PHILADELPHIA, PA.- The Philadelphia Museum of Art today announced that thanks to the kindness of public and private lenders of works of art from around the world, the popular Cézanne and Beyond exhibition will be extended through Sunday, May 31, 2009, and will also be open on Memorial Day (Monday, May 25). Made possible by ADVANTA and originally scheduled to close on May 17, the exhibition opened in Philadelphia on February 26 and will be seen only in Philadelphia. As of March 31 more than 131,000 tickets have been issued for Cézanne and Beyond, with visitors coming from more than 39 states, including California, New Mexico, Texas and Utah, and from around the world, including Australia, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Mexico, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

In response to public demand, the Museum has also increased its viewing hours for the exhibition. Updated information is available on the Museum’s website: www.philamuseum.org or through the Ticket Center at 215-235-SHOW.

“It’s a landmark exhibition and a major success,” said Gail Harrity, the Museum’s Interim Chief Executive Officer. “Visitors from around the corner and around the world have come to experience it, and they are going away with a deeper understanding both of Cézanne and of his influence on subsequent generations leading right up to the present moment. We are also mindful that in addition to the excellent work of the team of scholars on this major project, we owe great thanks to Advanta, our sole corporate sponsor, without which we could not have brought these rare masterworks to Philadelphia. We are delighted that more visitors will have the opportunity to experience this remarkable exhibition."

“The critical response has also been wonderful,” said Alice Beamesderfer, Interim Head of Curatorial Affairs. “We are delighted that it’s reaching a very wide audience and are deeply gratified that it has become an excellent learning tool, as we expect to welcome more than 2,100 high school students to the exhibition.” Publications that have reviewed the exhibition include the Philadelphia Inquirer, which called it “a magnificently stimulating experience”; TIME Magazine, “ingenious”; The Economist, “an enchanting exhibition”; and the Financial Times, “a splendid blockbuster.” The London Telegraph called it “as powerful a show as you are ever likely to see” and the Boston Globe wrote: “There won’t be a show anywhere in the world this year to compete — in ambition, scope, and sheer concentration of masterworks.”