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Susan G. Komen for the Cure(R), Phoenix Art Museum Partner to Present Art for the Cure(TM)

Exhibition Showcases Personal Art Collection of Susan G. Komen for the Cure Founder

Exceptional paintings and small masterpieces from the private Hungarian art collection of Nancy G. Brinker -- founder of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and former Ambassador to Hungary -- will soon be on display at Phoenix Art Museum in an effort to unite people with a passion for art with those who want to make a global difference in the fight against breast cancer.

While serving as U.S. Ambassador to Hungary, Ambassador Brinker developed a passion for Hungarian art that evolved into a world-class collection. Beginning Aug. 30 and running through Oct. 26, Phoenix Art Museum presents Art for the Cure: Hungarian Modernism from the Nancy G. Brinker Collection, an exhibition of more than 20 paintings and works on paper that capture the heyday of the modernist spirit.

In celebration of Art for the Cure, the Phoenix Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® will host a special, invitation-only event at the museum Saturday, Sept. 13, featuring remarks from Nancy G. Brinker. In addition, during the month of October, Phoenix Art Museum will donate 10 percent of its net profits to the Komen Phoenix Affiliate.

Launched in late 2006 with events at Susan G. Komen for the Cure Affiliate cities across the United States, Art for the Cure™ does more than present great works of art to a world audience. It also increases breast health awareness and helps raise vital funds to support national and international breast cancer outreach and education efforts. The Phoenix event is unique in that it coincides with the 2008 Susan G. Komen Phoenix Race for the Cure®, which is expected to draw nearly 39,000 participants to the State Capitol District on Sunday, Oct. 12.

"The Art for the Cure™ exhibit and our partnership with Phoenix Art Museum will further strengthen our community outreach to a broader audience and increase awareness of breast health and breast cancer in the Central and Northern Arizona area," says Pat Elder, executive director of the Komen Phoenix Affiliate. "We're extremely grateful for the museum's support in this exciting philanthropic endeavor."

About the Nancy G. Brinker Collection

Hungarian Artists: Works of Passion, Interludes and Progress

Hungary has the fourth highest death rate among women with breast cancer in the world. While serving as Ambassador to Hungary from 2001-2003, Ambassador Brinker was able to increase breast cancer screening rates in that country by 40 percent. Soon after Sept. 11, 2001, during her stay in Hungary, Ambassador Brinker also discovered a passion for the country's art. She found much comfort in it and sought a deeper understanding of the complex history of the beleaguered Eastern European nation.

"It began as an effort to honor Hungarian artists as seen through the eyes of an American," said Ambassador Brinker. "These pieces capture a unique time and place in history. I am proud to bring Hungarian art to the American public and raise awareness about the artists just as we continue to raise money and awareness to find the cures for breast cancer."

Hungarian artists have remained relatively obscure in the United States. But they deserve a wider audience according to Ambassador Brinker, not just for their artistic merit, but also for the light they shed on Hungarian history -- a history that has proved so pivotal to the fate of Europe in modern times.

About the Exhibition

Art for the Cure: Hungarian Modernism from the Nancy G. Brinker Collection

The first decades of the 20th century were an amazing time of artistic blossoming in Europe. Artists from all over the continent flocked to epicenters such as Paris and Berlin, and later to New York to participate in an unprecedented art scene driven forward by new ideas about abstraction, a dynamic gallery system, and widespread popular interest. Not surprisingly, the best artists from Budapest were part of the action and found themselves sometimes playing leading roles in the world of Modern art -- both at home and abroad.

Art for the Cure is the first time the artists of Hungary's avant-garde art have been the focus of a special exhibition at Phoenix Art Museum. The exhibition spans several key decades and presents the work of more than fifteen artist including László Moholy-Nagy, Róbert Berény, Josef Lempertz, and André Kertész.

Art for the Cure will be on view in Phoenix Art Museum's Orme Lewis Gallery Aug. 30 through Oct. 26, 2008.

Admission to the exhibition is included in general museum admission, which is $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens (65+), $8 for full-time college students with ID, $4 for children ages 6-17 and free for children under 6 and for museum members. Admission is also free on Tuesdays from 3:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. and for everyone on First Fridays, 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Phoenix Art Museum is located in downtown Phoenix at the corner of Central Avenue and McDowell Road. Museum hours are Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. and Wednesday - Sunday from 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays.

About Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

Nancy G. Brinker promised her dying sister, Susan G. Komen, she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, that promise became Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and launched the global breast cancer movement. Today, Komen for the Cure is the world's largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists fighting to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures. Thanks to events like the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure®, it has invested more than $1 billion to fulfill that promise, becoming the largest source of nonprofit funds dedicated to the fight against breast cancer in the world. For more information about Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, breast health or breast cancer, visit www.komen.org or call 1-877 GO KOMEN.

About the Phoenix Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®

The Phoenix Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure® -- along with those who generously support us with their talent, time and resources -- is working to better the lives of those facing breast cancer in our community. We join more than 100,000 breast cancer survivors and activists around the globe as part of the world's largest and most progressive grassroots network fighting breast cancer. Through events like the Susan G. Komen Phoenix Race for the Cure®, we have invested over $13 million in local breast health and breast cancer awareness projects in the nine counties of Central and Northern Arizona, and breast cancer research. Up to 75 percent of all funds generated by Komen Phoenix stay in the local area while the remaining income goes to Komen for the Cure's Grants Program supporting research, awards and educational and scientific programs around the world. Join us by calling 602-544-CURE (2873) or visiting us online at www.komenphoenix.org.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum is the Southwest's premier destination for world-class visual arts. Popular exhibitions featuring artists such as Rembrandt, Norman Rockwell, Annie Leibowitz and Monet are shown along side the Museum's outstanding collection of more than 18,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, Western American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. A community epicenter for nearly fifty years, Phoenix Art Museum presents festivals, live performances, independent art films and educational programs that enlighten, entertain and stimulate. Visitors also enjoy PhxArtKids, an interactive space for children, vibrant photography exhibitions through the Museum's landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, the lushly landscaped Sculpture Garden, dining at Arcadia Farms at Phoenix Art Museum, and shopping at The Museum Store.

To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit www.PhxArt.org, or call the 24-hour recorded information line at (602) 257-1222.