FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEW YORK, NY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013 – The Midi-Pyrénées Tourism Board is thrilled to announce the opening of the Soulages Museum in the village of Rodez in May 2014. Dedicated to Pierre Soulages, the internationally acclaimed painter and a native of Rodez in the Midi-Pyrénées, the museum will receive nearly 500 works, estimated to be worth close to 40 million euros, featuring many of the artist's early works.

The permanent collection includes paintings, including the works "Outrenoir" and "Brous de noix," printed work (etchings, lithographs, silkscreens), sculptures, drafts for the Conques stained-glass windows as well as films, photographs and rare books. The first temporary exhibition will be entitled "Outrenoir by Pierre Soulages" and will study the interplay of light and black.

There are examples of Soulages' work in nearly 90 museums throughout the world. His retrospective exhibition in 2009, at the the Centre Georges Pompidou, attracted nearly 500,000 visitors (a record number second only to the Dali exhibition). He is the highest earning French artist worldwide in the contemporary art market with his last work selling for more than 5 million euros.

The Soulages Museum is a contemporary building, designed by the Catalan architects RCR Arquitectes, who became honorary members of the “Royal Institute of British Architects” (RIBA) in November 2012, and who were chosen to create the Soulages Museum in 2008 by the Grand Rodez Agglomeration Community, from 98 candidates. The museum's facade is composed of Corten steel, a material which produces color nuances ranging from red to brown. The museum is set in a 7-acre garden with various tree varieties, a children’s play area and a pathway designed by the architect Emmanuel Nebout.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Normal rate: 7 euros, includes entrance to the Fenaille Museum [2]
Free: under-18, unemployed, recipients of income support, senior citizens, group escorts, French museum employees, the first Sunday of each month, and for holders of press, Icom or Icomos cards.
Reduced rate: 4 euros: Pass Agglo card holders, groups of 10 people.
Guided tours for groups or individuals: contact the Grand Rodez Tourist Office, 05 65 75 76 77.

PRESS CONTACT
Jackie Bru
Aveyron Tourism
05 65 75 55 75
Aveyron Tourism [3]