Five Colleges, Incorporated: GoDutch! Officially Blooms

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GoDutch! Officially Blooms in Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley

Those hungry for spring need only head to the Botanic Gardens at Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges to get a taste of what's to come. The colleges' annual flower shows provide a colorful kick-off for GoDutch!, the Pioneer Valley's much-anticipated celebration (March 1-August 31, 2006) of the art, culture, and horticulture of The Netherlands. The initiative is the brainchild of Museums10 -- a new collaboration among ten museums in the Valley's Five College Area whose goal is to increase visitorship to and through the region.

Adopting the old but apt adage that "a high tide lifts all boats," Museums10 invited organizations from throughout Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden Counties to participate in the area's first thematically-inspired cultural tourism initiative.
The result is a host of GoDutch! exhibitions, performances, films, lectures and other special events for all ages and tastes.

Highlights include:

Dutch Treats: Contemporary Illustration from The Netherlands (March 28-June 25) at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA, (413) 658-1100.

Arcadia Players: Dutch Baroque Organ Music Concert (March 4, 2006 and June 25) at First Church, Deerfield, MA, (413) 256-4888.

The Golden Age: Dutch Prints and Drawings (permanent exhibition) at the Springfield Museums at the Quadrangle, Springfield, MA, (413) 263-6800.

The Art of Display: Collecting and Displaying Art in a Nineteenth-Century Middle Class Home (Lecture on March 29) at The Emily Dickinson Museum, Amherst, MA, (413) 542-8161.

At Home in Holland-Dutch Decorative Arts from the Historic Deerfield Collection (April 1-December 31) at Historic Deerfield, Deerfield, MA, (413) 775-7214.

Tulipmania! (May, 27-29) at The Paradise City Arts Festival, Northampton, MA, (800) 511- 9725.

In Honor of the 400th Anniversary of Rembrandt's Birth: Dutch Masters of the 17th Century. An exhibition of prints by Rembrandt and others (January 28-August 20) at the Mead Art Museum, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, (413) 542-2335.

Visitors and residents alike should be on the lookout for special GoDutch! packages offered by a wide array of restaurants, hotels, and bed and breakfast establishments and should pick up a GoDutch! Passport Brochure at one of the participating venues for a chance to win a trip for two to The Netherlands. Ease of access to events on campuses and abundant parking in the surrounding villages, towns, and cities of the Pioneer Valley is perfect for both day-trippers and weekenders. So whatever the preference -- Miffy or Rembrandt, music or tulips -- GoDutch! is a uniquely affordable cultural experience with something for everyone.

"This is a remarkable opportunity for visitors to sample a rich mix of work from the golden age of Dutch art to some of the most exciting contemporary artists and illustrators working
in the Netherlands today," said Jessica Nicoll, director of the Smith College Museum of Art. "For our museums, it's a chance to get out the message about all that's here in one of the loveliest areas of western Massachusetts."

Museums10’s GoDutch! initiative has received generous funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, Cross-Culture Journeys, and The Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York.

For more information on GoDutch!, including a listing of events and special lodging and dining deals, visit www.valleyvisitor.com/godutch

Originally posted 3/22/06

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