Philadelphia-Based, Norwegian Inspired, Aker Philadelphia Shipyard Sponsoring Edvard Munch Exhibition at Phila. Museum of Art; Norwegian Painter’s ’Mermaid’ Centerpiece of Exhibition Opening Sept. 24

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 13 -- Aker Philadelphia Shipyard (formerly known as Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard), a subsidiary of Norway’s Aker ASA, is the lead sponsor of the first public exhibition to focus on Norwegian artist Edvard Munch’s enchanting Mermaid painting at the Philadelphia Museum of Art beginning September 24 and running through the end of the year.

Aker Philadelphia Shipyard, which from 1996 until earlier this summer operated exclusively as a shipbuilder under the name Kvaerner Philadelphia Shipyard, now builds, owns and leases commercial ships for American Jones Act customers from its headquarters at the site of the former Philadelphia Navy Yard in South Philadelphia. A mainstay of Norwegian industry since its founding in Oslo in 1841, Aker, whose holdings include 15 other shipyards, is proud to lend its support to showcase the genius of Munch, their homeland’s pre-eminent artist. The exhibition presents the painting along with nearly two dozen of Munch’s drawings, paintings and prints and coincides with the centennial of Norwegian independence.

“This is a milestone year for our company, the country of Norway, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art,” explains Dave Meehan, CEO of Aker American Shipping, the parent company of the shipyard and its affiliated businesses. “We have recently changed our name to reflect our new relationship with the Aker group of companies and our expanding maritime business based in Philadelphia. With the help of former President Clinton and government officials, as well as OSG, Inc., our customer, in April we celebrated our new $1 billion product tanker order, and now we join with our parent company, and our great art museum, in commemorating Norway’s centennial of independence and its most treasured painter.”

Meehan adds, “As shipbuilders, we recognize that every vessel is not just a great engineering marvel, it is a great work of art. We also recognize that beyond building ships, we are helping to build communities in and around Philadelphia through job retention and creation, and through our support of arts and culture.”

Leif-Arne Langoy, president and CEO of Aker ASA, says the company is proud of its heritage abroad and in Philadelphia where it has successfully rebuilt from the ground up the commercial shipbuilding industry. “Every member of the Aker family, starting with our main shareholder, Kjell Inge Rokke, applauds our Philadelphia operations for the accomplishments to date, and is optimistic for the future as America’s premier commercial shipbuilder.”

Aker American Shipping is a Philadelphia-based maritime company whose holdings include the state-of-the-art shipyard on the site of the former Philadelphia Navy Yard. The company, builds, owns, and leases commercial ships operated in accordance with the U.S. Jones Act. It is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker symbol AKASA). For additional information, visit http://www.phillyshipyard.com

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Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the largest art museums in the United States, showcasing more than 2,000 years of exceptional human creativity in masterpieces of painting, sculpture, works on paper, decorative arts and architectural settings from Europe, Asia and the Americas. The striking neoclassical building stands on a nine-acre site above the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and houses more than 200 galleries. The Museum offers a wide variety of enriching activities, including programs for children and families, lectures, concerts and films.

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