FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Eileen Conte

727.341.7901

BEATLES EXHIBIT OPENS A NEW ERA

AT FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM

Museum Moving to 244 Second Avenue N; Announces Opening with The Beatles Exhibit

 

St. Petersburg, FL (July 14, 2005) Florida International Museum (FIM) announces that it will reopen October 6, 2005 at 244 Second Avenue North in St. Petersburg with the exhibit The Beatles! Backstage and Behind the Scenes. On May 22, FIM closed to the public at its original location with the very successful, internationally acclaimed exhibit Diana, A Celebration . 244 Second Avenue North will be the new home of both FIM and the St. Petersburg College, together creating a unique educational Downtown Center.

“We are looking forward to our new museum space with much anticipation,” said FIM executive director Kathy Oathout. “We are thrilled to be a part of a vital new downtown educational center with St. Petersburg College. It's an exciting time for FIM and the city.” A Smithsonian Affiliate since 1999, FIM's mission is to bring the world to you through diverse national and international traveling exhibitions. Including collections from the Smithsonian, Florida International Museum focuses on art and popular themes presenting history through a series of exciting exhibits.

FIM's premier exhibition The Beatles! Backstage and Behind the Scenes will be featured October 6, 2005 through January 7, 2006, and comes direct from a successful season at The Smithsonian National Museum of American History. The exhibition will focus on The Beatles groundbreaking 1964 trip to the United States and includes photography, memorabilia, video, and music.

The exhibit consists of 84 historic black and white photographs from the unpublished archives of CBS and LIFE photographer Bill Eppridge and memorabilia from the extensive collection of Bill Haack including exact replicas of the Beatle's instruments, (as used on the Ed Sullivan Show).  

The exhibition of photographs magnify a condensed 1964 timeframe as the Fab Four wowed North American audiences and revolutionized rock music at an unprecedented pace. Bill Eppridge is an international, award winning photojournalist of 35 years with National Geographic, LIFE, People, and Sports Illustrated magazines. Eppridge's unique style in documentation and fine art photography over the years brought him history-making assignments as diverse as the wars in Panama and Vietnam, the original Woodstock concert, Robert Kennedy's 1966 and 1968 campaigns, America's Cup as well as the Beatles' first tour to the United States. His images of the Beatles' depict their youth and exuberance. Always upbeat, they were followed everywhere by throngs of fans who became a part of the group's skyrocketing story.

T he Beatles! Backstage and Behind the Scenes photography is organized, circulated and presented by Vickie A. Rehberg, president of ArtVision Exhibitions, LLC, a full-service exhibition and marketing company, providing photographic exhibitions to fine art museums and distinguished venues worldwide. Please visit www.artvisionexhibitions.com .

Museum hours at FIM's new location: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm; Sunday 12 noon – 5 pm; closed Mondays; last admission one hour before closing. General Admission: Adults $10, Seniors/Military $8, Students 7-18 yrs of age $7, Toddlers 6 and under – free. Group rates are available. www.floridamuseum.org

For more information please contact Eileen Conte, at 727.341.7901. To learn more about Florida International Museum visit www.floridamuseum.org .

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The Florida International Museum is a non-profit educational institution supported, in part, by the Florida Arts Council, State of Florida, Division of Cultural Affairs, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg. Other major sponsors include Ernst & Young, the Institute of Museum & Library Services, Progress Energy, Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Crown Jaguar, Starbucks, and the St. Petersburg Times.