Thirteenth Season of Jazz in the Garden Concert Series Begins on May 24 at the National Gallery of Art

Washington, DC—The Jazz in the Garden concert series, a beloved summer tradition at the National Gallery of Art, begins its 13th season on Friday, May 24, with weekly performances through Friday, August 30. The free concert series features an array of jazz artists performing a wide variety of styles—including blusion, zydeco, and Afrofunk—every Friday evening from 5 to 8:30 p.m. in the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Sin Miedo’s performance on June 7 marks the seventh year of collaboration between Jazz in the Garden and the DC Jazz Festival.

Guests may purchase food and beverages from the Pavilion Café and its carts located around the Garden or may bring their own picnics. Alcoholic beverages may not be brought to the premises from outside and are subject to confiscation. Security officers reserve the right to inspect all items brought into the Sculpture Garden. For the safety of visitors and works of art, access to the Sculpture Garden will be limited if the space becomes too crowded.

Concerts take place amid the Gallery’s collection of large-scale sculpture by such artists as Louise Bourgeois, Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, and Roxy Paine.

The relaxed garden setting and friendly cultural atmosphere has made Jazz in the Garden a favorite Friday evening destination for Washingtonians and visitors of all ages. Musicians perform in front of the Pavilion Café while visitors sit around the grand central fountain or relax on a blanket, enjoying the beautifully landscaped grounds.

Jazz in the Garden is sponsored by Guest Services, Inc., and the National Gallery of Art.

Performances

Concerts may be cancelled due to excessive heat or inclement weather. The schedule for this season’s Friday evening concerts is as follows:

May 24: Ruthie and the Wranglers (roots rock ‘n’ roll)

May 31: Chopteeth (Afrofunk big band)

June 7: DC Jazz Festival presents Sin Miedo (salsa)

June 14: Deanna Bogart Band (“blusion,” blues fusion)

June 21: Hendrik Meurkens (jazz xylophone and harmonica)

June 28: Swingtopia (big-band swing)

July 5: Ernest “EC3” Coleman and Friends (percussionist, Latin jazz)

July 12: Juanita Williams (jazz vocalist)

July 19: Euphonasia (euphonium jazz-rock fusion)

July 26: Incendio (Latin guitar world fusion)

August 2: Brian Simms (keyboard vocalist)

August 9: Josh Bayer (jazz guitarist)

August 16: Doc Scantlin’s Palmettos (1920s and ‘30s big band)

August 23: Dixie Power Trio (zydeco, Cajun and Louisiana funk)

August 30: Bruno Nasta (jazz violin) and the U.S. Naval Academy “Next Wave” Jazz Ensemble

To learn more about Jazz in the Garden concerts and performers, visit www.nga.gov/jazz or call (202) 289-3360.

Refreshments from the Pavilion Café

A special menu of appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas, and salads is available inside the Pavilion Café, while an outdoor grill provides barbecue pork sandwiches, Mediterranean beef and chicken kabobs, and grilled chicken sausage sandwiches. A gelato cart is also conveniently located near the fountain. A variety of beverages, including beer, wine, sangria, and soda, are sold onsite. View the full Jazz in the Garden menu at www.jazzinthegarden.com.

National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden

Designed to offer year-round enjoyment to the public in one of the preeminent locations on the National Mall, the 6.1-acre National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden opened on May 23, 1999. The richly landscaped setting provides a distinctive backdrop for 19 monumental works of 20th-century sculpture by internationally renowned artists. Visitors may enjoy spacious seating and walking areas amid the native American canopy and flowering trees, shrubs, ground covers, and perennials. The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden was given to the nation by The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. More information about the Sculpture Garden is available at www.nga.gov/exhibitions/sculptureinfo.

When visiting the Sculpture Garden, please do not touch the works of art. Tables are not permitted. Do not ride bicycles or use in-line skates and skateboards inside the Sculpture Garden; either walk beside your bicycle or secure it in bicycle parking, available near the entrance on Constitution Avenue and Madison Drive. Only service animals are allowed.

Hours and Location

The summer hours of the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, from May 25 to September 3, are as follows:

Monday–Thursday and Saturday, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.

Friday, 10 a.m.–9:30 p.m.

Sunday, 11 a.m.–7 p.m.

The Pavilion Café remains open until 8:30 p.m. on Fridays during the Jazz in the Garden concert series and until 6 p.m. the rest of the week.

Located on the National Mall at 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW, on the block adjacent to the West Building of the Gallery, the Sculpture Garden is accessible to visitors with disabilities.

The nearest Metro stations are Archives/Navy Memorial (Green/Yellow Lines), Smithsonian (Blue/Orange Lines), and Judiciary Square (Red Line). The DC Circulator Bus stops at 4th Street and Madison Drive NW and on 7th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.

General Information

The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden are at all times free to the public. They are located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, and are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The Gallery is closed on December 25 and January 1. With the exception of the atrium and library, the galleries in the East Building will be closing gradually beginning in July 2013 and will remain closed for approximately three years for Master Facilities Plan and renovations. For specific updates on gallery closings, visit www.nga.gov/renovation.

For information call (202) 737-4215 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176, or visit the Gallery’s Web site at www.nga.gov. Follow the Gallery on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NationalGalleryofArt and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ngadc.

Visitors will be asked to present all carried items for inspection upon entering. Checkrooms are free of charge and located at each entrance. Luggage and other oversized bags must be presented at the 4th Street entrances to the East or West Building to permit x-ray screening and must be deposited in the checkrooms at those entrances. For the safety of visitors and the works of art, nothing may be carried into the Gallery on a visitor’s back. Any bag or other items that cannot be carried reasonably and safely in some other manner must be left in the checkrooms. Items larger than 17 by 26 inches cannot be accepted by the Gallery or its checkrooms.

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