting July 1 and running through January 2, 2011. The exhibition is organized by the National Geographic Society, Arts and Exhibitions International and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. A portion of the proceeds from the tour will go toward antiquities preservation and conservation efforts in Egypt, including the construction of a new grand museum in Cairo.

“The exhibition is anticipated to be a major travel and tourism draw for the city of Denver and the state of Colorado,” said Richard Scharf, president and CEO of VISIT DENVER, the private, non-profit trade association responsible for marketing Denver. “Denver is an unparalleled destination for business or pleasure with vast cultural resources, and Tutankhamun’s arrival in July will undoubtedly serve as a Rocky Mountain regional pull to the Mile High City. VISIT DENVER looks forward to working together with the Denver Art Museum to create a unique, exciting experience through this incredible exhibition.”

ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs will feature striking objects from some of the most important rulers throughout 2,000 years of ancient Egyptian history. Derived from a variety of contexts, including temples and both royal and private tombs, many of these artifacts have never visited the United States prior to this exhibition tour.
This spectacular collection features the largest image of King Tut ever unearthed—a 10-foot statue of the pharaoh found at the remains of the funerary temple of two of his high officials. The statue still retains much of its original paint. The exhibition follows a storyline that explores the splendor of the pharaohs, their function in both the earthly and divine worlds and what “kingship” meant to the Egyptian people. Visitors will encounter artifacts from powerful Egyptian rulers, including Khefren, whose great pyramid is the only remaining structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world; Hatshepsut, the queen who became a pharaoh; and Psusennes I, whose magnificent golden death mask will be on display.

The DAM will dedicate 15,000 square feet of expansive Hamilton Building gallery spaces to the exhibition. The dramatic experience will begin with a short National Geographic documentary narrated by actor Harrison Ford, then continue in spaces exploring some of the most important pharaohs throughout ancient Egyptian history. The final galleries are dedicated to King Tut’s tomb, including an area devoted to its 1922 discovery by British explorer Howard Carter. Guests will encounter legendary artifacts from the tomb’s antechamber, annex, treasury and burial chamber in adjacent galleries, which will include the pharaoh’s golden sandals, jewelry, furniture, weaponry and statuary.

New scientific discoveries that emerged from a landmark Egyptian research and conservation project, partially funded by the National Geographic Society, will also be on view, providing visitors with further insight into King Tut’s legendary life and death. This on-site feature at the DAM includes the first 3-D CT scans of the great king’s mummy, captured through the use of a portable CT scanner donated by Siemens Medical Solutions.

National Geographic Books publishes the companion book to the exhibition, written by Zahi Hawass, secretary general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities.

Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs is one of two National Geographic exhibitions dedicated to the remarkable treasures of King Tutankhamun and ancient Egyptian royalty. For more information on both of these traveling exhibitions, please visit www.kingtut.org.

ONLINE EXHIBITION RESOURCES
DAM and VISIT DENVER collaborated on the creation of a new King Tut exhibition Web site that connects people with exhibition information, exciting images of the majestic objects and Denver travel details. With information about the boy king himself, tutdenver.com is also the resource for ticketing information and booking, free teacher resources, promotional offers from King Tut partners, hotel packages, and school or group tours.

HOTEL PACKAGES – Make a night of it and skip the lines
Six downtown Denver hotels have teamed up with VISIT DENVER and the DAM to provide Denver visitors with the royal treatment. Exclusive King Tut hotel packages include special untimed, undated tickets to the exhibition for those who hate to wait in line. These packages are the only way to secure VIP tickets to the exhibition. The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa, The Curtis a Doubletree Hotel, Grand Hyatt Denver, Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center, Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel and The Westin Tabor Center each will offer their own exclusive onsite packages providing Denver visitors the chance to lodge pharaoh-style in the Mile High City.

GROUP TOURS AND TICKETS
Take advantage of Early Bird group ticket pricing during March and April, in advance of public ticketing. Convention, business, family, social, church or leisure tour groups—any gathering of 10 or more—can receive ticket discounts, and groups booking on or before April 30 enjoy a 20 percent discount for weekday visits. Group ticket prices are as follows:


Early Bird (thru April 30)* Regular (starting May 1)*
Group Adult $15 $20
Group Senior (65+) $12 $18
Group Youth (6–17) $8 $13
* Group rates not applicable Saturdays and holidays.

For more information on group tickets, check the King Tut-Denver website, call 1-877-5-GO2TUT or email tutgroups@denverartmuseum.org.

GROUP TUT EVENTS
Corporate parties, receptions and other events can be custom built around group King Tut visits. Make it a royal affair and add a cocktail reception or dining experience in one of the museum’s unique and unforgettable event spaces, paired with artfully tailored cuisine by Kevin Taylor Catering at the Denver Art Museum. For more information, call 720-865-5171 or contact tutgroups@denverartmuseum.org.

ABOUT THE DENVER ART MUSEUM
The Denver Art Museum is a private, nonprofit, educational resource for Colorado. The mission of the museum is to enrich the lives of Colorado and Rocky Mountain residents through the acquisition, preservation and presentation of art works in both the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions, and by supporting these works with exemplary educational and scholarly programs. The museum is located on 13th Avenue between Broadway and Bannock Streets in downtown Denver. Open Tuesday-Thursday and Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m.-10 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m.; closed Mondays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The museum also will host expanded hours for the King Tut exhibition. The Cultural Complex Garage is open; enter from 12th Avenue between Broadway and Bannock or check the DAM Web site for up-to-date parking information. For information in Spanish, call 720-913-0169. For more information, visit the Denver Art Museum website or call 720-865-5000.

ABOUT VISIT DENVER, THE CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU
Celebrating 100 years of promoting the Mile High City, VISIT DENVER is a nonprofit trade association that contracts with the City of Denver to market Denver as a convention and leisure destination, increasing economic development in the city, creating jobs and generating taxes. Tourism is the second largest industry in Denver, generating $3.1 billion in annual spending in 2008, while supporting 65,000 jobs. For more information on Denver, call 800-2-DENVER or visit Denver’s official Web site at VISITDENVER.com.

ABOUT NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 375 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,200 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit the National Geographic website.

ABOUT ARTS AND EXHIBITIONS INTERNATIONAL
Founded in 2003 by President John Norman and international vice president Andres Numhauser, AEI produced the award-winning exhibition Diana: A Celebration in association with the Althorp Estate in the United Kingdom, two touring exhibitions dedicated to the treasures of King Tutankhamun and Real Pirates: The Untold Story of the Whydah from Slave Ship to Pirate Ship. Norman and Numhauser have nearly 40 years combined experience in the entertainment and exhibition business, working over the years on such projects as Titanic: The Artifact Exhibit and Saint Peter and the Vatican: The Legacy of the Popes. The company has relationships with the most important museums in the world and has presented traveling exhibitions on four continents. AEI is part of AEG Exhibitions, an affiliate division of AEG LIVE. AEG LIVE is the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, one of the leading sports and entertainment presenters in the world. For more information, visit www.artsandexhibitions.com.